Evening star., 1907-08-24

through the f1shweir of pins that filled
her mouth, your hair must come down a
little; it is entirely too high
TO me at the moment Mrs. Randolph s
hair could not have been bettered. But
when the change had been made l knew
that the nut-brown maid was right
Sister mine,' she would say again, half
closing her brown eyes while standing back
to look. that skirt is a trifle short behind -
1t was perfect l thought; this particular
skirt belonging to an outing dress that re-
vealed dainty boots and the trimmest of
ankles: But again when the skirt came
borough's judgment.
But when the nut-brown maid turned to
me CMrs. Randolph was out of the room)
and said. Julian are you afraid of the re-
porters?' l was too startled to admire her.
They are likely to be annoying" stam-
mered
VERY true" she admitted. but 1t strikes
me that the way to disarm them is to show
them that there Is no powder in their pis-
tolls"
Mrs. Randolph came in, with the sug-
gested change made in her dress, and Miss
Hansborough went no further.
That evening, however. when Jerome
came to me- I learned why she had made
that startling declaration. Jerome was
usually as silent of voice as of foot unless
l questioned him and set him to talking,
when he could become as garrulous as any
New England spinster over her teacups.
questioned him that evening. and he told
me of reporters attempt to get to see
me and his hint that was not Julian Ran
dolph.
1.-THE rascal came into the kitchen, sir,
in the disguise of a servant girl, and he
had got into the long hall that leads to the
dining room when 1 stopped him.
His white face had flushed to a pale-rose
color at the recollection.
Here. MISS 1 said. politely enough. for
I thought him woman, where are you
going?'
TO see the missus.' he said. and ducked
Il told him If he had any word for Mrs
Randolph would see that 1t reached her.
Then he tried to get by me.
Stop" 1 said, and put out my hand to
detain him.
When, in pushing against the wall and
ducking to get by me, his wig came off and
fell to the floor. 1 was that speechless sir,
he might have gone on. only he was as
confused as I was myself. He had short.
curly. black hair; and for the first time I
noticed the blue tint of his close-shaved
beard under the flour dust he had rubbed
on his chin in the cook room.
Here, you rascaln / said taking hold
of him as he stopped to get his wig Then
he stood up boldly, seeing he was dis
covered. and laughed at me.
Let up! he said, for 1 had gripped him
tight:
What does this mean?' I asked.
HE put his hand in the pocket of his
dress and brought out twenty-dollar bill.
DO you like the looks of that?' he
asked. The braZenness of the wretch took
away my breath, sir. There are four more
Of these-an even hundred round simoleons
If you'll let me go up to the rooms of Mr.
Randolph. Say 1t quick and I'll run right
along, and no one shall ever know you had
hand in 1t. I'm the representative Of the
Evening Moon He took out his card as
proof:
when 1 said MOI! he tried to bribe me
into telling him something about you. He
said his paper had received tip from a
reliable source that you were not Julian
Randolph, and they wanted to know about
1t. For that reason he had got into the
house as a servant girl And he said he
would double the sum offered, make 1t $500,
II would give him information on that
point. or would let him go to your rooms
to see you. What he expected to do, sir,
If he saw you, I don't know. But marched
him out of the hall and, then calling the
butler we turned him out Of the house"
While telling this Jerome SO far forgot
himself that he waved his hands dramat-
ically, while the rosy pink Of his face
deepened and faded, and then deepened
again with the tremendous excitement of
his adventure. And withal. as I learned
later from other sources. he told the story
quietly enough and without self-exploita-
tlon: Tor 1t seems the young masquerader
and up the stairs when he found his Of
fered bribes were in vain and that he was
about to be bundled into the street.
A renewed sense of the dangers of my
situation was thus impressed upon me. Be
hind the attempt 1 saw the hand of Court
ney Lane. He suspected me and had com
municated his suspicious to this newspaper
The more l thought about 1t the more
MISS Hansboroughs suggestion that was
AFRAID OF the reporters startled me. 1
reared She had seen through my preten-
| sions or suspected me. For had ceased