The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-12-29
CHAPTER Xxx.
Co CHILMARK's TIDINGs.

IVY CHiLMAnhS IIDlNGS.
Contrary to my expectations,
Herxog made no reference, on our
leaving "Ardmore,' to the failure
OF the atropine tube to do its
deadly work. Nor. when he did
mention the matter as we were
seated at breakfast next morning,
did he indulge in the outburst of
threats and reproaches that l had
anticipated.
Rather war mtime last night
what with one thing and another"
he remarked. slipping his coffee and
cycling me askance.
II knew as soon as Garden saw
me that l was recognized; and SO, /
think, did you," I replied.
Yes, and took steps, as you may
have observed, to stifle the explo
sion by exciting Lady Muriel's ar.
dor at the proper moment" said
Herzog. Garden was on the point
of denouncing you, was he not?
Well, my timely hint to that charm
ing girl that he must have been
acquainted with the notorious fugi
tive set her going with venge,
ance, eh?"
1T was very adroit," was fain
to admit.
"Adroit!" he repeated, chuckling.
"That is mere than you were, my
friend. II by good fortune some
thing hadn't gone wrong with the
drug or the syringe. your awkward
ness in dropping 1t would have Gre
ated a sci iuus situation fer both of
us. And lave never intended that
our iisp: In this partnership Should
be equally balanced, you see."
I said nothing, but was in.
wardly astonished that he made no
charge against me of having with
drawn the poison from the tube.
cou d only attribute my immunity
to his genuine relief that. my
treachery to him had been the
means of saving him.
Mrs. Krance, when she hustled in
TO remove the breakfast things, pro-
cee,led. after the manner of land
ladies, to enlarge upon the affairs
OF the other dodgers.
The colonel, by her showing, had
just received telegram from his
/. daughter, informing him that as the
house she had been to look at near
Z Harrow would not suit their re-
Quirements, she proposed to remain
In London for a day or two longer
IN order to view other houses
within easy distance of town. AS
she would be very busy moving
from place to place, as the house
agents might direct, her father was
not to look for letters, but she
would wire each day before start
iIg on her search, SO that he might
know that she was all right.
had much ado to compose my
face while Mrs. Krance prattled out
this expanded version Of the tele
gram. It was at once a relief and a
disappointment. 1t showed that
Janet had not come to any harm at
the hands of Roger Marske, but II
also pointed to her having SO far
failed in her effort to prove that he
was the 'Danvers Crane" of my Sis
ter's acquaintance. Reading be-
tween the lines, i discarded her
prolonged house hunt as a mere
pretext for staying In London in
the hope of meeting with better
success. 1t might even be that she
had struck a clew which she was
following up.
Feeling, or. as ! half feared, af-
fecting OF feel, no interest in Mrs.
FRANCES gossip, Herzog cut short
her dissertation on the coloneIs
loneliness, and proposed that we
should go sightseeing to Carts
brook castle, and on the return
journey leave the train at Var
mouth and come round to Totland
bay by the afternoon boat, calling
there on Its way from Lymington.
As he was not the man to take an
academic interest In historic ruins,
/ suspected that he had some rea-
son for being out of the place that
day.
We did" the ancient castle In
true tourist style, and then jolted
back over the cruel island railway
ms far as Yarmouth, where we left
the train and sought the pier.
The steamer was already along
side. The haunting dread of recog-
milton had grown to be such habit
with me that instinctively
scanned our fellow passengers. The
last to come under my nervous
scrutiny was Roger Marske, lean
ing with his back to US over the
stern railing.
Herzog must have perceived him
at the same moment, for he nudged
my elbow and whispered:
Let us 60 down into the bar.
am not sure of that fellows atti-
tude. He probably saw us come
hoard, but the further we are from
MIN the better"