The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

Why nOt-why not?"
Hagar looked back with a glance OF
immeasurable contempt. II take moth
ing from a woman who betrays her
husband" she said. TRANQUILITY. Good
night. Mrs. Delamere-and be careful
how you write letters to your next
lover He may have a valet also" and
Hagar left the magnificent room. with
Mrs. Delame-e standing in it, white
with rage and terror and humiliation.
In those few contemptuous words Of
the poor gypsy girl her sin had come
home to her.
Hagar had come 10 the West End
- see the woman who had written the
letters; now she walked back to her
Lambeth pawnshop to interview the
mar to whom they had been sent. She
was not a girl who did things by
halves. and. bent upon thwarting in
every way the scoundrelism OF Joh2sv
Peters. she had sent message to niSY
master. In reply nord Averley had in
formed her that he would call. upon
her at the time and place mentioned
In her letter The time was o'clock.
the place the dingy parlor OF the
pswnshop, and here Hagar intended
20 inform Lord Averley OF the way in
which she had saved Mrs. Delamere
from the greed Of the valet. Also. she
intended 70 make him take back the
casket and repay the money lent on it,
In all her dabblings in romance Hagar
never forgot that she was woman OF
business. and was bound TO get as
much money as possible for the heir
of the old miser who had fed and
sheltered her when she had come
fugitive TO London. Ha gar's ethics
would have been quite Incompetent
sible to the majority OF mankind
True to the hour. Lord Averlev made
his appearance in Carbv's Crescent. and
was admitted by I.agar to the back
parlor.
Il have no doubt you wondered at re-
ceiving letter from a pawnshop." she
said. abruptly.
II confess I did" he replied. quietly.
but because you mentioned that you
had my casket I came. 1t is here. you
saw"
Hagar took the silver box Oft near
shelf and placed IL on the table before
him. 1T was pawned here two weeks
ago." she said, quietly. Il lent fi3, so.
if you give me that SUM and the
months interest. you can have IT.
Without a word Lord Averley counted
out tne as. but he had to ask her what
the interest was Hagar told him. and
in few moments the tran sactiOn was
concluded. Then Averlev spoke.
How did you know il was my cas-
ket?"
The man who pawned it told me So
THAT was strange"
Not at all, my lord. made him tell
me-"
HIN. you look clever" said Averley.
looking at her with interest. May T
ask the name of the man who pawned
certainly. He was your valet. John
Peters"
Peters, echoed her visitor. "Oh.
you must be mistaken. Peters is an
honest man
''He is a scoundrel and thief. Lord
Averley; and. but for me he would have
been blackmailer-'
a biackmailer2"
Yes. There were letters in that cas-
ket"
Were letterss said Averley hurried
~. and drew the box toward him. DO
you know the secret?"
Yes; 1 found the secret recess and
the letters. 1t was lucky for you that
1 did So Your indiscreet speech to
friend informed Peters that compromis-
ing letters were hidden in the casket.
He came here to find them; but I had
already removed them"
And where are they now?"
II gave them back to the married
woman who wrote them
How did you know who wrote
themg' asked Lord Averley. raising his
eyebrows
Il read one Of the letters and then
Peters told me the name OF the lady.
He proposed to me TO blackmai1 her I
ostensibly agreed. and went TO see the
lady 20 whom I gave back the letters.
I asked you here tonight to return the
casket: also to put you on your guard
against John Peters. He is coming to
see me tomorrow, to get-as he thinks
the money obtained by means OF the
letters. That is the whole story
Its g queer one" replied Averley.
smiling Il shall certainly discharge
Peters. but I won't prosecute him for
thieving. he knows about the letters,
and they are far too dangerous 10 be
brought into court"
They ere not dangerous now. my
lord. l have given them back to the
woman who wrote them
That was veVy good OF YOU. SAID
Averley. satiricallv. May 4 ask the
name of the LADY -
Surely you know Mrs. Dc,amerc'
AverIey looked aghast tor I moment.
and then began To laugh quietly, My
dear young lady" he said. as soon as
he could bring his nirth within bounds.
would II not have been better 70 have
consulted me before giving back chose
ItJterss"
NO" said Hssar. boldly. Tor you
might not have handed theu OVER
Certainly should not have handcl
then: to Mrs Del7mere" said Averiey
with fresh burst of laughter.
w Ny not
Because she never wrote them NY
dear lady, I burnt all the letters I got
from Mrs Delamere. and 7 told he
had done so. The letters in this cas-
ket signed Beatrice were from a dif-
ferent lady altogether. 7 shall have
TO see Mrs Delamere. She'll never for
give me- oh. what comedy and he
began laughing again
Hagar was annoyed. She had acted
for the best. no doubt: but she had
given the letters to the wrong woman.
shortly the humor of the mistake
struck her also. and sne laughed in
concert with Lord AveTley.
I'm sorry I made mistake" she
said. at length.
You couldn't help IT," replied Aver
lev. rising. 1T was that scoundrel
Peters who put you wrong But I'll
discharge him tomorrow. and get those
letters of Beatrice back from Mrs.
Delamere'
And you'll leave that poor iittia
woman alone said Hagar as she es
corted him to the door
My dear lady. now that Mrs Della
Ira hos l.-~- -