Evening star., 1909-04-11

morrow Perhaps, if he annoved her Sui-
ticientlv, she might explain .lat cryptic taunt.
GOULD he have seen letter that was
- brought to SpenSer room before dinner,
the telegram would not have been written.
Mackenzie rather incoherent with indignation,
sent hurried scrawl
DEAR Mr. SPENsER. A deuce OF thing has
happened To-day the date being three DAYS
old, :" | went out to lunch, leaving a thick
''eaded subeditor in charge l had not been
gone ten minutes when stage fairy, all trlils
and tiounceS, whlsked into the office and asked
for Miss Wynton's address. Ny assistant sue
cumbed Instantly He was nearly asphyxiated
with JOY AT beng permitted to entertain not
unawares, that angel of musical comedy. Miss
MIicent Jaques. His maundering excuse IS
that You yourself seemed to acknowledge Miss
Iaques' right to be acquainted with her friend 5
whereabouts. | have good reason to believe
that the frail youth not only spoke OF Maloggia,
but supplied such details were known to him
of Your kindness in the matter have cursed
him extensively, but that can make no amends.
At any rate feel that YOU should be told. and
it only remains for me to express my lasting
regret that the incident should have occurred :
This letter. Joined to certain lur1d statements
made by Stampa. had induced Spenser to ac-
cept Mrs. de la Eeres invitation. Little as he
cared to dine in Bowers company, it was due
to Helen that he should not refuse. He was en-
tangled neck and heels in a net of his own con-
tr1Nlng. FOr very shame sake, lie COulQ not
wriggle out, leaving Helen in the tolls.
SURELY there never was day more
crammed with contrarieties. He witnessed
his adversary's rebuff, and put it down to its
rightful cause. No sooner had he discovered
Mrs. de la Vere's apparent motive IN keeping
the girl by her side, than he was buttonholed
by the Rev. Philip Hare.
You know | am not an ardent admirer of
Bower" said the cleric; but | must admit
that it was very manly of him to make that out
spoken statement about Miss Wynton
What statement" asked Spenser.
"-Ah, had forgotten. You were not present,
Of course He made the other woman's hys-
terical out burst supremely ridiculous by saying
that he meant to marry Miss Wynton."
He said that, ehs"
Yes He was quite emphatic. | rebuked
Miss Jaques myself, and he thanked me-"
Everything was nicely cut and dried in my
absence, it seems
"Well-er-'
'The crowd evidently lost sight of the fact
that had carried off the prospective bride /"
"N-no. Miss Jaques called attention to 1t. :
"Guess her head is screwed on straight,
padre She made bad break in attacking
Miss Wynton; but when she set about Bower
she was running on a strong scent. Sit tight,
Mr.. Hare. Don't take sides, nor whoop up the
wrong spout, and you II see heaps OF tun before
you're much older"
Nightly incensed the younger man turned
away. The vicar produced his handkerchief
and trumpeted into it loudly.
God bless my soul!' he said, and repeated
the pious wish for he felt that it did him good,
"how does one whoop up the wrong spout?
And what happens if one does? And how re-
marka bly, touchy everybody seem to be. Next
time apply to the c. NJ. S for an Alpine sta
tion i shall stipulate for low altitude | am
sure this rarefied air is bad for the nerves"
Nevertheless, Hare's startling communica-
ton was the one thing needed to clear the
doubts that beset Spenser at the dinner table.
He had seen Mrs. de la We're enter Helen's
room when he left the girl in charge Of gestic-
ulating maid; but an act Of womanly sollcl-
tude did not explain the friendship that sprang
so suddenly into existence. Now he under
stood, or thought he understood. Mrs. de la
We're, hike the rest was dazzled by Bowers 5
wealth. After ignoring Helen during the last
fortnight, she was prepared to toadv to her in
stantly in her new guise as the chosen bride OF
a millionaire. The belief added fuel to the fire
already raging in his breast
THERE never was man more lovalto woman
in his secret meditations than SpenSer; but
his gorge rose at the sight of Helens winsome
gratitude to SO unworthy of it. With him,
now as ever, to think was to act.
Watching his chance, he waylaid Helen when
her vigilant chaperon was momentarily alb
sorbed in suggestion that private theatricals
and the rehearsal of minuet would relieve the
general tediun while the snow held.
Spare me five minutes, Miss Wynton," he
said 81 want to tell YOU something"