Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-03-30


minutes In the study; then. as / came
downstairs Crapham met me in the
hall He told me that Lillian Astrupp
bad called and wished 20 see me and
that he had shown her into the morn
ing room
THE morning roomF" Loder sudden
ly stepped back from the table. The
morning room: with your telegram
lying on the bureauT'
His sudden speech and movement
startled Ch!lcote. Tho blood rushed TO
his face. then died out. leaving 10 ashen.
Don't 90 that. Loderr' he cried. II
can't bear az"
With an immense effort Loder con
trolled himself sorry" he said GO
on
I'm going on. tell you I'm going
on ] got horrid shock when Crap
ham told me. Your story came clatter-
Ing through my mind. knew Lillian
had come 20 see you. knew there was
going 20 DE scene
But the telegram, The telegram
Chllcote paid no heed 90 the lnterrup-
ton. lie was following his own train
OF ideas. Il knew she had come 10 see
you. l knew there was going 10 be a
scene. When / got 10 the morning room
my hand was shaking so that | could
scarcely turn the handle; then. as the
door opened. l could have cried out
with relief. Eve was there as weng'
Eve"
ayes. don't think 1 was ever SO
glad 20 see her in my life" He laughed
almost Historically. Il was quite
civil 10 her. and she was-qulte sweet
TO me- Again he laughed.
Loder's lips frightened
You see, IL saved the situation.
Even II Lillian wanted to be nasty.
she couldn't while Eve was there. We
talked for about ten minutes. We
were quite an amiable trio. Then Lii
liam told me why she'd called. She
wanted me TO make a fourth in
theater party at the Arcadian tonight
and II was so pleased and so relieved
that l said yesr He paused and
laughed again unsteadily.
In his tense anxiety Loder ground
his heel into the floor. Go on" he
said fiercely. go onP'
DON'T Chilcote exclaimed. I'm
going On-I'm going on" He passed
his handkerchief across his lips. 1--WE
talked for ten minutes or so. ana then
Lillian left 1 went with her to the
hall door. but Crapham was there too
so ] was still safe. She laughed and
chatted and seemed in high spirits as
we crossed the hall. and she was still
smiling as she waved TO me from her
meteor. But then. Loder-then, as l
stood in the hail. IL all came to me
suddenly. / remembered that Lillian
must have been alone in the morning
room before Eve found her! remem-
bered the telegram / ran back to
the room, meaning to question Eve as
10 how long Lillian had been alone,
but she had left the room. ran to
the bureau-but the telegram wasn't
therel'
"Goneg"
Yes. gone. That's why I've come
straight here"
For n moment they confronted each
other Then, moved by a sudden i'm
pulse, Loder pushed Chilcote aside
and crossed the room. An instant lat
er the opening and shutting or doors,
the hasty pulling out OF drawers and
moving OF boxes came from the bed
room.
Chilcote. shaken and nervous, stood
for q minute where bis companion had
left him. At last. impelled by curios-
ity. he too crossed the narrow passage
and entered the second room.
The fill light streamed in through
the open window; the keen spring air
blew freshly across the housetops. and
on the wiadow sill a band Of grimy,
Joyous sparrows twittered and preened