The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-03-28
CHAPTER KILL

CHAPTER XIII.
/ should like to know what You would
have done, seeing an honest man bam-
boozled and cheated by a lying. subtle
rascal on the other side of a half-glazed
door with a taffety blind. If you are an
ordinary person, with an ordinary love of
truth and an ordinary hatred of deceit.
I'll be bound you would have flung open
that door and told simple DR.. Awdrey
that Lynn Yeames was liar and cheat,
and proclaimed all you knew about him
and his motives but if you are like me,
willy old lawyer. you would have done
nothing Of the kind For Dr. Audrey
believed that my prejudice against Lynn
4eames amounted to a mania l had no
proof whatever to substantiate a charge
against him, and in the absence of proof
DR.. Awdrey would be fully justified in
believing a trusted friend in preference
to a biased lawyer. How could 1 prove
that he knew nothing about the will be-
fore his mother telegraphed to him after
the reading of it? l could only declare
that he did not know: he could declare
that he did. He had ingenuity to invent
reasons as good for his knowing the fact
as those l could produce to show that he
was ignorant of the real truth. In a case
of hard swearing the judge must lean
towards the side which seems least cana
bic Of duplicity, and it would 60 hard
with the lawyer in such case.
These conditions decided me to leave
the half-glazed door as it was, and to
seek some more than ordinary means of
discomfting an extraordinary rascal. l
felt sure of this-that Dr. Audrey would
insist upon Lynn going at once and tell
ing his story to his sweetheart; and it
seemed to me that the best thing l could
do was to 60 to FlexmOre House before
hand and prevent Mr.. Lynn deceiying
Miss Dalrymple as he had deceived DR..
Awdrey.
Mrs. Guttridge," said / to my house
keeper, who is a careful woman, and de-
livers messages correctly, Il can't wait
any longer; l don't wish to disturb DR..
Audrey and his friend, who seem to be
having a nice little chat. If they ask
for me, you will say that / had an ap-
pointment to keep, but that l shall be at
home from nine till twelve tomorrow
morning."
| With that l trotted off to Flexmore
House as fast as my legs would carry
| me; but there was plenty of time to think
ON the way, and l had plenty to think
about. How was l to warn Miss Dali
rymple? To tell her bluntly that her
lover was scamp would not do Her
love would only strengthen in defending
him against his accuser.
But did she still love him? Had she
ever really loved him! l was inclined to
answer no to both questions. | believed
that as yet she had really loved NO one
Yet / was not sufficiently sure to feel
that could with safety speak openly on
the subject. And that is why l made ur
fairy story pretty occupation for q
lawyer, you will say.
| They saw me, Nurse Gertrude and lit.
tie LAure, from the drawing room win
dow as 1 came up the gravel path, and
the child darted off to open the door, and
both welcomed me with smiles on the
| threshold.
l found opportunity only to begin my
story when Mr.. Yeames himself appeared
I gathered up my hat, great coat, com
forter, and stick, and, tucking them under
one arm and little Laure under the other
slipped into the adjoining room, wher,
we shut ourselves in, just az Mr.. Yeames
was admitted to the drawing room by tn,
other door.
| I would have given anything to know
what was taking place there; but coult
not well put my ear to the keyhole in thu
presence of little Laurie, 50 had to con
tent myself with the hope that Nurs'
Gertrude would see through the wiles o
her crafty visitor. It was exasperatin,
to hear the murmur of voices and not t.
distinguish what was being said, however
learned later on from certain sourc
what took place in this interview, and
win set It down here as il had seen an.
heard all-which, in my mind, certain
y did when the mere facts OF the cas-
were made known to me.
Standing by the door ~ he closed i
Lynn made grave inclination Of his hea,
expressive Of respect, contrition- any
thing you like; then he stepped forwar
hastily with his hand out, his head ereci
his chest thrown forward, in a manly
honest way. She put her hand in his.
Can you forgive mer he asked, hold
ing her hand and speaking IN that rapid
full undertone that 10 supposed to expires
earnest anxiety. "GeTtrude I" he sdde
with teader inhectiaa, putting forth h