The San Francisco call., 1907-03-10

gardinE me through partially
closed eyes. I, too, laid down my
paper. Our eyes met, and she smiled.
Forgive me-" she said, but did
not see YOU one day last week upon the
sands at Braster with Lady Angela
Harberiyg"
II believe so" answered. You
were riding. ] think, with her brother
How fortunate that ] should hnd
myself travelling with neighbOr." she
1nurmureo. I rather dreaded this night
journey. / just missed the O'Clock
and ! have been at the station ever
since"
I understood at once one Or the
charms OF this woman. Her voice was
deiiciously soft and musical. The words
seemed 10 leave her lips slowly. almost
lingeringiy, and she spoke with the
precision and slight accent OF we'll
educated foreigner Her eyes seemed
10 be wandering All over me and my
possessions Vet her interest, IL II
amounted 10 that never even suggest
ed curiosity or inquisitiveness.
ct is scarcely pleasant journey
at this time OF night" ] remarked.
Indeed. no." she aEsented. II won
DER ~ YOU know my name2 am Mrs.
Smith-Lessing, OF Braster Grange. And
,sou2"
MY name is Guy Ducsine" I told
her. u live at a small cottage called
the Brand.
That charming little place YOU can
see -sust from the ssnds?' she eN-
claimed. 4 thought the dukes head
keeper lived there"
1T was q keepers lodge before the
duke was kind enough to let IL TO me-"
! told her.
She nodded
1T IS very delightful abode, she
murmured.
She picked up her book. and after
turning over the pages aimlessly for
= few minutes, she recommended 70
read. followed her example: but
when q little later on I glanced In her
direction, I found that her eyes were
fxed upon me and that her novel lay
in her lap.
"My book IS 50 stupid" she ssid apol-
oEeticslly Il find, Mr. p1eaine' ... she
added with sudden earnestness, the
elements OF a much stranger story
closer at hand"
That" I remarked. laying down my
own book and looking steadily across
at her. sounds enigmatic."
Il think" she said. that ] am very
foolish 10 talk 20 YOU at all about Il.
II you know who I am, you are prob
ably armed against me at ell points
You will weigh and measure my
words YOU will say 10 yourself, Lies,
lies, liesr You will not believe in me
or anything I say. And, again, II you
90 not know, the story is too painful
one for me to tell"
sThen let US both avoid it," said.
reaching again for my paper. We
shall stop at Ipswich IN an hour. /
viii change carriages there"
She turned round in her seat toward
the window, as though TO hide her
face. Ny own attempt at reading was
a farce. / watched her over the top
Of InnyfnC
into darkness and she seemed 90 me
10 be crying. Every now and then
her shoulders heaved convulsively.
Suddenly she faced me once more.
There were traces OF tears on her
face. a small lace handkerchief was
l1notted up IN her nervous fingers.
"Oh, ] cannot" she exclaimed plaint-
lively. L cannot sit here alone with
YOU and say nothing / know that 1
an Judged already. IL does not mat
ter. ] am your fathers wife, Guy.
You owe me at least some recognition
OF that fact"
i never knew my father" ] said.
except as the cause Of my own miser-
able upbringing and fTiendless hfe."
You never knew him." she an
swered. "and therefore you believe
the worst. He was weak. perhaps,
and. exposed 10 q terrible temptation,
he felli But he was not a bad man.
He was never that"
''Do you think. Mrs. blessing"
] said. struggling to keep my voice
firm, though I felt myself trembling,
that this is & profitable discussion for
either Of us2"
why not?" she exclaimed almost
fercely. You have heard his story
from enemies. You have judged him
from the report OF those who were
never his friends. He sinned and he
repented. Better and worse men shan
he have done that. II he were wholly
bad do YOU believe that after all these
years I should care for him still?"
I held my peace. The woman was
leaning over toward me now. She
seemed 10 have lost the desire to at
tract. Her voice had grown sharpe.
and less pleasant. her carefully ar
ranged hair was in some disorder. and
the telltsle blue veins by her temples
and the crowsfeet under her eyes were
plainly Visible. Her face seemed sud
denly TO have become pinched and
wan. The flaming light in her
strangely colored eyes was a con-
Vincing assertion OF her esrnestness.
She was not acting now, though what
lay behind the storm ] could not tell.
You seem afraid TO talk TO me-" she
exclaimed. Why? I have done you no
HARM.
Perhaps not" i answered, yet I
cannot see what we gain by raking up
this miserable history II Is both pain
1ui and proftless."
i viii say no more" she declared,
with sudden note of dignity IN her
tone. Il can see that 1 am judged
already in your mind. After ali,
il does not really matter. No one
likes 10 be thought worse OF than
they deserve, and women are ala
little foolish. But at least YOU must
answer me one question. I have the
right 20 ask ft. You must tell me
where he IS"
where who is2'I asked.
Again her eyes famed upon me. Her
lips parted 3 little, and ] could see the
white glimmer OF her teeth.
''Oh. you shall not fence with me
like baby" she exclaimed. Tell me,
or lie 70 me. or refuse 20 tell me. Which
is ST."
Upon my honor" said, looking at
her curiously, Il have no idea whom
you mean
She looked at me steadily for several
moments. her lips parted, her breath
seeming TO come sharply between her
teeth.
7 mean your father" she said
Whom else should I mean?"
CHATTER XK