Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-07
what would her

n
It was her iadyship. as he said-very
tired. very pale. strangely quiet. and with
d eyes s svn e san anhsS uson p
fore. Amazed to see her, dressed In no
way for travelling. carrying no other lug
gage than the purse In her hand the old
stared stared at any 6osey OF Melbourns come
suddenly upon him In the witching hours
II welcome your iadyship home" he STAN
msred. looking anything but welcome
from his tnquiring eyes. and then. most
inaptly. continued: The trains Is very late
for the time OF year, must say, my lady.
Lady Evelyn merely saif'
Yes, am drradfuliy late. Griggs Don't
let any one be disturbed. could not touch
anything tonight. My luggage Is to De
forwarded from London. Please see that
everything is locked Up. am going straight
ct all
Grtggs did not really know what TO make
OF It
She was as white as sheet" he told
the kitchen afterward. and she asked me
to lock up the 'ouse. Now. am l in the
'abit of leavin' the doors open or do see
EN- shut regular? Mark my words, Paru-
gan. there's something more than her lug
gage she's left in London. and the sooner
his lordship takes 1t out OF the cloak room
the better"
Here was something to set the servants
hall by the ears beyond possibility of dis
driven her ladyship home, added an ingre-
dent TO the sauce of their curiosity when
proved appetizing beyond measure.
There was young man at the station ton
wot kept hopping about US just like oss
about a hayrick." said he. Il could see
she didn't want to take much notice on
him. but what was TO do? II he'd nave
opened his lips, l could have given him
something for hisself But he didn't say
nothing TO nobody and all she says was,
Drive on at once. Williams. and don't stop
for any one Be sure / made the old oss
slip it. He come along for all the world
as though he were riding TO 'ounds and me
in the first flight"
Williams, be II observed. had not exaS-
gerated at all There had been'a young
man at the station and Lady Evelyn had
been very frightened by him. what Is
more remarkable is the fact that she was
perfectly well aware of his Identity ana
knew him beyond a shadow OF DOUBT Tor
the apparent nonag1narian who had oeeh
so persistent at st. Pancras. That Whlte-
haired old man and the youth who appeared
before her suddenly at her Journeys emu
We're certainly one and the same person
The only conclusion possible was this, Aaat
she had been watched closely in LONDON
and followed thence.
at must be Count Odin," she said to her
self, and upon this she tried to reason
out secret of which the key lay far from
her possession. Why should the man have
been at such pains to follow her II he
knew her fathers name, as he pretended
ne aid. 1t never occurred neT utl-
trained mind that a foreigner recently ar
rived from Bucharest might be quite I'M
aware of the identity of Robert Forester
and altogether ignorant of the fact that ne
was Robert Forester no longer. but had
become by strange accident OF for
tune the third Earl of Melbourne, Baron
Norton, and heaven and Burke know what
besides. Here had been the counts diff
Guilty. He had searched every directory In
vain for the whereabouts of a man he had
now made 1t his llfe's purpose to discover
Knowing scarcely any one in London, and
having no particular desire to declare his
presence to the Roumanian charge daft
flares, his quest had been proftless until
chance brought him face to face with the
Lady Evelyn in the Strand. Instantly he
had resolved never to lose sight of her I'M
til he had discovered Robert Forrester's
house, and had asked Of him that question
the answer to which should tell him II his
own father were alive or dead.
The Lady Evelyn. upon her part. had no
share of the story, save that which her
own eyes and the Counts brief words had
told her. He had spoken in London of her
father, 1t is true; but there had been no
betrayal of a warm anxiety to meet him, nor
had he mentioned the name except as
passport to Evelyn's confidence. The fact
that she had been followed from town to
Derbyshire disquieted her exceedingly by
the very pains which had been taken to
conceal it. No longer could she believe
that Count Odin had been fascinated by her
acting and had foollshly fallen in love with
her. Something lay beyond, and her clever
brain OWNED 1t to be a thing dan
gerous to both her father and to herself.
So 1t was not Eta Romney, but my Lady
Evelyn, grave and stately, and dreadfully
afraid of her own secret and of another's,
who returned to Melbourne Hall, and, de-
clinng the attentions of her servants,
went straight up to her bedroom, but not to
sleep. Whatever danger threatened her
must speedily declare itself, she thought.
1t was even possible that the morrow would
bring 1t to her doors.
And If it came. her father would know