The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03
The San Francisco Sunday Cal.
G5fo,- of -
Mtna @e 6anednreass
IShe Yellow DrayOn. &c

sort OF communications.
None at ali.'' answered
ASir Michael Trogoldy was your
mothers brother" he remarked lie = {.
still alive"
never approached him. nor has he eVe1
taken any notice OF me
.~Yol did not write 10 him, Tor n
stance, when Heathcote absconded, anu
you had to leave collegeE
Certainly not" answered. = .diQ
not choose to turn beggar-
How much" he asked, do you Know
OF your family history
Il know I told him. that my father
was cashiered from The army Tor ms
conduct and committed suicide
know too that my mothers people
treated her shamefuily and tnaI sRs
died alone in Paris and almost IN pow
erty. 1t was scarcely likely lnereloIo
that was going TO apply to them loF
help
Ray nodded.
Il thought. so.r he remarked grimly.
Il shall have to talk to YOU forla a Few
minutes about your father.
said nothing. My surprise indeed.
had bereft me OF Words Me slipped MS
wine slowly, and continued,
.Fate has dealt a 1ittle hardly with
YOU" he said. I AM almost a stranger
TO you. and there are even reasons why
you and I could never be friends. Yet
IL apparently falls to my lot to supple
rnent the little you know OF my very
unpleasant portion OF your family MS
tory That rascal of a lawyer who
absconded with your money should
have told you on your twenty-hrss
birthday"
a pleasant heritage" I remarked
bitterly; yet I always wanted 10 know
the whole turth."'
Here goes. then he said. hlling my
glass with wine. Your father was
second in command at Gibraltar. He
sold a plan OF the gallery forts 10 the
French Government ana was dismissed
from the army
7 started as though had been stung-
Ray continued, his stern matter-of-racr
tone unshaken.-
He did not commit suicide, as you
we're told. He lived in Paris hfe OF
continual aud painful degeneration.
Your mother died OF a broken heart
There was another woman, OF course.
whose influence over your father was
unbounded and at whose instigallon ne
committed this disgracefuF act IhiS
woman is now at Braster-'
Ny brain was in a whirl-. was quite
incapable of speech
God only knows. For the moment she
calls herself Mrs. Smith-LeSsing- Sho
is 2 Franco American. a political ad-
ventures of the worst type. living BY
her wits She is ugly enough 70 %
Satan's mistress and she's 45 II she's a
DAY yet she has but to hold up her
finger and men tumble the gifts OF their
life into her lap. gold and honor, con
science and duty At-present think y
highly probable that you are her next
selected victim
For several minutes Ray proceeded
with his dinner. did my best to fol-
low his example. but my appetite was
gone. I could scarcely persuade NY
self that the whole affair was not a
dream-that the men who sat all round
US in little groups the. dark Hveried
servants passing noiselessly backward
and forward. were not ngureS IN some
shadowy nightmare, and that should
not wake in a moment 10 find myself
curled up in railway carriage on my
way home. But there was no mistak-
ing the visible presence OF Colonel
Mostyn Ray. Strong. staIwart. he sat
within a few feet OF me. calmly eat
ing his dinner as though my agony
were a thing OF little account. He,
at least, was real
This woman" he continued, pres
emily. "either Is, or would like to be.
mixed up with the treachery that Is
somewhere close upon us Sooner or
later she viii approach YOU You are
YES. I repeated vaguely. 7 am
Il. have finished" Colonel Ray re-
marked. go on with your dinner and
think. I Will. answer. any question
presently"
There were only two put to him.
and that was when my hanson had
been called and was on the point OF
leaving.
'Is he-my 'father-alIve nowr
asked
II have reason to believe" Ray an
swered. shat he may, be dead,
How is it, I asked. that you are
so we'll acquainted with these things?
Were you at any time my fathers
friend?''
At was acquainted with him. Ray
answered. I'VE were at one time in
the same regiment Ny friendship was
with your mother"
The answer was illuminating, but he
sIndirectIy." I said, II seem to have
a good. deal 70 thank you for. why
do you say that you can news be my
frlend?''
you are your fathers SON. hs an
swered curtly- -
7 am also my mothers SON. OBJ
sFor which reason he said. 'I have
done what could to give you a start
in life
And with these words he dismissed
me.
:. .. -
I received Rays warning concerning
Mrs. Smith Leasing. the. new tenant OF
Braster Grange; somewhere between
and s o'clock. and barely an hour
later ] found myself alone in first
class carriage with her. and a four
hours journey before us. She had ar
rived at Kings Cross apparently only
a few minutes before the departure
OF the train, for the platform was al
most deserted when I took my seat
Just as / had changed my hat for a
cap, however. wrapped my rug around
my knees. and settled down for tho.
journey. the door of my carriage was
thrown open, and saw two women
loonlng in. one OF whom recognized
at once Mrs Smith-Lessing. although
the night was warm, was wearing a.
heavy and magnificent fur coat. and
the guard OF the train himself was at
tending her. Behind stood a plainly