The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-20

klDu or QOnSbnSes you dl1u IL AiiileAs oHP- l pose l tell your man to wait for us in l Berkeley Square I'll say that we are l going into the Arcade to look at the l motor ears-and they won't let you keep ] a carriage waiting in Bond street now. 1 I can tell you what I've heard about ! your friend Alban Kennedy while you're , cutting me the bread and butter Her attention was arrested in an in- stant.
 ] When can you know about Mir. Ken nedy?" she asked quickly, while her face betrayed her interest.
 "Oh, l know a lot more than most. l I've struck more than one friend of his these later days, and a fine time he seems having with the girls out wonder. Come over to my rooms and I'll tell you about it. I'm just fitting up bit of a place in the Albany since your good father be- gan to encourage virtue. l say, Anna he should never have sent me that cheque, you know he shouldn't. t." f It was masterpiece of impudence, but it won upon her favor none the less. She had made up her mind a week ago that Willy Forrest was a rogue, a thief, and a charlatan. Yet here she was--for such is woman-toerating his conversation and not willing to hear his explanations. ! Upon 1t all came his insinuation that he had news of Alban. Certainly, she did not know how to refuse him. You are sure that there is some one in your rooms-I will leave them instant ly if there is not" she exclaimed. sur prised at scruples which never had troubled her hitherto. Forrest protested by all the gods that the very doubt was an outrage.
 There's a hag about fit to knock down a policeman" he rejoined, with a feigned indignation fine to see. "Now be sensible, Anna, and let's get out. Are we babes and stockings or what? Don't make a scene about 1t. don't want you to come if you'd rather not
 She turned the ponies round almost at the door of the Albany, which they had just passed while they talked, and. drove up to the door of that somewhat dismal abode. A word to her groom to be in Berkeley Square in half an hour did not astonish that worthy, who was quite ac- customed to Miss Hannas" vagaries. In the corridor before the chambers, Willy laid stress upon the point about the char woman and made much of her.
 'Tll ring the old girl up and you can cross-question her If you like. She's a. regular beauty. Don't you think that I'd deceive you, Anna. Have l ever done 1t in all my miserable life-eh, what?" he said at the door. Now walk right in
 
 times to have you about, upon my word it does"
 She followed him into the chambers, her anxiety about the charwoman abso- lutely at rest. The rooms themselves were in some little confusion, but prom ised to be spendidly furnished presently. Fine suites of furniture were all huddled to gether like policemen at @ scene Of public rejoicing. The rich curtains, un- A T. IL. I sofas-a few sporting prints relieved the cold monotony of tinted walls-the libra " boasted Ruff and Wisdom for it's chief masterpieces. Nothing, however, disconcerted Willy Forrest. He had pro- duced that charwoman before you could count five.
 Make us cup of tea, Mrs. Smiggs. will you?" he asked her boisterously. Here's my cousin come to tell me how to plant the furniture. We shan't trouble you long-just make love to the kettle and say we're in a hurry will you, now, there's a good soul.''
 Mrs. Smggs took a sldelong glance at the lady, and tossing @ proud but tousled head assented to the proposition in far from becoming terms
 "Pm sure, sir, that I'm always willing , to oblige," she said condescendingly, If as the young lady wouldn't like me to step out and get no cakes nor nothing"
 NO, no, no cakes, thank you, Mrs. Smiggs-just a cup of tea as you can make it and thats s all My cousins car riage is walting-she won't be here ten minutes-eh what?"
 The good woman left them, carrying retrousse nose at an angle of suspicion Willy Forrest drew an arm chair towards the jwndow of that which would present ly be his dining room, and having per suaded Anna to take it, he poised him self elegantly upon the arm of sofa near by and at once invited her conf dence.
 Say, Anna now. what's the good of nonsense? Why did you let the old man send me that cheque?'
 She began to pull off her gloves slowly and with contemplative deliberation.
 ''I let him send it because I did not wish to marry you
 That's just what I thought, You got in a huff about a lot of fools talk on lhe course and turned it round upon me Just like a woman-eh, what? As if I could prevent your horse going dotty. That was Farrier's business, not mine."
 But you let me back the horse"
 "of course l did. He might have won I was just backing my luck against yours Of course I didn't mean you to lose any t<N~eS gether, and what I took out of the ring would have been yours if you'd asked me- Good Lord, what a mess your fla thers made of itl Me with his five thou in my pocket and you calling me a black guard You did call me a blackguard- now didn't you, Anna?''
 It was very droll to see him sitting there and for a wonder telling her some- thing very like the truth. This, however o1a..n fsNIt successful life. He had always told peo- pie that he was a scamp-a kind of ad- mission the world is very fond of. In Annas case he found the practice quite useful. It rarely failed to win her over
 What was I to think?' she exclaimed almost as though her perplexity dis tressed her "The people say that I have cheated them and you win my money. If I don't pay you you say that l must marry you Will you deny that it is the truth? You won this money from me to compel me to marry you?
 Captain Willy Forrest slapped his thigh as though she had told him an excellent joke
 That's the best thing I've heard for a twelvemonth," cried he; ''as if you were the sort to be caught that way. Anna - by an lmpostor, too. as your Little Boy Blue told you at Henley. He said I was an impostor. didn't he? Well, he's about right there-Im not the son of old Sir James Forrest-never was, my dear. He was my fsther's employer, and a devilish good servant he had. But I've some claims on his memory all the same-and why shouldn't I call myself Forrest if I want to? Now, Anna, I'll be as plain with you as d parson at pigeon match. 1 do want to marry you-I've wanted to marry you hver since l knew you-but if