The Irish standard., 1909-10-16

sou anu Ao6O. IL am making trOu-
BILE now, by writing all this, it is there.
fore not to help Mr.. Van Torp, but be-
cause the impression I have had
about Logo has really frightened me,
/ for you. made such wretched fail
ure OF my own married life that
have some right to warn a friend who
seems to be en- the point of doing Just
the same thing. You have a right to
be sure that the man you marry Is
quite free, and that you won't sud-
denly meet lovely eastern girl of 20
who claims him after you think he is
yours; and your friend: has right to
warn you, If she feels sure that he is
mixed up in some affair that isn't
over yet IT,
4 don't know where Logo is, but If
he were near enough should go to
him and tell him what I think OF
course he is not in town now-uo-
body is, and I've only stayed on to
clear everything out of my house,
now that I'm giving 1t up. suppose
he is with you, though you said you
did not want him at Bayreuth! Show
him this letter if you like, for I'm
quite ready to face him If he's angry
at my interference. I would even
Join you in Paris, If you wanted me,
for have nothing to do and strange
to say l have little money! I've
sold almost all my furniture. you
know, SO I'm not such a total pauper
as usual. But in any case answer
this, please, and tell me that I have
done right. or wrong, just as you feel
about tt-and then we will go on be.
ing friends, or say good-by, whichever
you decide"
Lady Maud signed this long letter
| and addressed it to Miss Margaret
Dome, at Bayreuth, feeling sure that
1t would be delivered, even without
the name of the hotel, which she did
not know. But the Bayreuth post
office was overworked during the linn
| tied time OF the performances, and it
| happened that the extra assistant
through whose hands the letter passed
for distribution either did not know
that Miss Dome was the famous Cor
dova. or did not happen to remember
the hotel at which -she..was stopping,
or both, and it got pigeon-holed under
D, to be called for. The consequence
was that Margaret did not receive it
;lnsil the morning after the perform
ance Of "Parsifal" to which she had
taken Van Torp, though it had left
london only six hours after him; for
such things will happen even in ex-
tremely well.managed countries when
people send letters insufflciently ad-
| dressed.
Furthermore. it also happened that
Logotheti was cooling himself on the
| deck of his yatch in the neighborhood
OF Penzance, while poor Baralsa was
half-stihed in the police station. For
the yacht, which was very comfor.
table one, though no longer new, and
not very fast according to modern
Ideas. was at Cowes, waiting to be
wanted, and when her owner parted
from Van Torp after promising to
dine on the next day but one, 1t oc-
| CURED to him that the smell of the
wood pavements was particularly
| nasty, that it would make no real diff
ference whether he returned to Pin
neys at once or in two days, or two
| weeks, since the ruby he had left
must be cut before it was mounted,
and that he might just as we'll take
the fast train to Southampton and get
to sea for &c hours. This he did, after
telegraphing his sailing-master to
have steam as soon as possible; and
as he had only just time to reach the
Waterloo station he did not even take
the trouble to stop at his lodgings.
He needed no luggage, for he had
everything he wanted on board, and
his man was far too we'll used to hts
ways to be surprised at his absence.
The consequence of this was that
when Baraka's case came up the next
morning there was no one to say q
word for her and spiro. Mr.. Pinney
Identified the ruby Ito the best Of his
belief" as the one stolen from his
counter, the fact that Baraka had
been disguised in mans clothing was
treated as additional evidence, and
she and Spiro were sent to Brixton
Jail accordingly, Spiro protesting
IuSAE luuOCeuC0 all the Wllle IN elO.
quent but disjointed English, until he
was told to hold his tongue.
Further, Lady Maud read the po-
lice court report in an evening paper,
cut 1t out and sent it to Margaret as
document confirming the letter she
had posted on the previous evening;
and owing to the same insufaciency
In the address, the two missives were
delivered together
Lastly, Mr.. Pinney took the big
ruby back to his shop and locked it
up in bis safe with satisfaction and
a sense Of profound relief such as he
had rarely felt in long and honorable
life; and he would have been horri.
fed and distressed beyond words if he
could have even guessed that he had
been the means of sending an limo
cent and helpless girl to prison.
One thing more which concerns this
tale happened on that same day. Two
Well-dreSSed men drove I'm to the door