The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-09-11
CHAPTER xUl-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. II 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 thai we can do anything"
I'VE can do a great deal If we try"
she answered.
I'm which way?"
will 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 put 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 his 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 it be difficult to find out If
anybody by the name of Robert Web
ster was a passenger by the Nebras-
ka?"
you do not believe there is such a
person." he questioned.
Il do not. | feel convinced the
name is a blind. I cannot tell you
why
Il will write to the tonight"
he said. They will certainly have a
list of names"
Then we shall have to find out"
she went on, who the nan is, what he
knows about Marion, why he wants to
get possession of her trunk, and
"Yes?" he questioned.
We snail HdVC " SACChAAulO I'LL,
that is ali. 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.
II wish | were a man." she answer
- sT $hinI> 7 cho,,1I an;Du nnfhi,,r CO
much as circumventing a scoundrel."
"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
. 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. It 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 q man with only sixty pounds a
year and no prospect of q rise to think
about marriage was worse than mid
summe 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 Nevins that he was suffering
from collapse accorded
neither with his appearance nor con-
duct. An invalid would scarcely ex-
pose himself to wind and rain as he
did.
After ! frugal supper Grayton wrote
: carefully worded letter 70 the own
err of the Nebraska. II It should turn
out that no one Of the name Of Web
ster was among tho passengers he
would have suf1cient ground for TAX
ing the coast guard into his conn.
dence.
Ii was late whsn he went out to
nost hid letter. The box was cleared
& : o'clock III the morning. Hence
- frequently ran out to post his let
ter Just befors going to bed. The
wind was still b~lusterous. though the
clouds had disappeared and : crescent
moon hung low In the west The vii
lage wAs deserted. There wasn't even
: belated topper 70 be seen.
h was Just turning away from the
lettor box when : shnouded figure
eeudded paGt n the shadow Of the
church yard wall and disappeared n
the .dfrecticn o. the bay.
That's Neylns." he said % himself.
md ~ crossed the little Square and
followed akter - noiselessly and -
swiftly = possibl4. Tho tide was
nearly u n Hood and only : nArrow
strip Or H. bay VA uncovered.
0raytcn hid himself n Tho shadow Of
aZ&EsAaA A.aA~A rAsNY--a-A ~ H~A~A