The Washington herald., 1907-12-05
CHAPTER XXXI-Continued.

And now 20 be Informed by the lit.le
girl at the gate" that she was Miss
Romer. Gregson had a shock indeed But
Vida was already in the hail. Rose and
Phil followed as a matter of course. Greg-
son tried 20 remember as be ushered them
up the stairs If the revolver in the masters
room had been loaded the last time he
had squinted down the muzZle. Gregson
was "A fearful man. Perpetual terrors
thickened about him. lie could not bear
firearms. and therefore always made sure
OF them. He had a double method OF
doing so. First, as aforesaid. he looked
carefully and long down the barrel strik-
ing a match 10 do so. Then he stirred the
contents with a hatpin. abandoned by
housemaid 10 whom, in his hong widowed
state. Grcgson had offered honorable
matrimony Then he looked again. Now
/ Grcgson always held the article by the
I trigger 10 make sure. SO that if IL did
not go Of GregsOn could count with as
surance upon its future behavior. Never
/ theless. il told on his nerves 70 be in The
room with anything loaded-even photo
/ graphic camera lie was not so young
as he had been.
But Gregson had his duty to do. be the
/ consequences what they might lie open
ed the door Of the library. in which Mr..
! Rorler sat in an irascible-looking dress
ing gown of scarlet and powder blue. He
WIS bending over sheets Of many-cOlored
plans, and his eyebrows were tWitching
I'D and down. Left to himself. GregsOn
would have mended the FIRE, az the risk
of his iife. and fed
But now, in dutys path Gregson feared
no foe. and he would announce the vis-
I rs-. 2 FOL
MIR. Philip Calmont-with Miss Rose
/ Nunsby aud-and-Miss Romer."
The old man started 20 his feet. His
hand went to his throat as if he were
choking.
-Romer." he stammered; there
( is no Miss Romer, Who says that there
4 is a Miss Romer?"
II do"' said Vida. promptly putting the
others behind her.
! Gregson had disappeared He knew his
duty Whether he stopped behind the
/ library door. whether he examined the
mechanism of keyholes. is known only to
/ Gregson himself. He has printed testi-
monials. and the author has perused them
/ without finding any mention OF either
| circumstance.
They faced each other-father and
daughter. the relationship patent to the
eye Greek encountered Greek, and Ro-
mer eve looked into Roner eye. But there
was 70 be no yielding without a struggle
! I am your daughter sir said Vida to
! Jacob Romer; L am ashamed and dis
! tressed to own it. 1 count you but little
! less than the murderer Of my mother
4 besid des-''
It's He-a lte-a lier' cried the old
man: my wife and daughter went down
/ in the Suck OF Sannox. Nh. Kahn-Capt
4 Halstone-'
Lied" said Vida. gaining confidence:
\ your wife went down. Your daughter is
I before YOU
i will send for the police This is
/ blackmail.' Jacob Romer shouted.
I Vida made a contemptuous motion with
her hand as if putting aside an annoying
puppy.
DO So" she said; Il shall have much
/ to tell them-of your brOther-Of yourself
of your treatment Of my mother, Why
you should so hate us. that / cannot tell
them. never knew But you cid. Yes,
send for the police. Your brother the
doctor, will thank you. 1t is only six or
seven years ago, after all. The same po-
lice magistrate is stilI at East Dene.
from whom asked advice-the mayor
and his SECRETARY are stlH alive Though
they have knighted him, the town clerk
viii remember me Even the Engineer
Johnemann. have reason 10 believe, will
net deny me-"
The harsh. rubicund face-generalIy
Peterhead granite-had turned into gran
ite of Aberdeen. Mr.. Romer was livid 10
the lips
And you have brought these with you
TO hear you say this TO me2'
He pointed to Rose and Philip Calmont.
! miss Nunsby is my friend I brought