Free press., 1907-02-09

hours were from IL to 4, except on Satur-
lated that the agent would write to Miss
Elmore that afternoon and make ap-
pointment for the next day or the day after.
On one of these two davs between the
hours of IL and 4, Miss EImore would enter
that ofTice and leave again and return to
come alone, she might come with Mr.
Wilson.
Under any circumstances Rose would be
there. The street was wide and busy
She would easily be able to keep the
agents front door in observation without
and her parasol up ''Mr. Wilson" could
hardly recognize her, and Miss Gilmore
The only dificulty was about following
her, but it would be time enough to get
over that when the time came. The girl
was probably hard up and wouldn't take
hanson she would either walk go by
bus, and in either case Rose could be her
travelling companion without exciting sus-
picion.
If Jack came the case would be differ
ent. She should go up straight to him,
a few moments conversation with him. All
that evening and far into the night Rose
thought over the scene that she might have
to take part in the morrow. She
hearsed it to herself and spoke her
speeches aloud as 1 she lay lsytOssing from Ep side
too feverish and excited to sleep She was
not going to be violent make scene.
She had few words of withering sarcasm
ready for Miss Elmore, who would prob
ably stare to see a strange lady accost Mr..
wilson rather unceremOn1OuSIy and insist
upon private interview, but with Jack she
going to be calm, cold and dignifed.
But she was going to let him understand
that he would have to answer for his
wicked heartless conduct, and that Meme
sis had overtaken him at last.
And, crushing her recreant husband with
at last, and woke so late that by the time
she had had her breakfast and reached the
side street of the Strand in which the
agents office was situated, it was on the
stroke of eleven.
AS she got out of the bus she noticed
gentleman who got down from outside
the same conveyance look at her rather
curiouSly, and she wondered where she had,
seen him before. She thought it must be
she bowed slightly, but the gentleman
took no notice of her salutation, but looked
deliberately the other way.
Rose knew then that she must have made
a mistake and she colored slightly at the
idea of having bowed to strange man
stance set her thinking of the man as she
walked up the street, and she gave quite
later, as she was lettering near the ONCE,
she saw this same man come along on the
opposite side and enter a public-house.
She watched for him to come out. but he
didn't do so, and so she decided he must
be the landlord, and then she fixed her at
tention on the AGENTS doorway. and forgot
bowed in mistake.
For two hours Rose watched the agency
without any result. Plenty of ladies and
gentlemen went up and came down the big
stone staircase-actors and actresses most
of them, she could tell by their style-but
photograph of Miss Gilmore, and certainly
no one in the slightest degree like Jack
Smedley.
Once she had false alarm. A lady and
gentleman came along from the top of the
street; the man was just Jacks height and
build, but when he came nearer she saw
that he was a man with gray halr, and
Jacks black night. He was an
actor she thought, because of his shaven
face, but when they got to the agents door
he left the lady, who went in alone, while
he went over the road to the pubiic-house.
He was in there about quarter OF an
hour, and when he came out Rose thought
he looked at her rather hard But she was
a pretty little woman STILL and had slim,
graceful figures go about closely veiled there
is nothing in gentlemen looking at them,
as though they would like to what sort
of a face that tantalizing veil is hiding.
1t must have been really two o'clock, and
Rose was thinking that she should have
to find out some place where she could sit
when tall, thin girl, plainly, almost shah
billy dressed, came up the street, looking
up at the number she walked along.
This action it was which first attracted
instinctively, and before she was near
enough for Rose to recognize her features,
the deserted wife knew that she and her
rival were about to meet.
1t was Miss Elmore. There no doubt
of that Rose forgot her caution in
her excitement, and stood still and let the
girl pass her closely that their dresses
touched. Miss Gilmore evidently suspected
nothing. She said, "I beg your pardon"
as she accidentally touched Rose. but only
gave her a passing glance.
The hot blood rushed to Mrs. Smedley's
face and a hard, cruel look came into her
eyes 1t was fortunate that her veil was
down and that it was thick. Otherwise she
would undoubtedly have attracted atten-