The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1907-09-11
CHAPTER XIV.

ate had been In session for over
week. Jefferson had not for
gotten his promise, and one day,
about two weeks after Mr.. Bagley's
spectacular dismissal from the Ryder
residence, he had brought Shirley the
two letters. She did not ask him how
he got them, II he forced the drawer or
procured the key. 1t sufticed for her
that the precious letters, the absolute
proof Of her fathers innocence, were at
last In her possession. She at once
sent them off by registered mail to
Stott who Immediately acknowledged
receipt and at the same time an
nounced his departure for Washington
that night. He promised to keep her
constantly informed of what he was
doing and how her fathers case was
going. It could, he thought, be only
matter of a few days now before the
result of the proceedings would be
known.
The approach Of the crisis made Shir-
ley exceedingly nervous, and 1t was
only by the exercise Of the greatest
self control that she did not betray the
terrible anxiety she felt. The Ryder
biography was nearly finished. and her
stay in Seventy-fourth street would
soon come to an end. She had seri-
Gus talk with Jefferson, who cOntrived
to see a good deal of her, entirely I'M
suspected by his parents, for Mr.. and
Mrs. Ryder had no reason to believe
that their son had any more than
mere bowling acquaintance with the
clever young authOress. Now that Mr..
Bagley was no longer there to spy
upon their actions these clandestine in
terviews had been comparatively easy.
Shirley brought to bear all the argu-
ments she could think Of to convince
Jefferson of the hopelessness of their
engagement. She insisted that she
could never be his wife; circumstances
! over which they had no control made
that dream impossible. 1t were better,
she said, to part now rather than incur
the risk of being unhappy later. But
jefferson refused to be convinced. He
argued and pleaded, and lie even swore
strange, desperate words that Shirley
had never heard before and which
alarmed her not little-and the dis
cussion ended usually by kiss which
put Shirley completely hOrs de combat.
Meantime, John Ryder had not
ceased worrying about his son. The
removal Of Kate Roberts as a factor in
his future had not eliminated the
danger of Jefferson taking the bit be-
tween his teeth one day and contract
ing a secret marriage with the daugh-
ter of his enemy, and when he thought
OF the mere possibility Of such a thing
happening he stormed and raved until
his wife, accustomed as she was to his
choleric Outbursts, was thoroughly
frightened. For some time after Bag
ley's departure, father and son got
along together fairly amicably, but Ry-
der senior was quick to see that JEFF
ferson had something on his mind
which was worrying him. and he
rightly attributed 1t to his infatuation
for Miss Rossmore. He was convinced
that his son knew where the judges
daughter was, although his own efforts
TO discover her whereabouts had been
unsuccessful.
Sergeant Ellison had confessed absO-
lutte failure. Miss Rossmore, he report
ed, had disappeared as completely as
II the earth had swallowed her, and
further search was futile. Knowing
we'll his sons impulsive, headstrong
disposition, Ryder senior believed him
quite capable of marrying the girl Sc
cretly any time. The only thing that
John Ryder did not know was that
Shirley Rossmore was not the kind of
a girl to allow any man to invelgle
her into a secret marriage. The Colos-
Ius, who judged the worlds morals by
his own, was not, Of course, aware of
this, and he worried night and day
thinking what he could do to prevent
his son from marrying the daughter of
the man he had wronged.
The more he pondered over 1t the
more he regretted that there was not
some other girl with whom Jefferson
could fall In love and marry. He need
not seek q rich girl-there was certain
ly enough money In the Ryder family
to provide for both. He wished they
knew a girl, for example, as attractive
and clever as Miss Green. All, he
thought, there was a girl who would
make a man OF extraordinarily, am
bilious, activel And the more he
thought OF 1t the more the idea grew