Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-08

order. and Dorrison spoke to the sleepy
| station master casually about the train.
asked what time he would reach London.
whether the train was likely to be full,
| and other trif1ing matters
| The two men walked up and down until
| the train arrived: and the instant It
| reached the platform. before it had come
to standstill. Dorrison jumped into an
empty first-class compartment
| Tell 'em it's all right, Bertram. he
said as he threw his bag onto the rack.
laid his hat on the seat and settled him
self into corner. They hate having the
mail kept. Write me soon" and he drew
| up the window.
Broadstone spoke to the station master.
/ who signaled the guard. The latter had
| not even to leave his van. A fash OF the
| lantern. whistle from the engine and as
the train started Broadstone saw Dorrison
| sitting comfortably in his corner.
! But the first jerk Of the engine was
| scarcely felt before he was up again; and
| Selling his hat and beg. he took rail-
way key from his pocket. unlocked the
door on the opposite side Of the carriage.
swung out into the dark. held on long
enough to relock the door. and dropped
into the footway. where he lay down I'M
!! til the rest Of the heavy coaches had lun1-
bered and Numbered past him.
| Then with stealthy caution. having
| looked In all directions to make sure that
no one was about to see him. he crept
across the line. climbed the fence. and
! hurried away through the night In the
direction of Broadstone Towers.
"A clear and clean alfbi at this end he
thought, land no one can know what time
1 reach my chambers. thank heaven"
, Sadie had gone back to Eva very conf
dent as the result of her interview with
Dorrison. She had him now tight bound
In her power. In the face of the charge
which she could now prove to the hilt if
need were. he would never dare to open
his lips about anything. And the plan
she had formed was thus certain of sue
cess
Broadstone would be glad enough to
! hold his tongue. Self-interest would keep
him from giving any trouble Now that
the two men would be separated. the
camp sponge" was too paltry coward
| to be feared-to be even taken into. &C
count. indeed. She had good cause to be
more than satisfied, therefore, that she
had been caught in the act Of listening.
Eva was awake and asked her where
she had been. and the two were speaking
What can that be-" exclaimed Eva.
What's the time, dear?"
'Half-past ten-a little over. A carriage
has driven away"
Eva rang her bell and asked the serv-
ant what it was.
Mr.. Dorrfson has been called away to
London suddenly. my lady. and my lord
has driven with him to Culham," was
the reply.
Il wish he was never coming back
again. Margaret said Eva, when the
servant had left the room.
He may not be back before we leave
at any rate
Called away SUDDENLY said Margaret
to herself. when she had hidden Eva
good night. and was In her own room.
Have I frightened him so thoroughly?
Or Is there something behind?'''
She turned the questions over and over
in her mind. together with many others
which they suggested. Was he the kind
Simultaneous flight like this indicated
condition CT mind bordering on panic.
Was he man to give way to panic? She
found that hard to believe.
What reasons were there to send him
flying off like this? He might have gone
In order to concoct some other plan now
that this one had failed; but why that
same night? What could have passed be-
tween him and Broadstone after she had
left. to cause him to take this step? She
had told him to leave that night. 1t was
true. But was he 50 cowed that he had
obeyed her to the letter?
She held his life in her hands, and while
those cords. remained In her possession,
would make use of them. Was it impossi-
BILE that he would make no attempt to get
them back from her?
While she was thinking she heard the
Coll i0SC ICIuIAs duO tI0Il the DdCOny SHE
was able to see that, only Lord Broadstone
alighted from II. She watched him get
out. speak word to the coachman and
walk into the house: and then the brOugh-
am was driven round to the stables. She
kept her eyes upon 1t until it was out of
sight in the shrubbery which marked the
approach to the stables from the drive.
He is not in that, SO he must have
sone," she murmured to herself as she
returned to her room. Then she gave a
anf in toI,f v,cy 20 No
sure that Dorrison was not In the car
riage suggested a thought Assuming
that the start to the station was no more
than blind. and that .,E meant to re-
turn to the Towers secretly, where could
he leave the train?
She had a time table and she looked
up the train. The mail stopped at Gull
ham on signal and then again at West
chester 1t was timed to reach there at
II 30. Westminster was only ten miles--a
little over an hours drive and from two
to three hours walk. And that he would
run the risk of hiring any sort Of convey
ance was out of the question.
Still. there was the bare possibility that
he might make the attempt and she
would be prepared. She could not per-
suade herself that such q man would not
make at least one desperate effort to re-
gain possession OF the evidence SO deadly
and dangerous that which she had
forced from him.
Sadie had meant to keep her night
watch in any case. and these thoughts and
her genuine fear of Dorrison's cunning
and courage would redouble her vigilance.
She would act on the assumption that
some sort Of attempt would be made.
What would he do? If he had had the
means at hand. when she held him at bay
in the room below. he would have killed
her. She knew that. She had read it in
his face as clearly as though printed in
bold type. If she gave him the chance
that night he would do ito regain those
cords.
She. not Eva. was now the object of at
tack, and she laid her plans accorlingly.
CTO be continued tomorrow.)