The Washington herald., 1907-12-01

be glad TO get away from Capt. Oar
nall. who comes here every day. And
and So"
You are going to Paris?" said James
lnce. sharply But your aunt has tele-
graphed 10 Densley this morning TO say
that she was going To take You TO
Doncas,er tonight, and that Leblanc
was 10 meet YOU there. How do YOU
account for the discrepancy"
The poor child could not account for
it. and she bit her lip and guIped down
a sob. Earnest. sincere. straightforward.
and blunt. James Iuce did his best TO
convince her.
Now. look here" he said: "you know
I've told YOU the truth, even though
YOU won't acknowledge fl yet You
know that St Quintin is am honest
honorable lover, that he is passionate
ly fond of you. that YOU can trU=t HiH.
You know. or YOU ought To- know that
YOU can't trust your alleged uncle and
aunt What / want YOU 10 understand
Is that st. Quiutin is i'm danger from
them, and that your best chance Of
safety and Of saving him is 20 go away
and 10 meet him now. before they can
devise any new scheme for keeping
you apart I'm going TO start for Don
caster from Liverpool street by the
$40 train I know / can just do IT,
If you Ike to trust yourself with me-
III take you up there myself. and I'll
make myself responsible Tor your safe
~ anyhow. Have YOU pluck enough
TO do this@"
She shook her head
No. She said hoarsely 1T would
be saying. confessinS that-that all
you've said is true"
Why. yes. SO it would. And that
can't be denied"
And it would he cutting myself
adrift I could never come back"
That's true also. II is a choice be
tween these people-your uncle and
aunt, on the one hand. and the man You
love on the other"
She drew back quickly.
It's more than YOU have any right to
ask. It's too daring. too much of a
plunge. on. I can't. / can't
James Ince bowed.
Very well" he said. + have no
power 20 make you decide otherwise
than as you please. only remember my
warning. II once YOU let them take
YOU out of England. YOU will lose St
Quintin forever. He loves YOU de-
votedly. but not even he, think
would - 10 marry q girl who chose
to stay with these people when once
she had learned the truth about them"
But Marie would not listen. She inter
rUpted him sharply
Thank you. 1 know you've only done
what you thought right. But I'm not
brave enough TO do such a thing as you
want me to do. Good-by."
Waving her hand slightly. she turned
and ran back into the garden Ike a
hare.
SOrrowfuny. with many mixed emo
tions struggling in his breast. James Iuce
turned and went toward the station. He
knew that he had done a bold thing i'm
trying To cut her off from the people who
had acted as her guardians. and he felt
bitterly already the pangs which he would
have to inlct upon poor St. Quiutin when
he should learn the truth that she had
gone away.
OF course, the girl was too young. too
inexperienced. TO understand 10 the fun
the risk she was running. since IL was
hardly likely that such practiced swindlers
rs the Leblancs evidently were would let
proved what a tempting bait her beauty
was
He hurried back to town determined 10
catch the train that arrived at Doncaster
at ll:C5. and wondering what fresh trap
the artful Leblanc had been laying for
the hapless St. Quintin.
When he reached Liverpool street he
had only minute TO spare, and he ran
along the platform and jumped into the
first vacant compartment he came to.
He had scarcely thrown himself back
in a corner when another figure leapt into
the carriag-. and he recognized. with an
exclamation. the white face and graceful
figure Of Miss Densley.
I've done it, she said. hoarsely. as
she sank trembling on the seat.