Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-21
CHAPTER XVIII.

! w i'ot All OpBDl luIlly, w ntlutI lut
| space at her command was long or
short
SO convinced was he that, reaching
Trafalgar square, he stopped and
| hailed a hanson.
"Cadogan gardens" he called "No.
| 49,"
The moments seemed very few be-
| fore the cab drew up beside the curb
and he caught his second glimpse of
the cnameled door with its silver fit
! tings. Instantly he pressed the bell the
! door was opened by Iillan's discreet.
| deferentlal manservaut.
rs Lady Astrupp at homei" he
| asked
| The man looked thoughtful. Tier
| ladyship lunchcd at home, sir he be-
| gan cautiously.
| But Loder Interrupted him. ASK her
| TO see me- he said laconically.
| The servant expressed no surprise
| His only comment was to throw the
! door wide.
"If you'll wait in the white room,
| sir" he said, "I'll inform her ladyship"
Chilcotc was evidently frequent and
! n favored visitor
In this manner Loder for the second
| time entered the house so unfamiliar
! and yet so familiar in all that it sug-
| gcsted. Entering the drawing room. he
had leisure to look about him. 1t was
a beautiful room, large and lofty. Lux
ury was evident on every hand, but it
was not the luxury that pals or Of
tends. Each object was graceful and
possessed its own intrinsic value. The
| atmosphere was too efeminate to APP
peal TO him, but he acknowledged the
taste and artistic delicacy it conveyed.
Almost at the moment OF acknowledge
ment the door opened to admit Lillian.
IL thought it would be YOU" she said
igmatically.
Loder came forward. You expected
meY he said guardedy. A sudden
conviction filled him that it was not
the evidence OF her eyes, but something
at once subtler and more definite that
prompted her recognition of him.
She smiled. why should l expect
you? On the contrary, I'm waiting to
know why you're here?'
He was silent for an instant. Then
he answered in her own light tone.
AS far as that goes he said, lets
make it my duty call-having dlned
with you. I'm an old fashioned per-
SON."
For full second she surveyed him
amusedly. Then at last she spoke.
"My dear Jach"-she laid particular
stress on the name-"I never imagined
you punctiliouS. should have thought
bohemian would have been more the
word
I.odcr felt Disconnected and annoyed
Either. like himself. she was fishing for
information or she was deliberately
playing with him. In his perplexlty he
glanced across the room toward the
fireplace.
Lillian saw the look. Wont you sit
DOWN. she said, indicating the couch.
Il promise not TO make you smoke.
shan't even ask you to take Off your
Gloves
Loder made no movement His mind
was unplcasantly upset. 1t was nearly
a fortnight since he had seen Lillian.
anu III NlIt IlIltl al LINl dlNIluON hdu
changed, and the change puzzled him.
1t might mean the philosophy of a wo-
man who. knowing herself without ade-
quate weapons, withdraws from q COM
bat that has proved frutlcss, or it
might imply the merely catlike desire
TO toy with a certainty. He looked
quickly at the delicate face, the green
eyes somewhat obliquely set. the unre
liable mouth, and instantly he inclined
to the latter theory The conviction
that she possessed the telegram filed
him suddenly, and with it came the de-
sire to put his belief 10 the test-to
know beyond question whether her
smiling unconcern meant malice or
mere entertainment
when you first came into the room"
he said quietly, you said 4 thought 1t
would be you Why did you say that?
Again she smled-the smile that
might be malicious or might be merely
amused. "Oh," she answered at last,
II only meant that though | had been
told Jack Chilcote wanted me, 1t wasn't
Jack Chilcotc | expected to see.'
After her statement there was a
pause. Loder's position was difficult.
Instinctively convinced that, strong In
the possession Of her proof, she was en-
joying his tantalized discomfort he yet
craved the actual evidence that should
set his suspicious to rest. Acting upon
the desire, be made a new beginning
"Do you know why | cameT' he
asked.
, Lillian looked up innocently. "lt's so
hard to be certain Of anything in this
! world" she said. But one is always
at liberty to guess"
} Again he was perplexed. Her attl-
tude was not quite the attitude OF one
. who controls the game and yet He
| looked at her with a puzzled scrutiny
Women for him had always spelled the
incomprehensible He was at his best,
1 his strongest, his surest in the presence
1 of men Feeling his disadvantage, yet
= determined to gain his end he made a
9 last attempt.
How did you amuse yourself al
1 Grosvenor square this morning before
r Eve came to your" he asked. The eff
4 | fort vuac oUl, W. rdlv hluDt hnt II WA