Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25

sunshine rejecting upon the water and a
blue cloudless sky above. For an hour
| sat upon gate bordering deeply. Then
l returned to the house.
There was, alas! no message. My heart
sank If he had received my wire, which
would have reached him before on the
previous evening, he would most certain
ly have replied.
Silence meant inability to respond. The
scoundrel Garshore had caused his ar
rest!
When the London newspapers arrived 1
searched eagerly for any mention of the
'Redcliffe Gardens Mystery" There was
but little, merely statement that the
police were In possession of a clue, and
that an arrest was only a matter of a
few hours.
In deepest anxiety / remained in the
neiEhborhood of the house until midday.
assisting Myra to pick flowers for the ta-
Bile, and walking with her father in the
rose garden. But no servant came out
with the familiar orange-colored en-
velope
What should l do? I could confide in
nobody, but act solely upon my own
initiative.
l had been drawn into that vortex of
doubt and mystery by reason OF my
firm friendship with a man who. though
an adventurer. was such for the pure love
of adventure. Illogical as it may seem,
Granny was an honest adventurer who
preyed only upon the scoundrelly finan-
cier the corrupt foreign statesman or the
promoters of rotten companies. To others
he was scrupulously upright, to the poor
even generous and to his friends firm and
unwavering.
With myself. I may as we'll at once
admit that there was no woman in the
twenty-one-an idyl with tragic
ending. for my well-beloved had died
suddenly of heart failure at a dance
had warped my affections and from that
day l had gone through the world with
heart hardened. preserving the memory
OF the one face that had been so very
dear to me-
AS regards means I was fairly well off.
and as regards birth l was justly proud
of that ilk." were descended from the
MacDuffs. Thames or Earls of Fife, one
OF whom had son Ralph. The latter.
obtaining grant of land in Renfrew-
Ralphs-toune. In process of time, ac-
cording to Lower in his Patronymica
Britannica. his descendants, continuing
on the same estate. wrote themselves De
Ralphs-toune. or, by softened pronuncia-
ton. Ralston.
that l had not married. But 1 was in
| the habit of airily assuring them that
was perfectly content in the freedom of
bachelorhood. In my erratic wandering
n6mlSDn6reS
had met many pretty and attractive girls
put l can only suppose that my mascu-
line blundering and blindness had pre-
vented the love microbe from attack
! Ing me.
How strange 1t is that we all, women
as Well as men, declare ourselves inyul-
nerable to Love. and yet sooner or later
we all. without exception. fall the vic
Tins of Cupid's darts! Even the most
vinegar-faced spinster OF our acquaint-
ance has. If the truth be told. suffered
once from the twinge Of the tiny arrow
shot by the cherub
Curious though 1t may be, at noon on
| that well remembered summers day
was heart-whole and a fervent adherent
| TO an easy bachelor life. Yet an hour
| later occurred an incident which changed
my whole being and babe fair to entirely
revolutionize my future.
| To luncheon that day arrived a Mrs
| Maynard. pleasant. gray-haired lady
with her daughter Elfrida.
They came over In their big red six
| cylinder Minerva" from Nation. where
| they lived and Elfrida was apparently
Myra'S greatest friend.
| AS she introduced me and I stretched
| forth my hand I was conscious of a slim
neat-waisted figure In an embroidered
gown Of white cotton and close-fitting
motor-hat and veil. The face, showing
| through the haif-drawn veil OF cham
pagne-colored silk. was the most perfect
| that l had ever seen. 4 pair of bright
brown. mischivpus eyes. a pair OF dim
pied cheeks, a sweet mouth and a brow
which showed high intelligence arose be-
fore me- My gaze met hers, and She
| dropped her eyes instantly. Upon her
cheeks was the faintest flush OF shyness.
| l took the little hand she offered. and
| its contact thrilled me.
], Philip Ralston the man who had so
| long prided himself upon his immunity
| from feminine wiles and establishments,
| was at that instant in love.
| / struggled against it. But l was al
| ready enmeShed.
| ! was actually in love.
(To be continued tomorrow