The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-09
XIV.

II, 100, nave d laFoi w o
you" she almost pleaded. Il am IN
your bower, wholly and inevitably;
but as an English gentleman, l beg
of you to keep-this :1atter-a pro-
found secret from Ivan Meyer. 1
am strong again now. I will go.
Withaa grave inclination OF the
head she passed him, stepping hrmiy
on the dry turf. He watched her as
she made her way along the edge OF
the stream by the little path that
led to Walso.
When VINEYARD reached Broom
haugh with rather a poor basket OF
fish upon his back, he was told tnat
Colonel Wright had also returned
and was changing his fishing CLONES.
When he came down stairs a few
minutes later, he found his cnleI
waiting for him at the door OF a lit
lie smoking room which was special
~ set apart for the gentlemen. Inc
Did fellow looked grave, and, lgnpr-
ing Vineyards inquiry as to wnat
sport he had had, he motioned MIN
to enter the room, and followed
closely. Then the colonel closed the
door. and held out a telegram.
VINEYARD took the pink paper, and
read aloud:
would suggest Mistley engaging
a valet whom l can recommend.
Marie Bakovitch is in England"
The message bore only the IN
itials IN. L." and had been dis
patched from the Westminster
Branch Post Office. VINEYARD read 1t
over onc for his own ediication'
and turned toward his chief with a
smile. The colonel was standing
with his broad shoulders against the
mantle-piece, his eyes fixed on the
carpet. His hands were thrust deep
" into his jacket pockets, and ne
moved restlessly from n foot to the
other.
"As usual" said Mistley, still smil-
ing, as he took a seat on the edge OF
the table, and carefully tore the tele-
gram into small pieces-"as usual
with news from headquarters, this
comes just too late"
How" asked the colonel, looking
up rapidly. SO,
81 had the pleasure of meeting
Miss Marie Bakovitch this morning"
"You? Here?"
Eyes. She had a shot at me with
a very nice little revolver at a dis
lance of about five yards, and missed
me-"
"Whew-w!" remarked the colonel.
Words usually failed him at a criti-
cal juncture. Mistley laughed as
he dropped the remains of the tele-
gram into the waste-paper basket
his usual laugh, which had little hi
larity in it, serving, nevertheless,
very we'll asa stop-gap.
"She was in the train by which
we came. I remember seeing her at
Kings Cross. No doubt she is stay
ing at Walso. Privately, I think she
Is a little vague in %thesupper regions;
she did not appear to know exactly
what she was about, and-and it was
desperately poor shooting!"
The colonel tugged pensively at
his gray mustache, while his kindly
eyes rested with an expression of
wonder on his companions face.
"Now that I come to think Of it,"
he said, slowly, when I drove Jour
mother and Mrs. Wright into Walso
the other day, l. saw a foreign-look-
Ing girl accompanied by a tall, fair
fellow who looked like a Scandina-
Wan. The ladies were in a shop and
[ was waiting outside"
1.-THE. foreign-looking girl was
Marie Bakovitch," said VINEYARD,
partly to himself. He was slowly
stroking Adonis with a soft pressure
of his slim brown hand on the shay
gy head. eff" he continued, after a
long pause-'If it had only been a
man, the whole affair would have
been intensely funny; but, somehow,
since 1 have seen the girl, the humor
of the thing has vanished"
Lena and Charlie, passing the open
window at that moment, heard Win
yards remark. There was no mis-
taking the neat enunciation, no mis-
conception of the meaning, and as
they passed on, each wondered a lit
tie over those words caught on the
wing. $780,.
Presently the colonel walked to
the window, still pondering e the
event just related to him. Then,
without looking around, he asked:
will you have this valet?"
"No, thank you! I do not believe
in that system, for one reason; and
I require no n to protect me from
a girl, for another"
Then the colonel turned sharply
round and faced his companion.
who vas the man l saw with
herr"
Il was wondering" replied Win
yard, adroitly.
81 think" continued the colonel,
while his kindly eyes acquired a new
keenness, Il Think, will go and
see-Marie Bakovitch."
"No!" exclaimed VINEYARD, incau-
tiously; "you must not do that"
Then there followed rather an
awkward silence between these two
men who knew each other so well.
The younger busted himself with
Adonis, while the colonel looked on
with a misty look about the eyes.
"You must think ME a great duff
fer, my boy!" he said at length, a
little grimly.