The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-10-06

eiai "ednlhS III the person to whom
ne has spoken chooses, or is able. to
understand them as they may be un-
derstood, but who Is quite safe from
being suspected of suggesting any
thlng II there is no answering word
or glance.
Lady Maud returned his look, but
her handsome face grew rather cold.
DO you know of any reason why
the marriage should not take place ?"
she inquired after a moment.
III l don't give any reason. am I
ever afterwards to hold my peace ~
asked Griggs, with a faint smile on
his weather-beaten face. "Are you
publishing the bans? or are we think
Ing of the same thing?"
Il suppose we are Good.morning. !"
she nodded gravely and passed on,
gathering up her black skirt a little.
for there had been a shower. He stood
still moment before the shop win.
dow and looked after her, gravely ad.
mlring her figure and her walk, as he
might nave admired very valuable
thoroughbred. She was wearing
mourning for her husband, not be-.
cause any one would have blamed her
II she had not done so, considering
how he had treated her, but out of
natural self-respect.
Griggs also looked after her as she
went away because he felt that she
was not quite pleased with him for
having suggested that he and she had
both been thinking of the same thing.
The thought concerned a third per.
son, and one who rarely allowed him.
self to be overlooked no less a man.
IN fact, than Mr.. Rufus Van Torp the
American potentate Of the great
Nickel Trust, who was Lady Maud's
most intimate friend. and who had
long desired to make the prima donna
his wife. He had bought place ad-
| joining Lord Creedmore's, and there
had lately been a good deal of quite
groundless gossip about him and Lady
Maud, which had very nearly become
scandal. The truth was that they
were the best friends in the world,
and nothing more; the millionaire had
| for some time been interested in an
| unusual sort of charity which almost
| filled the lonely womans life, and he
had given considerable sums of money
to help it. During the months preced-
ing the beginning of this tale, he had
also been the object of one of those
| dastardly attacks to which very rich
and important financiers are more ex-
| posed than other men, and he had
actually been accused of having done
away with his partners daughter, who
ing a panic in New York theater.
But his innocence had been proved in
the clearest manner, and he had re-
turned to the United States to look
after the interests Of the Trust.
When Griggs heard the news OF
Margaret's engagement to Logotheti
he Immediately began to wonder how
Mr.. Van Torp would receive the intel
ligence; and if it had not already oc'
CURED to Lady Maud that the million
aire might make final effort to rout
his rival and marry the prima donna
suggested such possibility. Van
Torp was a man who had fought up tC
success and fortune with little regard
for the obstacles he found in his way;
he had worked as cowboy in his
early youth, and was apt to look or
his adversaries and rivals in life eth
er as refractory. cattle or as danger
Gus wild beasts; and though he had
some of the old-fashioned ranchero'.
sense of fair play in fight, he ha6
much of the reckless daring and ruth
less savagery that characterize the
fast-disappearing western desperate
Logotheti, on the other hand, was
in many respects true oriental, su
premely astute and superlatively calm
but imbued, at heart, with a truly
eastern contempt for any law tina
CHANGED to oppose his wish.
Both men had practically inexhaust
ible resources at their command, ant
both were determined to marry tn,
prima donna 1t occurred to Pau
Griggs that a real struggle between
such a pair of adversaries would b.
worth watching. There was unlimite'
money on both sides, and equal coul
age and determination The Greek wa
the more cunning of the two, by grea
odds, and had now the considerably
advantage of having been accepted b
the lady; but the American was ia
more regardless of consequences t
himself or to others in the pursuit G
what he wanted, and, short of con
hitting a crime, would put at least a
broad an Interpretation on the Law
Logotheti had always lived in highl
civilized society, even in Constant
nople, for it is the greatest mistak
; to imagine that the upper classes {
Greeks, in Greece or Turkey, are q
all deficient in cultivation. q Van TORI
on the contrary, had run away frol
civilization when a half-educated DO,
he had grown to manhood in a con
munity of men who had little respet
for anything and feared nothing {
all, and he had won success in feel
where those who compete for it bu
it at any price, from lie to life.
Lady Maude was thinking of thes
? things as she disappeared from Grigg
| cioht for che uaS Iittla ofra i'll III.