Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-04

Believe me, l shall not care tuppence
if I lose"
'Oh, all right Give me your address.
I'll send you telegram about o'clock
tomorrow. You'll never see your fifty
any more
Never before in his life had Warden
acted the spendthrift, but any surprise
he may have felt at his own recklessness
was utterly dissipated when he received
Rosamund Laing's letter next morning.
Though its tone was studiously gOssipy
and cheerful, the tidings it contained
We're unpleasant enough to lend signifi-
canoe to the Americans dictum. Its In
nuendoes, whether Intentional or other
wise-and Warden was suspicious. for he
had not forgotten certain traits of Rosa
mund'S character-assumed a sinister as
pect when there was neither letter nor
telegram from Evelyn.
My dear Arthur''-wrote this unweI-
come correspondence suppose l may
address you in that manner after our
once close friendship-you will think that
marvels are happening when you hear
that / am at Lochmerig. The real mar
vel is, however. that | should have OBJ
tanned your address. Last evening Billy
Thring-do you know him?-by the way
he is now Lord Fairholme. since that sad
railway smash at Beckminster yesterday
well Billy Thring spoke of you He
means to cut you out with your little
governess friend. l don't blame you a
bit, for she is very pretty. but. without
telling tales. l would warn you that the
man who said that absence makes the
heart grow fonder was certainly not IA
connoisseur in wOman's hearts. Natu-
rally Fairholme flew south this morning.
and that clears off one of your rivals
temporarily. Still. there are others. l am
only chatting. of course. and l suppose
you We're chiefly amusing yourself at
Cowes and elsewhere. My presence here
is easily accounted for-I met the Baum
gartners at Madeira last winter. and they
invited me to their Scotch shooting. Isn't
B. funny little man? On the island
they used to call him by his initials. l.
D. Billet diamond buyer you know.
Now why did you leave me to fish out
your whereabouts by sheer accident?
when I shall see you. oh. 1 was nearly
forgetting. Recent arrivals included a
Herr Won Rippenbach and an old ac-
quaintance of yours, Miguel Figuero.
Isn't it odd that they should come here!
And "a little bird named Evelyn has
whispered that the men of Oku are max
ing ju-ju nearer home than the Benue
river Please keep out of it, for your
friends sake. and especially for the sake
of yours ever sincerely. ROsamund."
p. S.-Send Il line and shall give you
more news. r."
There was hardly word in that inno
cent-iOOking note that was not barbed
shaft Was it believable that Evelyn
Dane the girl whose eyes ShOne so d.
vinely while he intrusted to her willing
ears his hopes and aspirations, should
make him the butt of the ninnies gath
cred at Lochmerig? Yet that allusion te
the men of Oku inflicted stab cruel as
the thrust of an Oku spear. Who else
but Evelyn could have revealed his in
terest in the visit of the negroes to Eng
land? And who was this Billy Thring-
whose very name suggested inanity?
True. Evelyn had mentioned him as ono
Of he nf vNnt- t,,I h.
one very amusing" she had said t"He is
But there was no suggestion of friendli-
ness other than the ordinary civiiities of
life under the same roof. Again. why
had she not written, nor answered his
telegram? He laid no great stress on
these minor things. They became I'M
pOrtant only in the light of Rosamund 8
statements.
crossing the channel. Before Dover was
reached he had gone through identically
the same thought-prOcess as Evelyn her
self two days earlier. He found malevo-
lence In every line of Rosamund's epistle
1t was meant to wound. Its airy COM
ment was distilled poison, its assumed
levity the gall of Il jealous woman. We're
1t not for her wholly inexplicable and
confusing allusion to the Oku chiefs mis-
sion. he could have cast aside with a
scornful laugh her sly hints as to Eve
lyn's faithleSsness. Even then, puzzled
and angry though he was. he remained
true in his allegiance to his affianced
wife.
(To be continued tomorrow