Evening star., 1907-10-13
max TIFF POWIEPC AND MAXTJE


lthe beginning. by way OF getting the
lchance I wanted, until 1 had asked Z
have a motor-cab called for me. Then
lsuddenly thought Of the British ambas
lsador, a great friend of Uncle Erics and
Aunt Lilians Uncle Eric had alread.
been to him. but / fancied not with &
iview of trying to see Ivor. That idea haG
apparently not been in his mind at all
tAnyway. the ambassador would already
] understand that the family took deer
Interest in the fate of Ivor Dundas. and
would not be wholly astonished at receiv-
ling a call from me. Besides. hearing OF
lsome rather venturesome escapades OF
mine when 1 first arrived in London. he
had once, while visiting Uncle Eric
laughed a good deal. and said that In
future he would be surprised at nothing
an American girl might do"
I told the driver to go to the British
embassy as fast as he could. There
sent In my name, and the ambassador
received me at once. l didn't explain
much. but came to the point Immediately
and said that / wanted-Oh. but wanted
and needed very much indeed-to see lvor
IDundas: Could he. would he help me to
lido that?
Ought I to help your he asked.
l"Would Mountstuart and Lady Mount
stuart approve?'
yes" said firmly They would ap-
lprove. You see 1t is necessary
Then If it's necessary-and l believe
lyou when you say that 1t Is. he an
lswered, I'll do what l can"
What he could do and did do. was to
Ewrite a personal letter to the chief OF
tpolice in Paris. asking as favor that
his friend. Miss Forrest. young lady re-
Hated through marriage to the British
foreign secretary. should be allowed five
minutes conversation with the English
Imam accused of murder Mr.. Ivor Dun
tdaS.
I took the letter to the chief of police
myself. to save time, and because l was
so restless and excited that l must be
doing something every Misunderstanding
which 1 felt might bring me nearer to
tIvor.
| From the chief Of police himself. who
proved to be a most courteous person, l
received an order to give to the governor
| Of the Jail or prison where they had put
Ivor. This. he explained. would procure
me the interview L wanted. but unfor-
tunately, I must not hope to see my
friend alone. A warder who understood
English would have to be present
| SO far 1 had gone In the wild venture
without once thinking what It would be
to find myself suddenly face to face with
IIvor in such terrible circumstances. or
what he would think of me for coming In
such way now that we were no longer
anything to each other-not even friends
But a kind Of ague-terror crapt over me
while l sat waiting in an ugly little bare.
stuffy reception room. My head was 60
ling round and round. my heart was
pounding so that l could not make up
my mind what to say to Ivor when he
lcame.
Then, suddenly, heard the sound of
footsteps outside the door. and when 1t
iopened there stood Ivor between two
them walked into the room with him-l
tsuppose he must have been warder-
but he stopped near the door. and in
lsecond l had forgotten all about him. He
(simply ceased to exist for me when my
leyes and Ivors had met.
| l sprang up from my chair, and began
| to talk as quickly as / could, stammer-
ing and confused. hardly knowing what I
said but anxious to make him under
stand In the beginning that I had not
come to take back my words Of yester-
| day.
| We're all so dreadfully sorry. Mr..
Dundas." 1 said ''I don't know if Uncle
Eric has been here yet-but he Is doing
all he can. and Aunt Lillian is dreadfully
upset We're staying on in Paris on ac-
count of-on account of this. So you
see you've got friends near you. And
we're such old friends, 1 couldn't help
trying as hard as I could for sight of
you toto cheer you up and-and to help
you, If that's possible
l spoke very fast. not daring to look at
him after the first. but pretending to
smooth out some wrinkles In one of my
long gloves. My eyes were full of tears,
| and 1 was afraid they'd go splashins
down my cheeks, if l even winked my
lashes. 1 loved him more than ever now,
and felt capable OF forgiving him any
thing. If only 1 had the chance to for
give, and if only. only he really loved me
and not that other.
THANK you hundred times-more than
| 1 can express he said, with a faint
culver in his voice-his beautiful voice,
which was the first thing that charmed
me after knowing him. 1T does cheer
me to see you. 1t gives me strength and
courage You wouldn't have come If you
didn't-trust me and believe me inno-
| tcent"
"Why, Of course I-we-believe you
innocent OF any crime." faltered.
| "And of any lack Of faith?'
"Oh. as for that. how can-but don't
let's speak of that. What can it matter
now?"
| 1T matters more than anything else In
the world. II only you could say that
you will have faith"
| "I'll try to say 1t then, II 1t can give
you any comfort
! Not unless you mean IT,"
I ''Then-IH try to mean 1t. VIII that
satisfy you?"
| Its better than nothing And thank
you again. As for the rest you're not
| to be anxious. Everything will come
right for me sooner or later, though I
may have to suffer some annoyances
| first"