The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-10


away from her. His brain was also
dizzy with thoughts OF tie dread pres !.
ence on shlpboard OF the one woman
he had hoped never to see on earth.
again What he might. could.orwould
have answered Miss Wlnstnnley was
not said. II
They stood together uncertainty for
ono confusing moment in what seemed
q moist gray world, haunted BY ssK liz
ing shadows In tarpnulln, the chill IN
wind of the Channel whipping tnem.
overhead the repeated raucous roar Of
the fog horn horn. then slle was gone;
melted away into encompassing gloom!
Els ship-idyl. his mad brief tclnpta-
tions OF a few moments since, were
past. He was back again in England
with his bitter me mories md cherries
future.
an account Of the outrage to which
Miss Winstanlcy had been subjected,
begging him to try to trace out the
offender, and silence her Mt any cost.
The Frenchman. promising to do this,
and relieved at the collapse OF his
stanley, was hardly surprised. on awak-
ing next day, and finding their ship
safely alongside her dock In Liverpool,
to be told that his lordship, impatient
OF delay, had como ashore during the
night in the tender that had nosed Its
s way 10 1O6sOOuuu " SSAAA
Off the mails. leaving his servant to
follow wi thu his luggage S X
Mariol, after nttendlng unsuccessfu1ly
TO the business entrusted to him BY
Clandonald. encountered Miss Carstatrs,
her chaperon and maid. on deck await
ing tho summons to go ashore. He
stood by them, commenting with amusc-
ment upon the sudden dlsintegration
OF the ardent I'M imncies OF the voyage.
TO Judge from appearances, the chief
I al of tho passengers was now to rid
themselves OF one another as promptly
fidelity overnight were offish, mysteri-
GUS, absorbed IN petty anxietles about
customs, kilograms, trains and tips. AS
usual to inexperienced tourists, the Elnt-
ter question arose to be a cloud that
was ultimately to overshadow the glo-5
ries OF European travel. What attends
ants had been rcmunerated according
to service done. what 5countenancc had
dnrkencd, who had seemed satisfied
was discussed in whispers between anx-
ious family groups. Farewell SEMI
nents bestowed upon friends one
thought one had seen the last of were
found to be- supnrfluous, since the re-
cipients were sure to be found again
4 proyokingly popping up every" he re; on
the gangway. on the docks. and facing
the customs officers. Lucky II one were
not to be thrust togetherawith them
into the same railway carriage, all to
q arrive in London hating each other
heartily!
NJ. de Mario', without appearing to
: do so. had scanned narrowly the out
going crowd from the steamer. No
trace had appeared. here or elsewhere;
of the familiar figure OF Clandonalds
former wife. A sugg stion occurring to
him that the exclusive Ruby had been!
last heard of in America, and was
probably returning under an alias.
do I,a orcE ind In ccn ar al q
a futile one. Whatever were the facts
in the history OF this obnoxious and
insuffernblo woman he must give her
up for the present as bad job. He
felt almost inclined to believe that
some one else had thrown suspicion
upon her. in order to cover u low at
tack upon Miss Winstanley and Clan
donald.
AS he and Miss Carstairs started a
little later to walk together up the In
Special. they beheld. in the street. Mr..
and Miss Winstanlcy getting into o
four-wheeler laden with archaic trunks
from the window of which Posey
waved to them a sober last good-by.
at the same moment they were asked
~ to. step aside to give place to an In
valid chair containing Mr.. Vercker
greenish-gray of complexion. scowling
at all the world. and escorted by his
nurse and doctor No vestige remained
of the elusive host the ladies' gallant
the purveyor OF choicest scandal from
the clubs! His wife and valet, witt
Mr.. Charley Brownlow and a train o.
servants and porters, brought up the
rear of the cortoge. pressing import
anty forward to reach their private
car.
Miss Bleecker, whose soul Away
melted tenderly to tho sorrows Of tn
rich. could not lose this opportunity
Stepping up briskly, she proffered he
confidence to the suffering ma gnate
to be repealed by a savage gesture an,
snarl Of annoyance ut being spoken
to that caused the irate lady to retir
in crimson confusion Y
She was the more perturbed by til
incident. because not only did her den
frta " u n I'm To II