Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-21
CHAPTER xxx.

this last discovery was almost too much for
her. She could only stand there with her
hand upon her heart to still Its passionate
beating.
Yes. 1t was her father beyond the shadow
Of doubt. How he got there Beatrice
could not possibly have told. He was look
Ing much the same as when Beatrice had
seen him last, save that his clothes were not
80 neat and he had not been shaved for
some days. He seemed quite resigned to
the situation, although his expression was
cross and irritable. He motioned to Bea-
trice to shut the door.
why don't you close the door," he de-
manded. Suppose anybody saw me?'
Beatrice was getting back some of her
self-possession by this time. She closed the
door and then took her seat on the edge Of
her fathers bed.
"Why should you not be eeenY' she asked
What difference can 1t possibly make?
We have all been looking for you every
where. Where have you been?"
I'm not quite sure" was the strange re-
ply. But you seem to have lost sight of
my peculiar situation. Beatrice My head
| Is little strange and confused, but dare
say 1t will come right presently. What hap
pened to me on the night of the dinner
II did not see that anything happened"
Beatrice said. Il suppose you went to bed
m the ordinary way. I did not see that
there was anything
You didn't notice that had too much
wine with my dinner7"
Beatrice was fam to admit that she had
not noticed anything Of the kind. She won
dered how much her father really knew as
| to what had happened.
There has been a great deal of FUSS"
Sir Charles said. He proceeded to dress
himself In certain old clothes and took up
table. Beatrice watched him with a grow
| Ing feeling that he had taken leave Of his
senses.
Why are you going to use those things?"
Because it is absolutely necessary" Sir
Charles said irritably. II came here in this
disguise to pick out certain things that I
needed. A kind friend furnished this dis
guise. and also money for me to get away"
But why do you want to get away?"
Beatrice asked, more puzzled than ever.
MY dear child. your memory must be
| sadly defective" Sir Charles said sharply.
difficulties Richford was going to put me
right but Richford is dead. 1t is just my
luck"
who told you that? Beatrice asked.
Why 1t was only tonight
my dear, there was a gentleman outside
| the hotel who told somebody else. Richford
was arrested at the house Of friend Of
mine; saw the thing done. Then I real
lied that my position was desperate. You
| see have been stopping at Wandsworth
with a friend for the last two or three
days"
Beatrice began to understand little. The
cunning nature Of the plot was beginning to
unfold itself before her.
THE name of that friend is Mr.. Carl
Sartoris, suppose?" Beatrice asked.
That's the man. Though I cannot see
how you came to know that. had met
Sartoris before on business. He wanted me
to sell him some rubbishy Ruby Mines con-
self procured years ago. I refused to take
his money then: it did not seem fair Be-
sides was in funds at the time"
Beatrice could hardly refrain from smil-
fYey Of f6o oofH or
Il should like to hear more about that"
she said.
went on. Il must have taken too much
wine on that night; I seemed to sleep for
days. When came to myself I was In q
strange room, with doctor bending over
"A tall man with a beard? A man who
| carries drink all over him?" Beatrice asked
THAT is the fellow" Sir Charles said with
| obvious surprise. though how you could
know all these things puzzles me- Name of
Brentwood. sartoris was in the ROOM too.
He told me that 1 had been found wan
dering about. and he told me that 1 was in
danger of immediate arrest. When 1 sug-
gested sending for Richford. he said that
Richford had come to grief and that the
police were after him. Altogether, my dear
child. my situation was not one to be en-
We'd"
II quite understand that" Beatrice said.
not without sarcasm.
my dear, 1t was dreadful. Richford had
come to grief. So fax as I knew to the
contrary s my only child was mated to a
II don't think we need dwell on that"
Beatrice said with some traces of scorn in
her voice. You always knew that Stephen
Richford was scoundrel. He was not the
less Of a scoundrel because he could give
me a position as the wife of a rich man,
and because he could free you from a great
and terrible danger. My mental agony
counted for something, too
"I HhOnld think II did I'll co{a
pompously. Il find that you were married,
that all the papers were talking of my
strange disappearance. Strangely enough.
I never could get sight OF daily
rate, you were married. Richford had
come to grief, and thus was in hourly ex-
pectation of arrest. 1t was at this point
that my friend Carl Sartoris came in. He
kept me safe, he insisted upon giving me
$500 for those concessions, which really
was delicate way of finding me the money
to leave the country. EVERYTHING was ar
| ranged for my departure when the police
came to the house of my friend Sartoris
and took him of also. Directly I found
that out, that something was wrong there,
1 crept away from the house, and here 1
am"
Sir Charles held out his hands helplessly.
He always expected other people to do
things for him. Beatrice began to see her
side of the case. Richford was dead, and
the large sum of money that he had prom
Used Sir Charles was no longer available.
And Beatrice recalled the night of the din
ner party, when her father had taken her
to the window, and had shown her the two
men watching silently below. The danger
was just as great as ever; 1t was Just as
imperative that Sir Charles should leave
the country.
Out of the whirling emotion in Beatrice's
head order began to be restored. Every
body, as far as the girl knew, believed her
father to be dead. The body had been spir-
tied away for some reason known to Sar-
toris and his colleagues; nobody ever ex-
pected to see Sir Charles again. II he could
slip out Of the country now. and go abroad,
the danger would be averted. Beatrice be-
gan to see her way to manage the thing.
II will do what can." she said. You
have that s5OO intact? Very good. But
there are some things that am bound to
tell you. People who are In a position to
know say that your mining concessions are
very valuable indeed"
Worth absolutely nothing" Sir Charles
said. Tried it before. Besides, If they
were worth lot OF money, 1t is impossible
to work the mine. The country is too dis
turbed and dangerous for anything of that
kind. Besides, I have sold the concessions.
and there is an end Of It. Even without a
business mind Won can see that