Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-04-04

curious gaze or a servant, JruQgeQ Oh
upstairs again.
The game had ended at both tables.
Quarter and Agatha stood by the win
dow together, conversing in low voices.
Belwether, at a desk, sat muttering
and fussing with check book. The
others were in Sylvia's apartments.
A few moments later Kemp Ferrall
arrived in the best of spirits, very
much inclined to consider the night az
still young. but his enthusiasm met
with no response, and presently he de-
parted with his wife and Marion in
their big car.
Leila, in her wraps, emerged in a
few moments, looking at Plank out Of
serious eyes, and they made their brief
adieus and went away in Plank's
brougham.
When Agatha's maid arrived Quar-
rier also started to take his leave, but
Sylvia, seated at a card table, idly
arranging the cards in geometrical de-
signs and fanciful arabesques, looked
up at him, saying:
81 wanted to say something to you,
Howard"
Agatha passed them, going into Syl-
Was room for her wraps. and Quar-
rier turned to Sylvia.
'Well?' be said, with the slightest
hint of Impotence.
Cant you stay a minute" asked
Sylvia, surprised.
Agatha is going in the motor with
me- Is it anything important?''
She considered him without replying.
She had never before detected that
manner. that hardness in voice al
ways so even in quality.
what is it?" he repeated.
She thought a moment, putting aside
for the time his manner, which she
could not comprehend. Then:
81 wanted to ask you a question:
rather ignorant one perhaps. It's about
your Amalgamated Electric company.
May ask it. Howard?'
After a seconds stare, Certainly"
ne said.
cts only this: If the other people
the Intercounty, l mean-are slowly
running Amalgamated, why don't you
stop it?'
Quarters eyes narrowed. "Oh! And
who have you been discussing the mat
ter within
'Mr. Plank" she said simply. 81
asked him. He shook his head and
said I'd better ask you. And l do
ask you."
For a moment he stood mute. Then
his lips began to shrink back over his
beautiful teeth in one of his rare
laughs.
"I'lI be very glad to explain it some
day." he said. but there was no mirth
in his voice or eyes, only the smoker
ing lip wrinkling the pallor.
'Will you not answer now?" she
asked
''No, not now. But / desire you to
understand it some day-some day be-
fore November. And one or two other
matters that 1t is necessary for you to
understand. want to explain, them,
Sylvia, in such a manner that you will
never be likely to forget them. And l
mean 10. For they are, never out of
my mind, and l wish them to be as in
effaceably impressed on yours. Good
night"
He took her limp hand almost brisk
~, released it and stepped down the
stairs as Agatha entered. cloaked. to
say good night.
They kissed at parting-"life en-
bracing death" as Mortimer had
sneered on a similar occasion. Then
Sylvia. alone. stood in her bedroom,
hands linked behind her, her lovely
head bent, cropping with the very
ghosts of thought which eluded her,
fleeing, vanishing, reappearing, to peep
out at her only to fade into nothing
ere she could follow where they fitted
through the dark labyrinths of mem
DRY.
The major, craning his neck in the
bay window, saw Agatha and Quar-
rier enter the big yellow motor and
disappear behind the limousine. And
it worried him horribly, because he
knew perfectly well that Quarter had
lied to him about a jeweled collar
precisely like the collar worn by
Agatha Caithness, and what to do or
say Is anybody on the subject was
for the first time in his life utterly be-
yond his garrulous ability.
Another matter. He had violated his
word and had been caught at it by his
prospective Observation-Disclosures his
pledged word not to sell his Amalga-
mated Electric holdings, and had done
1t. Yet how could Plank dominate un-
less another also had done what he
had done? And it made him little
more comfortable to know he was
sharing the fault with somebody
probably with Siward, whom he now
had the luxury of despising for the
very thing he himself had done.
"Drunkardr' he muttered to himself.
Hes in the gutter at last!'
And he repeated it unctuously, al
most recOnciled to his own shortcom-
ing, because it was the first time, as
far as he knew, that a Belwether
mi yht laCifina falv aniOv fha Measures