Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-12


| red to him. The gauger saw his agitation.
| and said with shrug:
We'll. we shall know before the days
! out: AS you say. one of them will have
to bolt. If is's the man. all right; we go
| ahead calmly. If It's the woman"
| he stopped and looked enquiringly at his
partner.
Wiseman met the look, hesitated a mo-
| ment. and then gave sharp nod. and turn
ed away.
We carry out our agreed program with
| him." Black finished.
Very WELL" said the distiller II the man
was really Sir Eustace Holland, Harvey's
position was desperate, and he knew 1t.
He was prepared, under those circum-
stances, to take any risks to defend him
self
While they were thus preparing to meet
the new emergency the woman who had
caused it was playing out her share in the
drama, and playing it boldly, considering
that she very uncertain of her cues.
She had come to the north with very
clear Ideas of the part for which she was
cast. and with the main situations thought
out and rehearsed to a gesture; for she en-
Joyed the advantage of a professional train
Ing in histrionics, and she knew the folly
of leaving important effects to the inspira-
ton of the moment. But the news which
she had heard in the train had altered the
whole plot. She did not know what the
curtains" in the play were going to be.
she had expected that the stage manage
ment would be in her own hands. She
crate prearrangementS were useless
After she left Wiseman, she did not hurry
in her walk up the beach avenue. A
tain nervousness aSSailed her which was not
wholly to be accounted for by the necessity
OF facing a situation for which she
| inadequately prepared. She was naturally
person of great self-confidence, but she
knew her diSa bilties With women of her
own class she would have been at ease and
would have taken the center of the stage
by right of natural ability, with perfect con-
hdence In her own power to force
the action of the drama along the lines
she wished. But the two women she was
going to meet were not of her own class
She did not know how to treat them-much
less could she foresee how they would treat
her-and she feared them.
AT the supreme moment of her own play
Sir Eustace Hollapds wife came very near
to giving way, for the first time in her life
to a disastrous attack of stage fright
She sat down on a bank of moss under
one of the great beeches to think the mat
ter out How to tackle her husbands
on striking the right note at the beginning
Should she try the bold, confident manner
demanding her rights though there was
no question but that she would get them?
That was what she had meant to do, while
she thought herself sure of her ground. Or
would 1t be any good trying to win their
favor first? Was there the slightest hope
that she could make them like her?
She dismissed the thought at once She
knew that they wouldn't like her If they
tolerated her, and accepted her baby son,
that was the most that they could do.
She got up, and walked briskIy the rest
of the way. She had made up her mind
what to do
Il will tell them just as much of the
plain truth as is convenient" she said to
herself And what 1 do tell I'll tell SIM
ply; they're more likely to believe it if
do"
She was glad that she had met Wiseman.
She realized that, by refusing to say def
nitely whether the man who claimed to be
Sir Eustace was her husband or not, she
had made the distifer suspect her. but
that was unavoidable. She had told him
the truth when she said that she had a
difficult game to play; 1t was a very diff
cult game, more difficult indeed than she
had ever suspected 1t to be. And by her
clever fencing with WiSeman she had at
any rate left the door open for herself to
take what line seemed best when she knew
more of the plot.
For strangely enough the point which she
had not decided yet was this: when she
met the man himself. should she denounce
him an imposter? 1t difficult point
to decide. more difficult than appeared on
the surface, 1t was purely a matter of
tactics. for of course the facts were sim
pie. Either he was her husband or he was
not. That much was elementary.
'I'I wait till l him. she said with a
laugh, as she lifted the brass knocker of
her husbands home. But I'm glad 1 met
Cousin Harvey first"
She asked for Lady Holland and was
shown 10 the little study beside the
seryatory.
What name shall I say, please?" asked
the maid.
Lady Holland" she answered calmly.
The maid looked astOnished.
Il beg your pardon a'am." she said.
"Did you say Lady Holland?"
Eyes, 1 did. But you're right There Is
no need to astonish your mistress. Say
Mrs. Wortley, from Oporto. But it's the
same thing, and l fancy they will under
stand" she added under her breath.
The maid opened the door and announced:
Go be continued tomorrow