, 1908-04-30

these women,"
Tut! They don't all marry tho inn.
of brewers" I retorted. "You as.uraa
me once. while your affair with that
irish girl was on, that the short upper
lip made Heaven seem possible. hut
unnecessary; then the next thing 7
knew h had shaken you for tbe
hloated maltster. Take that for vour
impertinence. But perhaps IL was
Bates?"
/ did not wait for an answer wa,
not In a mood for reflection or nice dis.
tinctions. The man came in just then
with a fresh plate of toast.
Bates. Mr.. Pickering has learned
that was away from the house on the
night of the attack, and I'm ordered off
Tor having broken my agreement to
stay here. How do you suppose he
heard of it so promptly?"
From Morgan, quite possibly. I
have a letter from Mr.. Pickering nv.
self this morning, Just a moment.
sir"
He placed before me a note bearing
the same date as my own. 1t was a
sharp rebuke of Bates for his failure
to report my absence promptly by
wire, and he was ordered to D to
leave on the first of February. CLOSE
your accounts at the shopkeepers' and
I will audit your bills on my arrival"
Tho tone vas peremptory and con-
temptuous. Bates had failed to satisfy
Pickering and al flung of like a
smoked-out cigar.
How much had he allowed you for
expenses. Bates?"
He met my gaze imperturably.
He pays me $50 a month as wages,
sir, and am allowed $75 for other ex-
penses."
But you didn't buy English pleas
ants and champagne on that allow
ANGEL"
He was carrying away the coffee
tray and his eyes wandered to the win
dows.
Not quite, sir. You see"
But / don't see!"
1T had occurred to me that as Mr..
chickering's allowance wasn't what you
might call generous it was better to
augment it Well, sir. l DOL the lib
erty of advancing a trlfie, as o might
say, to the estate. Your grandfather
would not have had you starve, sir"
He left hurriedly, as though to escape
from the consequences of his words,
and when | came to myself Larry was
gloomily invoking his strange Irish
gods.
Larry Donovan, I've been tempted
to kill that fellow a dozen times! This
thing is O damned complicated for
me-. l wish my lamented grandfather
had left me something easy. To think
of it-that all the time I've been ours
ing and abusing Bates since | came
here I've been enjoying his bounty
and he's been giving me the fat of the
land, just because of his devotion to
my grandfather's memory. Lord. I
can't face the fellow again!"
AS | have said before. you're rather
lacking at times in erspicacity. Your
7cc s married by large opaque
spots. Now that there seems to be q
woman in the case you're less sane
than ever. Bah. these women! And
NV" wv v " ~ eo - YIN
Bah, these women! My W heart
caught the words. l was enraged and
bitter. No wonder she had been snx.
ious for me to avoid Pickering in Gin.
cinnati, after daring me to follow her
there!
We called q council Of wal for that
night that we might view matters In
the light of Pickering's letter. His
a%ssuredness In ordering me to leave
made prompt and decisive action
necessary on my part. l summoned
Stoddard to our conference. feeling
confident Of his friendliness.
of course" said the broad-shoul.
dered chaplain. "if you could show that
your absence was OF business OF very
grave Importance. the courts might
construe in your favor
Larry looked at the ceiling and blew
rings Of smoke languidly. had not
disclosed to either of them the cause
Of my absence. On such a matter l
knew / should get precious little sym
pathy from Larry, and | had. more
over, a feeling that I could not discuss
Marian Devereux with n one; l ever
shrank from mentioning her name.
though 1t rang like the call of bugles
in my blood.
She was always before me.-the
charmed spirit Of youth. linked to
every foot of the earth. every gleam OF
the sun upon the ice-bound lake, every
glory of the winter sunset. All the
good impulses l had ever stided were
ouickened to life by the thought OF her.
Amid the days p~erplexities ! started
sometimes, thinking I heard her voice.
her girlish laughter, or saw her again
coming toward me down the stairs, or
holding against the light her fan with
its golden butterflies. l really knew
an little of her; l could associate her