The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-19

sign whatever. She intended to write to him again on hearing from him and to give him all details.
 But for his own part Athlyne had several reasons for not seeing Colonel Ogilvie in London. Knowing that the father might make some quarrel out of his coming to his home in false name he wanted to make sure of the daughters affection before explaining it to him. Besides there was the mat ter of continuing the fraud. meeting and any form of familiarity or even Of hospitality on either side was danger ous. He could neither declare himself nor continue as they knew him. He was known in London to too many people to avoid possible contretempts even if he decided to continue the alias with them and take chances, until he could seize a favourable opportunity. And as he could not introduce the old it would be wiser not to see him at all. When all was said and done the pain of patient waiting might be the least of many ills.
 All the morning and afternoon he thought over the letter which he was to write to Judy. He despaired of writing anything which could mean so much; and beyond that again he felt that he could say nothing which would be so important to it's recipient as the message of Judy's letter had been to him. How could he hope for such a thing! The letter. which just before the time of collection he posted with must trepidation. ran:
 My Dear Miss Hayes:
 Thank you very much for your most kind letter and for all that you have said and left unsaid. I too had a dull journey from New York and it seems to have fallen off; but it will brighten up again I am sure before long! I am glad you are all well. l suppose your party will re-unite after ncrf1 yints 1ou r1a at It is strange how we are all taking to motor cars. I am myself getting one. and I hope in the early summer to have some lovely drives. am looking cult thing to get exactly the one you want, and without such it is lonely work. Even going the upmost pace possible could not keep one's mind America that time I was feeling lonely and dull; and I have felt lonelier and duller ever since. But when I get my motor I hope all that will shortly if you and Mrs. Ogilvie do come over that you will honour my car by rid- ing in it. I shall hope to have some one with me whom you must like very much-you seem to like nice people and nice people seem to be fond of you. I greatly fear it will not be pos sib1e for me to see Colonel Ogilvie in London. for have to be away very shortly on some business. and I prob ably shall not be. back in time but am going up North in a few weeks-in my new car if it is ready-and I shall hope to see my friends. Perhaps Colonel Ogilvie and some of his friends will come for a drive with me. Won't staying when he leaves London. Please give. if occasion serves, my warm remem 1rance to all I have not forgotten that delightful conversation yxva ho fn1 a \ Ia no11 1nd Tell Miss Joy that wish we could renew and Continue it. Miss Ogilvie must be very happy girl to have, in addition to such nice parents who love her so much. an aunt like you so much her own age, SO sympathetic. so under standing. I cannot tell you how much am obliged to you for writing. I look eagerly for another letter.
 Believe me,
 Yours very sincerely"
 There he hesitated. He had meant never to write again the name Richard Hardy. Here the letter seemed to de- mand it. He had already thought the matter over in all ways and from all points of view and had, he thought made up his mind to go through with the fraud as long as it was absolutely But now when he had to write out the lie-as it appeared to him to be-his very soul revolted at it. It seemed somehow to dishonour Joy. Since he had looked into the depth of her eyes, scruples had come to him which had not lever before troubled him. It was of her. and of himself. to continue a lie. And so with him began again the endless circle of reasoning on basis of what was false
 A lie. little or big. seems gifted with At it's creation it seems to receive that vitality which belongs to noxious things. The germs which preserve disease survive the quick lime Of the nlAVna-nit and continue after the ssething mass of corruption has settled into earthly dust; and when the very bones have been resolved in@ to their elements the waiting germs come forth on disturbance of the soil strong and baneful as ever.
 Sometimes Athlyne grumb1ed to him. self of the hardness of his lot. It was too bad that from such little thing for the purpose of a self-protective fn- vestigation of lie, he should find him. self involved in such a network of de- ceit. Other people did things a hum lives. He had often done so himself; but nothing ever came of it. But now, when his whole future might depend upon it. he was face to face with an actual danger. If Colonel Ogilvie quar- relied with him about it that would mean the end of all. Joy would never quarrel with her father: of that he l felt as surely as that he loved her All uHhDOWI1 IO HIHlS0lI AtH1ynO ndQ an instinctive knowledge of character | Anyone who had ever seen him exer 1 ,ise the faculty would have been l by the rapidity of it's work | ng. The instant he had seen Joy he recognized her qualities. He had un- derStood young Breckenridge at a l glance; otherwise he was too shrewd | 3 man to trust him as he had done. | It is not often that man will entrust l the first conner in a crowd with a vaIu- | Dl0 horse. To this man. too. utter | stranger, he had entrusted his secret l the only person who now knew it on | he entire American continent. So also | with Colonel Ogilvie. He was assured | n his inner consciousness that that old | gentleman would be hard to convince | of the necessity for disguise. There | was something about his fine stern i ,ut features-so exquisitely modified in | lis daughter-and in his naughty bear | ng which was obnoxious to any form | ,f deceit.
 (To be Continued.1