The Washington herald., 1907-11-22
CHAPTER XIII.
Rrnnrht tn RnnI,.

or all Vida's lovers the most subtle
persistent. and best equipped with argu-
meut was one who never appeared ia
public. whom none ever saw knocking
at the door Of the little cottage az the
wood gate
This was. in fact. no other than James
Kahn. the confidential himself
He had studied his abrupt and pas
sionate master and on the strength Of
the knowledge 50 acquired lie exploited
him thoroughly. He knew that much Of
Jacob Romer's apparent hardness was
the effect Of a very real remorse. He
believed that II he could only present 10
his master daughter fair, stately, and
this was essential-married 20 himself.
James Kahn, she would be Immediately
taken TO her fathers heart. Also Mr.
James Kahn would slip without trouble
into the succession OF the Romer mil
lions. toward which his heart yearned
as a bridegroom toward a bride
There was something else. of course.
Vida Bryan was 70 him a beautiful wild
animal. and he promised himself the
luxury Of tanning her. That this would
be a real pleasure he doubted not He
admired her. He missed no turn Of her
1.-THE form, no expression Of her vivid
face. The energetic traits OF her beauty
were in accordance with his own curl
ously savage taste-Ghetto crossed with
Serb Of BeIgrade-a bad blood and dan
gerous breed.
a singular and apparently causeless
jealousy fred Kahn into angers all the
more terrible because they had 70 be
contained so severely There was no
reason in the world why he should not
have come 10 Glebe End openly and by
day. before every one. Vida was a poor
girl. and his purpose of marriage ap-
parently unselhsh, and even noble. But
he could not sit and see Vic Morris enter
as if the place belonged TO him, or even,
in Vics recent absences, Phil CalmOnt.
Yet withal Mr. Kahn was the most
modern Of men. in so far as apparel
Woodworking sleeve-hke turn-down
collar, a narrow wisp Of a tie in crepe
De chine confined with minute gold fas-
tening Legginged and wind-cCated and
fiat-capped, he was the complete chauf-
feur But in a little sheath, double
Of his trousers. he wore knife, or,
rather a dagger. very sharp. workman
like and warranted to bridge. easily and
swiftly. for anyone who displeased Mr..
James Kahn, the gulf between time and
eternity.
What is more. his Serb blood made
him inclined to serve himself with il.
But he was wise enough 20 know that in
this century and in peaceable litigiOus
Scotland. such a mode OF settling diff
culties would assuredly be gravely in
convenient for himself
His jealousy was so extreme that he
had dismissed two chauffeurs in success
sion-one because he showed. contrary TO
the wont Of these gentlemen. too great
an interest in his masters Journeys to
Glebe End and what he did when be
got there
After the second time he conducted for
himself But ever since on the night
OF the fire. Vic Morris had so nearly run
off with his car James Kahn had walked
all the way up from The CaTaVansesai." ."
his red-brick house on the other side OF
Kirktown-a good couple of miles, which.
in a man so little disposed 10 exercise as
the Ghetto-Serb, spoke volumes for his
earnestness Of purpose.
Month after month he wOOed Vida with
a mixture OF sentiment and savagcry
which warranted that wise young lady in
considering him to he mentally deranged.
Sometimes on moonlight nights a violin
PLAYED as no Briton could play it. could
be heard sending forth strange out -Of-the
world music from the pine woods under
her window. Or a patter of pebbles jetted