The Washington herald., 1907-06-09

/ interest as a romantic eccentric gentle
man. with a mystery IN his life.
"She wasn't fiji 20 walk from one room
70 the other. let alone dress and leave
the hotel" she told Godfrey, "and be-
fore I reused y9u I sent downstairs to
see If she had got farther than the en-
trance or the courtyard. I expected to
fnd her fainting there, but she was no.
whore 10 be seen"
Then" Godfrey stammered. hoarsely.
"than-she might fall lll IN the street. and
be taken to hosp.tal2"
'Yes, certainly said the nurse. 1T Is
almost sure TO happen. She was dread
fully weak. size can't possibly go far. and
even If she was strong enough. her
shoes"
She stopped. Something seemed TO grip
Godfrey by the throat.
What about her shoes?'' he asked
The nurse made q gesture OF horror.
They We're dreadful" she said Tt
would have broken her mothers heart
TO see them. and-and they are enough to
kill her on a day like this"
Godfrey dropped 10 a chair and cover
ed his face with his hands. His poor
Hetty,
THE only hope is that she has col
lapsed a. once" the nurse added. "and
been taken to a hospital II would be
the best thing that could happen TO her
Godfrey started up again and looked
at his watch
III 60 at once he said. Perhaps I
might find her at Chariug Gross"
The nurse put her hand on his arm.
Have your breakfast first" she said.
"aHd go afterward. You viii lose moth
ing by that. Give them time to attend to
her and then 60"
He hesitated. and then decided to fol-
low her advice. But his breakfast was
tasteless, the coffee choked him, and he
waded through his letters, only half re-
alizng their contents.
He seemed % rouse with a start al last
10 find an official announcement in his
hand. II bore the kings arms and seal
He stared at it for a moment, and then
laughed. So they proposed 10 make him
a barOnet now, He was doing great work
for the empire; they said he was COM
ing man; he was rich, popular, a man Of
brain and power, and the king wished to
recognize him. and his name was TO be
on the next honors list!
He threw aside the intimatlon Well.
let them do as they liked Il did not seem
to matter very much while this mystery
absorbed him He would first of all find
Hetty and take steps that would prevent
him from losing her again. and then
7 ord - -ss-H-
they liked. He would be glad TO serve his
king Ees-let them make him a baronet
or what they liked, After they had done
that he had work Of his own to do He
meant 70 solve the mystery Of the Old
castle murder clear Hetty, and then,
afterward-well, there was plenty OF
work 10 be done out in the East for the
king.
He rose, dictated his letters to the sec
retary, who waited for him. and then
started TO search the hospitals for Hetty
He would find her. make her well. then
he would go back 10 Oldcastle. and set
to work.
As he passed out Of the hotel his
doubts had been crushed once more.
Once more his faith in the girl he loved
had risen strong and true. Hetty guilty?
all-something he had to find out and get
rid Of. and do away with forever But
she was not guilty,
With his thoughts running on the ways
and means he should adopt of getting at
the truth, he sprang into a cab He had
no fear of not finding Hetty-no thought
of failure, and at the Charing Cross Hos
pital the news that no such patient had
been admitted gave him a shock. He
could not believe 1.-THE had been so sure.
and it was only the repeated assurance
that she was not there that persuaded
him at last. He went away into the
next. There the same news greeted him. |
Hetty was not there He went on and
on. from one hospital to another, and al |
ways with the same result.
He stopped. baffied and bewildered. and
helpless at last. He could not find her. |
at any rate by himself, and he turned |
back to his hotel
A sheaf OF letters, kilograms. and vis-
iting cards awaited him. People had
been calling all the morning. some of |
them were there, still. but he put every
thing aside while he sent for a detective |
At any cost. he must find Hetty. Moth |
ing in the world mattered but her-only
Hetty weak and i'll and starved with |
poor clothing and broken shoes, lost in /
the midst of this cruel London
Nothing else mattered. and he fell /
tempted to put everything aside until he /
had found her It could not be long-a |
few hours at most, surely?
But week later, gray Of face, desper-