The Minneapolis journal., 1905-06-24

would have plenty of facilities of which
she might make venomous use. ihe
general had engineered her Invitation
with the laudable. purpose OF keeping
her. under constant observation and OF
making communication with her con-
federates difficult; but in his zeal for
checkmating her predatory designs he
had forgotten her amatory ones.
It was true that SYPHILIS en-
gagement had not yet been pub
lished to the world, but the Shermans,
who were also to be the dukes guests,
knew Of it, and to enter into explana-
tions with Mrs. Sherman. the voluble
far towards defeating his cherished
hope of protecting that lady's husband
| from the gang without duplicating the
duke. AS it was, the invitation of Mrs.
Talmage Eglinton, of which he was sus.
pected of being the cause, had excited
more thar. curiosity among, his Ameri-
can visitors, who had nearly upset his
arrangements by canceling their own
visit on learning that their mysterious
fellow countrywoman was to be of the
party. One crumb of comfort he de-
rived from the fact that in all things
he could rely on his wife's discretion.
tho they had exchanged no word on
etrating or wishing to penetrate his mo-
tive in trafficking with Mrs. Talmage
EgHnton, his wife guessed that he had
one: he knew that he could depend
upon her unquestioning aid if he asked
for it.
~ guess I've bitten off more than I
can chew, as Sherman himself would
put it, - he mused, with a sigh for the
old days Of jingling bride chains and
down his Thugs and Dacoits without
female influence upsetting his calcula-
tions. The female influence had been
there, doubtless, with all it's iealousies
and consequent treacheries; but all that
had been .Azimoolah' department.. It
bearded Pathan to explore the under
currents Of social life in the native vii
lagos, and he had not worried his chief
with details till the patient sapping
of traitorous brains was done, and all
that remained was to sally forth and
hunt the faithless lover or erring hus-
band who was also a breaker, Of laws.
. eternal feminine had been extensive
and peculiar; but the general felt that
he could not with, propr1ety set MN
r poking into sloveTafairs which included
Sybil Hanbury in its scope.
, Another point which harassed the
On the dukes attitude towards Mrs
Talnlage Eglinton by his mild displeas,
!, ure at the style Of her note. The gen,
eral was assured that the remark at
| the breakfast table had been the, gen
: uine expression Of an honest doubt as
) to the fitness of the sparkling widow to
mix with gentlewpmgen; whereas do,1S4 whaf une
5 ever if he had had relations with the
: gang of whom he, the general, be!ieveAe e
I this woman to be the moving, spirit =,
E certainly seemed that the duke was lgg
. norant that she was dangerous ad
r ventures, for, tho he might nave sus
a pected her of designs agalnst .nainsei,
j, at Prior's Tarrant, he would never hay' y
9 subjected Sybil to the peril OF dali,
o intercourse with a potential murderess
All along Beaumanoir had shown q chly
J. alrous disposition to protect his cousn
d from even minor annoyances.
r .EttPerhaps there are two distlne
) crowds after. Sherman, g9id onfa Gonns
n lot, and Mrs. Talmage Eglinton IS play
/ Ing against them, the general muse
/ IS he turned his steps back to tn
n house. esTo think that the felloy
3 3 holds the key Of it all, and won
+ speak, is what riles me. .
L The immediate dilemma confronte.
u him whether or no to lmpart 70 ~
T nephew the cause for alarm that ha
6 arisen about Sybil. He had been SUI
! Z prised at first that a man OF Alec fo1
u syth's shrewdness had not seen fG
himself a danger threatening the gil
= he loved; but closer examination di'
y closed a reason. Forsyth was too moo
-. - est, too little of coxcomb, for it
- - occur to him that violence could resu
from misplaced passion for himsel
10 On the whole, the general decided tha
/. as Mrs. Talmage Eglinton was not Is !du o.
% to Alec at present.
le eff / can make Beaumanoir di
is gorge his secret, the trouble may NJ
< arise, = he comforted himself. II
s. the veterans faith In himself VIZ
II, shoken, and he wished he had resiste
a the temptation to meddle with erin
ID outside his old eastern sphere, he W;
ce not the man to take his hand from tt
le plough. He would devote all his q