Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-07-22
VIII.


There came d sound from the
L street level. Calendar held up
q hand Of warning. Here they come.
Steady!!" he said tensely.
Calendar turned to the boat.
"Sheer Off" he ordered. Drop out
of sight. I'll whistle when l want
you"
AYE, aye. sir"
The boat slipped noiselessly away
with the current and in an instant was
lost to sight. Calendar plucked at
Kirkwood's sleeve. drawing him into
the shadow Of the steps. "E-easy," he
whispered. And, l say, lend me a
hand, will you. if Mulready turns
ugly?"
ooh, yes" assented Kirkwood, with
a nonchalance not entirely unassumed.
The racket drew nearer and ceased.
The hush that fell thereafter seemed
only accentuated by the purling of the
river. 1t was ended by footsteps echo
ing in the covered passageway. Calen-
dar craned his thick neck round the
shoulder Of stone, accommodating the
landing and stairway.
"Thank God!" he said under his
breath. II was right, after ALL"
A mans deep tones broke out above.
''This way. Mind the steps. They're a
bit slippery, Miss Dorothy"
"But my father?" came the girls
voice, attuned to doubt.
ooh, he'll be a%long-if he isn't wait
ing now in the boat"
They descended, the man leading.
At the foot, without a glance to right
or left, he advanced to the edge of the
stage, leaning out over the rail as if
~endeavoring to locate the rowboat.
'But, Mr.. Mulready"-
The girls words We're drowned by a
prolonged blast on the boatswain's
whistle at her companions lips. The
shorter one followed In due course.
"But what shall we do if my father
isn't ~here-wait?"
mo: best not to-best to get on the
Alethea as soon as possible, Miss Cal
endar. We can SEND the boat back"
"tOnce aboard the lugger the girl is
mine eh, Mulready. to say nothing Of
the loot"
If Calendars words We're jocular his
tone conveyed a different impression
entirely. Both man and girl wheeled
right about to face him. the n with
a strangled oath, the other with a low
cry.
1.-THE dcvil!" exclaimed this Mr.. Null
ready.
ooh, my father" the girl voiced her
recognition of him.
"Not precisely one and the same per-
son." commented Calendar suayely.
<'but-er-thanks, just as much. You
see, Mulready. when I make an ap-
pointment l keep it."
"yVe'd begun to get a bit anxious
about YOU Mulready began defen-
sively.
$50 1 surmised from what Mrs. Hal
lam and Mr.. Kirkwood told me.
Well?"
The man found no ready answer. He
fell back a pace to the railing, his fea-
lures working With his deep chagrin.
The murky flare of the gas lamp over
head fell across a face handsome be-
yond the ordinary, but married by a
sullen humor and scanned with indul-
gence-a face that seemed h~auntingly
familiar until Kirkwood in a flash OF
visual memory reconstructed the por-
trait Of a man who fingered over q
dining table with two empty chairs
for company. This, then, was he
whom Mrs. Hallam had left at the
Pless-a tall, strong man, very heavy
about the chest and shoulders.
"yvhy, my dear friend" Calendar
was haunting him, you don't seem
overjoyed to see me for all your wild
anxiety! pom my word, you act as if
you hadn't expected me-and our en-
gagement so clearly understood at
that. Why, you fool here the
mask of irony was cast-"did you
think for q moment I'd let myself be
nabbed by that zap from Scotland
Yard? Were you banking on that? L
give you my faith I ambled out under
his very nose! Dorothy, my dear"
turning impatiently from Mulready,
"where's that bag"
The girl withdrew a puzzled gaze
from Mulready's face Git was apparent
to Kirkwood that this phase Of the af-
fair was no more enigmatic to him
than to herr and drew aside a corner
of her cloak, disclosing the gladstone
bag securely grasped in one gloved
hand.
81 have it, thanks to Mr.. Kirkwood,"
she said quietly.
Kirkwood chose that moment to adj
vance from the shadow. Mulready
started and fixed him with a troubled
and un%friendly stare. The girl greeted
him with a note of sincere pleasure II
her surprise.
why, Mr.. Kirkwood! But l left yo'
at Mrs. Hallam's"
Kirkwood bowed, smiling openly a
Mulready's discontinue.
"By your fathers grace came VII
him." he said. "You ran away wltho'
saying good night, you know, anu ~
a jealous creditor"
She laughed eXcitedly, turning