Evening star., 1908-01-12

very conspiracy she was denOunc1ng
She attributed his sudden gruffness to
distaste for hearing his exploits lauded.
AT any rate, you now understand my
motive for speaking SO plainly, Mr.; Roy,
son." she went on You may feel bound
L have no fault to find on that score; but
/ am quite certain, since l have learned
who you are. that you will not lend your
self to any discreditable plan which may
be in the minds of the remarkable pair
who are now looking at us, and wonder
ing, no doubt, what we are discussing SO
earnestly"
Royson saw that Won kerber and Mrs.
Haxton we're awaiting them at the door
of the postoffice; but the personal al
fusion to himself, which Miss Fenshawe
had dropped in parenthesis, as it were.
into her concluding sentence, demanded
a question.
Twill you enlighten me on the inter
esting point of my identity them" he
asked rapidly.
"Oh, yes. I take it that your Port
Said letter was opened and read. Mrs.
Haxton is skilled at jumping to con-
clusions, / fancy. She said she recog-
nized your name at Marseilles, when the
telegram arrived, you know,-bu if that
was so, it is strange that she should keep
the knowledge to herself until all OF us
were at dinner after leaving Port Said.
also can add two and two occasionally,
and have not the slightest doubt that
something in your letter gave her the
necessary clue. Was she mistaken:
In what?"
I'm the belief that you are the nephew
of Baronet and his heir?"
He laughed pleasantly. After years of
indifference, his birthright was pursuing
him with certain zest.
You could not have chosen a better
example of those half-truths you COM
plain Of, said he. Il admit that my
uncle is Sir Henry Royson; but he vowed
when we last met that should not be his
heir Yet the letter you speak Of was from
his solicitor, and it held out vague sug-
gestion of possibilities. which, to put it
mildly, would make Mrs. Haxton re-
markably good guesser.'
A silence fell upon them as they neared
the others. Irene disdained to use any
subterfuge, and Royson was far too per-
picked to branch off into a new conversa-
ton meant for the general ear. Mrs.
Haxton and the Austrian also broke Oft
their talk They were about to enter the
postofice, when Fenshawe came out.
Here YOU are!" he cried. Lots of
letters and newspapers. Take them,
Irene, and sort them out. lhe baron
and / must hurry to the Governors
house. We can read our correspondence
at the hotel"
Won Kerber had evidently profted by
his stroll with Mrs. Haxton. He raised
no objection, but went off at once with
the elder man Irene managed to open
the bulky. string tied package intrusted
to her. She gave Mrs. Haxton several
letters, and added to Roysons already
bewildered state by handing him three.
two being directed to him in his right
name, and the third bearing the super
scription Richard King, Esq
He knew that Miss Fenshawe had
noticed the alias. and took it as kindly
act that she passed no remark on it. He
was equally aware that Mrs. Haxton was
alive to the fact that there were letters
for him. Stump, who made his appear
ance at the moment, added a Whit of
awkwardness when he saw the envelops
in Dicks hands.
"Hello!" he growled, you've been
pretty spry. Letters. Ell? How did you
work it
4 am not able to tell you." was the
frank answer Evidently some one
in London discovered the yachts route
long before knew it myself
That's funny said Stump, with