The Washington herald., 1907-09-29
BY
FLORENCE WARDEN


With pleasure, said Ince, with alac-
rity. only say when I'm 10 20. and
I'll be ready.
St Quintln hesitated. He had wei
coined as a happy thought the idea Of
taking the ObseTvant Ince down with
him to Briar Lodge, deciding at once that
be would introduce his friend 10 the
household before telling him that mys-
terious adventure which had befallea
him there. he answered cautiously:
All right. III take you down with
me very soon-this week, perhaps
When are you going down again?"
asked Ince, abruptly
We'll. I'm going on Wednesday, but
It's a regular invitation 10 dinner. so I
couldn't very well turn up with friend
m not intimate with them yet. sou see
Hope 10 heaven you never viii be-
growled Ince. as he filled his pipe afTesa
But II ask If I may bring YOU down
TO see them. and I've no doubt they VIII
be glad to let me-" went on St Quiutin.
so much irritated by his friends attitude
that he decided not 20 confide in him
further at the time Miss DensIey viii
remember having seen you with ne at
Cowes
Yes. That was another odd thing. her
being al the hotel alone with Il COVER
ness, close 10 the busiest week OF the
| year, grumbled Ince TO himself.
Ihis was fatal St Quintin chose 70
take the words as an attack upon Marie
herself. and thereupon be became dumb.
The younger man kept away from the
elder for the next two days, and or the
| Wednesday went down 70 Briar Lodge
/ by himself. he had watched the papers
carefully for any tidlngs of the lost So
4 licitor, Harold Burdock. but had seen
nothing more about him. EXCEPT para
graphs stating that there was stil moth
/ Ing known Of his whereabouts
/ Briar Lodge did not look quite so pleas
| ant and gay on this occasion as on his
| first visit, for the day was dark and
gloomy, the sky overcast and a thunder
! storm threatening.
! He found Miss Densley in the garden.
/ leaning back in a cane lounge-cbair. un-
/ der the big cedar on the lawn
! She was dressed in a white silk dress
/ with sunray-pleated skirt and was
wearing 10 hat~cn her sunny hair She
sat up on seeing St Quintin, and he was
/ touched and pleased 20 note that there
/ was flush in her cheeks. as If she really
! felt glad 20 see him
My aunt is IN the kitchen-garden.' -
] she said. when they mad shaken hands.
/ Shall we 60 and find herr"
/ PITY 10 disturb her. isn't ir7" said he
| She may be counting the cherry bushes
do cherries grow on busbes2-0r doing
! something else Ike that which needs
! solitude and retirement 70 get through
satisfactorily You can't count fruit
/ trees when people are talking 90 you
/ He sat down IN one Of the lounge
/ chairs and the thought flashed through
I his mind that be was glad he had said
no more than he did 10 James Ince. L
would have been dreadful thing If Ince
/ had made a row, and cut of his young
/ friends visits 70 Briar Lodge,
And that was what would have hap
/ pe0ed.
! with the certainty hanging over him
/ that there was something unpleasant.
/ Uncanny, 20 be learned about these ue0-
/ pie, 81. QUintin, under the spell OF Mss
/ Densley.s bright eyes. felt that the evil
/ day Of discovery and exposure must be
/ put of until he had found out whether
! Marie loved him. II she did. II she could.
/ then be knew that he should make sure
/ OF her 10y marriage. secret if need were.
/ take her out OF the reach Of her friends
and relations II they should prove worthy
OF the suspicious he could not help en-
! the family as Il would
He could. not but feel that there was
an uncanny atmosphere about the hand
some hoHse and its surroundings. re-
memhering. as he did. what he had
heard and seen there and the mystery
Of the disappearance Of the solicitor.
Burdock
He was startled when Miss DensIev
broke a short and somewhat constrained
silence by saving.
You don't know what a strange thing
has happened since you were here last
week"
On the alert for surprises. st. Quintin
/ looked interested directly.
4 Tell me about II" said he.
Miss Densley looked instinctivelv round
her. and lowered her voice confdentfqIIv
DO you remember,v she began. "t4Ilz
Of man named Burdock. whom Non
sieur Marbeau had seen in town the
very day YOU came here?"
Perfectly replied ST Quinun. much
startled You JhoUght-s0me one
thought he was seen coming up the gar
den while we We're az dinner And then
Monsieur Leblanc went out"
Yes. Wen. II was he who came 10
ne house that night and my uncle let
him out by the side door. as he wanted
10 go quickly. lie said he had an an
pointment And now il saws lin tbe n5-
9ers that he has disappeared
Yes; I saw il in the Telegraph YES
terday. answered 81. QUintin. with
some consuaint.
Well We are all very anxious and
puzzled as to what has happened to
him."
What was he Isee You knew him
well. didn't you?"
Not so very We'll I hated him" And
| she shuddered. But. for all that
can't help being sorry that this has han
pened. How can y"
He was in love with You. wasn't heg'
"Oh, l don't know. supp5so 60
They said SO But he was rude over
bearing, presumptuous. Oh. I couldn't
bear him 10 come near me"
And the girl shuddored St. Ouintin
brought his chair a little nearer. II was
| delightful 90 find that she was no CO.
quette: that she did not encourage ad-
| mlration from men she did not like He
| had dozen speeches half-fOrmed in
his brain. but he did not know exactly
which 10 begin with. He looked NJ her
| therefore, saw that she looked rather
nervous. rather shy, and then ne looked
down.
An exclamation. half Of surprise and
half Of terror. from her lips made him
look up quickly
Having approached unseen. Monsieur
Leblanc stood beside them. a dark figure
against the background Of shadowy
foliage and stormy sky.
tfO BE CONTINUED NEXT SUNDAYl
! tOoI9rght 1857. BY the North American Company)
MAKE EN- READ THE BIBLE.