The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03

becoming aolrcctef q ~
these companies. Politics should. be
.s,lte sgtsf5ient 10 eREross has time: and
a. money cannot be SO much OF an
ebie6t 10 him. T. don't suppose his
holdings arc large. but am quite sure
,hst ono or two q those Australian golc
mines arc dicky. and you know he was
sn enormous holder OF chartereds. and
v-ouldut sell worse luck. or course
In, not afraid OF his losing II the long
-s,n but il isnt exactly dtGnireo
tr,trr 10 be associated with these con-
oerns dat aren't exactly Al. His name
might lead people into speeplstlons
WHO cosldn't altogether afford H.
~ know nothing whatever OF these
-s+t,rs.y answered. hut from what
have seen o. your father ] should
.r,eriuo hat be is remarkably able 10
guard his own interests
BleHsvon nodded
II suppose that is true" he admitted
nut when lie is already 8 rich man.
with sefy simple tastes. ! an rather
surprised that he should care 70 NEEDLE
with such things"
PLAYING az commerce" 7 remarked.
has become rather q hobby with men
of leisure lstels--p
..t4,s ,yorren. TOO. Blenavon assented-
Rather an ugly hobby, I call Il.
A servant entered ard addressed
..-rhe carriage IS al the door, sour
loreship." he announced.
Blenavon glanced al his watch S-ns
rose -
-. T,,,csfne. r. said. Il was 10 have
dfneo out tonight. and must 60 Sno
make my peace. Another El~ss OF
wine?
rose at once.
'sNothins more thank you." I said.
Z viii just say goodnight 70 your
sister"
shes probably in the drawing
-oor be rems sried. IF not, 7 win
make your excuses when I see her
Rlenavon hurried out A few mo-.
r7erts later / heard. the wheels OF his
carriage pass the long front OF the
house and turn down the avenue
fingered for a moment where was,
The small oak able az which We nso
Sfned seemed like an oasis OF color in
rAe midst of an stmosphePe OF gloom.
The room was large and lofty and the
lighting was altogether ipaoecuate-
From tie walls there frOwned through
-he shadows the warliice faces OF Een-
orstions Of Rowchcsters. ~ the fsr-
fher end OF The apartment four armed
giants stood grim and gnostlike IN the
twilight which seemed 10 supply their
empty frames with the presentment OF
actual warriors i looked down upon
the table. Gil sgleam with flowers and
fruit and silver, over which shore the
red glow OF the shaded lamps. Exactly
opposite 20 ne. IN that chair now
pushed carolesslv hack, she had sat, so
close that my hand could have touched
hers at any moment. SO close that I
had been able TO wonder more than
ever before a. the marvellous whiteneSE
~ her skin. the perfection OF her small,
finely shaped features, the strange
sphinxlike EXPRESSION Of her face, al
WAYS suggestive OF some great self
restraint mysterious and subtly stinlu-
latinE. And as ] stood there she seemed
. again 70 be occupying the chair, 81 first
a faint shadoVry presence, but gaining
Trsth cvcrv second shape ano outline,
until ] could scarcely persuade myself
that n was not she who sat there, she
whose eyes more than once during
diuner-fimo had looked into mine with
that curious and instructive demand for
fymps thy. even as REGARDS the things
~ the moment. The passing jest, the
most 1ransftorr OF emotions. A few
minutes before ! had felt that I knew
her better than ever before in my life,
and now the chair was empty. Ny
heart was beating al he imaginary
presence OF the Fainest % shadows.
She was going 10 marry Colonel Mos
typ Ray.
And then stood IS though suddenly
turned 10 stone. Before no were the
great front windows Of tile castle. Be-
yond. eastward. stretched he salt
marshes, tbs salt marshes riven with
creeks. once more mE unwilling
hands touched that liUddled-up heap
of extinct humanity. ! saw the dead
white face, which tie sun could never
warm again. and i felt The hands cold,
clammv horrible. Bsv was a soldier,
end life and death had become phrases
10 him. but lit was the first dead
man ] had ever seen, and the horror OF
it was cold in Hiy blood Ray had uUr-
dercd him.. fought With him, perhaps,
but killed him. what wouio- she say
n she knew? Weuld his hands be clean
10 her or would the horror rise ID ike
q red wall between them
'Will YOU take coffee. sir?'
] set my teeth aud turned slowly
round even took the cup from the
tray without splitting IT.
TWhat liqOur may I bring you, sir?"
the man asked.
Brandy" answered.
fr- few minutes I was laughing AT
myself not quite materially. perhaps.
but only J. could know that. ] was
getting 20 be q morbid. nervous person.
il was. the solitude I must get away
from IL al before long. Fate had been
plsNing strange tricks with re. Life,
which q few months ago had been q
cold and barren thing. was suddenly
pressed TO my lips, fantastic, fntoxl-
eating miSture. ] lad drawn enough
poison into any veins. ] would have no
more. ] swore IT,
tried 10 leave the castle unnoticed.
but tile place was alive with servants.
One OF them hurried UP 10 me as ! tried
b 10 reach my coat and hat.
"fIcr ladyship desired me 20 say that
sle was in the biliiard-ro0m, sir he
announced.
"Wnl you tell Lady Angela" and
then I stopped. The door OF the bill
iia-d-roon was open. and Lady Angela
stood there, the outline OF her figure
sharply defined against q food OF
light She had a cue in her hand and
sho looked across al me.
You ara a long time, Mr.. Ducsine.
] am waiting for you 10 give me q les
son at billiards.
7 crossed tho hall TO her side.
81 49,