The San Francisco call., 1907-03-24
The San Francisco Sunday Call.
GaRop- Of -
0na Me 6anea1Hreas
SShc sHeNCsD 6yt7HOH &c

u
Oregon &c
as faddists like Chelsford and Ray
would have US believe
I am glad to hear that you think
so, SIR I answered. "0ur precautions
do seem a little elaborate, but II Is
quite certain that the Winchester
papers were disturbed"
II do not choose to believe it. Du-
caipe,' the Duke said irritably. Kindly
remember that
Very good. sir" answered. There
is nothing else you wish to say to
me?"
There is nothing else" the Duke
answered coldly. II understand that
the police yesterday. on a sworn am
davit. were granted a search warrant
to examine your premises for stolen
property. What the devil is the mean
ing of this?"
I think. sir" answered that the
stolen property was a pretext- 1t seems
that during tho last few days It has
come TO light that the man whose body
1 found on the sands was not washed
in from the sea. but was a stranger
who had arrived in Braster the pre-
vious evening and had made Inquiries
as to where lived. 1t seems to be the
desire OF the police. therefore. to con-
meet me in some way with the AFFAIR
The Duke looked at me searchingly.
something in the nature OF evidence.
or they would scarcely have been able
to swear the afndavit for the search
warrant"
They have nothing more direct. SIR.
than that the body was found close
to my cottage, that he had presumably
left Braster to see me and that I was
foolish enough to persuade the person
OF whom the dead man made these In
quirtes in Braster not to como forward
at the inquest"
stop. Stop" the Duke said irri-
tably. You did whatT'
The young woman OF whom he in
quired was close at hand when I dis
covered the body OF the man."
said she told me about him. I was
a little upset. and ! suggested that
there was no necessity for her 70 dis
close the fact of having seen him.
TT was a remarkably foolish thing
OF you to do" the Duke said
Il am realizing 1t now. sir" 7 an
sTered.
Did this person call on you at alIF''
the Duke asked
No, sir. You remember that II was
the night Of Colonel Rays lecture. He
called to see me on hia way back and
found me Ill. I believe that this per-
son looked in at the window and went
away. / saw no more OF him alive
after this"
You have some idea presume as to
his IDENTIFY"
Il have no definite information. your
Grace" L answered.
The Duke did not look at me for
several moments.
II am afraid" he said. stifHy. that
you may experience some incOnvenience
from this most ill-advised attempt OF
yours to suppress evidence which
should most certainly have been given
at the inquest However. I have no
doubt that your story Is true. have
some inquiries now before me from the
police station. / will do what I can
for you. Good evening, Ducaine."
Good evening. sir" I answered Il
am much Obliged to you"
I walked homeward across the park.
The carriage had gone from the pri-
vate road and Ray was alone when I
entered. 1t was impossible to tell what
had happened from his expression. He
sat stretched out in my easy chair.
smoking furiouSly, and his face was
impassfve. Grooton seryed US with din
ner, and he ate and drank with only
few curt remarks But afterward,
when ! was deep IN my work, he sud
denly addressed me.
Boy" he then said, turn around
and listen to me-"
I obeyed him at ence.
Listen WELL" hs said. "fcr am not
given to conddences. Yet am going
to speak 20 you OF the secret places OF
my life"
laid down the pen which I had
been holding between my fingers and
turned my chair. I Judged that Il was
! not necessary for ma to speak, nor
apparently did he think 50.
II have been soldering all my days
he said, since ! was child almost
never grudged a single month OF II.
But when one comes back once more
TO dwell among civilians. one realiSes
that there Is another side to life- u Is
so with me. am not given TO doubts
or. ito asking advice from any man.
But tha time has come when have
the one and need or the other"
He paused, knocked out sons ashes
from his pipe and relighted It
Il have loved two women IN my life.
Guy" he went on slowly. The hrss
was your mother"
peace. He looked hard into the ashes
OF the nre, and continued
sT tried my best" he said. -to be a
friend 20 her after her marriage.
and 7 hope, think, that sue
ceeded. I even did my best to
hght that voman's influence with your
father at Gibraltar. There 1 failed.
I was foredoomed to failurel She had
tho trick OF playing what tune she
cared TO on mans heartstrings- After
It was all over, and your father ana
she had left the place. : spent years
trying to persuade your mother TO get
a divorce and marry me. But she was
the daughter OF a bishop. = high
churchwoman. and a holy woman She
died with your fathers name upon her
lips
I shuddereds The words were spoken
30 deliberately, and yet with such vi
brant force.
after that" Ray continued. "cans
Egypt, then India. and afterward Khar-
toun. I came home before the last
war, and I met Lady Angela I an so
little OF woman's man that suppose
the girl whom 1 thought Of at all be-
came like an angel. creature alto
gether apart from that sex OF whom
know so little However that may be,
she was the second woman to hold any
place in my--heart--as she most surely
will be the last. Then the war broke
out. luck came my way. and returned
with a greater reputation than I de-
served. The very night of my return