Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1908-09-10
CHAPTER xIll-contjnueo.


t's pretty little bit of 1nelodrama
you are building up, he said, with a
S laugh b g. l,
oh, of course, you think that girls
4 are never governed by either reason
or logic, she said, with pout.
s,.l Please forgive me-" he said. hur-
riedly u did not mean to insinuate
thing of the sort. You may. of
course, be quite right in your sur
mise And. il SO, why, -
Yes?' she questioned, after long
q pause.
q don't know he replied II don't
see that we can do anything
We can do great deal il we try"
she answered.
In which way?,,,
Will you promise to do your best 2"
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 dil;ectio lon they we're alone
y with u he heldss and atha woods. He
felt his heart hound at her touch. He
wanted to seize her hand and draw 1t
within his arm, but he had not the
courage. Forsa moment or two there
was Silence. They were walking very
slowly.
~ VIII do anything i can, he said
ct length. anything you wish me to
Would 1t be difficult to find out If
anybody by he name of Robert Web
sters Wasa passenger by the Nebras-
1 ka?" IS i; Il ne
3l You do not believe there is such a
person 2" he questioned.
~ do not feel convinced the
4 name is q blind. | cannot tell you
why.
SO vii write to the owners tonight"
he said, They will certainly have
list o. names
hen I've shalt have to find out"
3 she vent On, who the man is, what he
5 knows abort Marion, why he wants to
get possession Of her trunk, and
es p he questioned.
We shall have. to checknate him,
that is all. You will, have to watch
him closely, Take the coast guard
into ss;our confidence If needs be. In
any case he must not be allowed to
take possession of Marion's box
You make me feel like conspira.
4 tor he said. with a laugh
wish 4 were man." she answer
ed. thinksI should enjoy nothing so
much as circumventing a scoundreL"
m glad you are not man, he
said wi ttont. loo king at her. III
She glanced up shyly into his face
for al moment, but did not reply, and
minute or Two later Mawgani Chase
{ loofnsd dimly through the trees.
He shook hands with her at the
gate, half hoping that she would In
wife him in. Hs had nothing special
on hand that evening, and would have
been ralef,1l for an Invitation to din
ner It was q long time since he had
spent a whole evening at the Chase.
and the picture al the cosy drawing
room was very alltiring one at that
moment 'ssas
Esther did not invite him. however.
She TODD in too much awe of her
mot GRAFTON made his, way back
to ST chloe In a very thoughtful mood. 4
He :new II was foolish to dream Of
Esther. She was out Of his reach.
For q man with only sixty pounds a.
yearSand no pros pect OF q rise to think
about marriage was worse than mid
simmer madness.
From Esther his thoughts very nat
/ uralIy turned to Nevins. He could
mot dany that Esther had some reason
I for her suspicious, and the more he
thought about the matter the more
susrt cious he became himself The
! pleaaof Neyins that he was suffering
from nervous collapse accorded
neitEer with his appearance nor con-
dilots An invalid would scarcely exz
pose himself to wind and rain as he.
5ssss ,s $50
After q frugal supper Grayton wrote
4 ! fcarefully worded letter to the own
efs Of the Nebraska. II 1t should turn.
I ont that no one Of the name Of Web
ster anong tie 4. passengers he
swouid cum ient ground for taxi
Ing ga g; soast guard into his conn
II Was lata when he went out to
pest his letter The box was cleared
m clock M the morning. Hence
3 III frequently ran cut to post his let
4 ters Inst before going to bed, The
rs Ind Was still hlusteroma though fhs,