The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-09-10
CHAPTER xIII-continued.

laugh.
"Oh, of course, you think that girls
are never governed by either reason
or logic" she said, with a pout.
please forgive me-" he said, hur-
riedly. Il did not mean to insinuate
anything of the sort. You may, of
course, be quite right in your sur
mise. And, If so, why"
"Yes?" she questioned, after a long
pause.
Il don't know" he replied. Il don't
see that we can do anything"
We can 10 a great deal If we try"
she answered.
In which way?"
VIII you promise TO do your best?"
she replied, laying her hand gently on
his arm.
They had got by this time into the
road leading back to Mawgan Chase.
The high hedges sheltered them from
the searching wind. The daylight was
fading rapidly out of the sky. There
was not a solitary individual to be
seen in any direction; they were alone
with the fields and the woods. He
felt bis heart bound at her touch. He
wanted TO seize her hand and draw it
within his arm, but he had not the
courage. For a moment or two there
was silence. They were walking very
slowly.
Il will do anything I can" he said
at length; anything you wish me to
do
Would ii be difficult to find out IL
anybody by the name of Robert Web
ster was a passenger by the Nebras-
ka?"
You do not believe there is such a
persona" he questioned.
Il do not. / feel convinced the
name is q blind. / cannot tell you
why"
II viii write to the owners tonight"
he said. They will certainly have a
list Of names.'
Then we shall have to find out"
she went on, who the man is, what he
knows about Marion, why he wants to
get possession of her trunk, and
"Yes?" he questioned.
Eve shall have to ~checkmate him,
that is all. You will have to watch
him closely. Take the coast guard
into your confidence If needs be. In
any case he must not be allowed to
take possession Of Marion's box"
You make me feel like a conspira-
tor" he said, with a laugh
Il wish | were a man." she answer
ed. 81 think | should enjoy nothing so
much as circumventing a s%coundrel."
I'm glad you are not a man." he
said, without looking at her.
She glanced up shyly into his face
for a moment, but did not reply, and
a minute or two later Mawgan Chase
doomed dimly through the trees.
He shook hands with her at the
gate, half hoping that she would in
vite him in. He had nothing special
on hand that evening, and would have
been grateful for an invitation to din
ner. 1t was a long time since he had
spent a whole evening at the Chase,
and the picture of the cosy drawing
room was a very alluring one at that
moment.
Esther did not invite him, however.
She stood in too much awe of her
mother. Grayton made his way back
to st. Chloe In a very thoughtful mood.
He knew it was foolish to dream of
Esther. She was out of his reach.
For a man with only sixty pounds a
year and no prospect of a rise to think
about marriage was worse than mid
summer madness.
From Esther his thoughts very nat
urally turned to Nevins. He could
not deny that Esther had some reason
for her suspicious. and the more he
thought about the matter the more
suspicious he became himself. The
plea of Neyins that he was suffering
from rvo collapse accorded
neither with his appearance nor con
duct. An invalid would scarcely ex-
pose himself to wind and rain as he
did.
After a frugal supper Grayton wrote
a carefully worded letter 20 the own
ers of the Nebraska. If 1t should turn
out that no one of the name OF Web
ster was among the passengers he
would have sufficient ground for TAX
ing the coast guard into his conf
dence.
1t was late when he went out to
post his letter. The box was cleared
at 5 o'clock In the morning. Hence
he frequently raj out to post his let
ters just before going to bed. The
wind was still blusterous, though the
clouds had disappeared and a crescent
noon hung low in the west. The vii
lage was deserted. There wasn't even
O belated topper to be seen.
He was just turning away from the
letter box when a shrouded figure
scudded past In the shadow OF the
church yard wall and disappeared in
the direction Of the bay.
That's Nevins," he said to himself,
and he crossed the little square and
followed after as noiselessly and as
swiftly as possible. The tide was
nearly at its flood and only a narrow
strip Of the bay was uncovered.
Grayton hid himself In the shadow Of
the cliff and waited. Nevins kept
close to. the waters edge all the time.
needless Of wet feet and a cold search.
Ing wind. To and fro he tramped,
sagsr. alert. watchful.