The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1909-11-12
"There's an empty hanson at last,
By MRS. ALEXANDER.

/ ri am going on little further"
said Glynn. "But don't let me inter-
fere with you"
you; have no engagement I care to
keep" he replied.
; feWhy does he persist?" thought
Glynn. t'I am going to look in on an
artist friend near Tottenham Court
Road" he said aloud.
"Oh, very well; queer places these
fellows put up in. By the way. have
| had another report of our mutual ac-
| quaintance, Lambert. He is at st.
Louis. and has changed his name for
the third or fourth time"
Indeed! then you must have had
a telegram"
eyes, that is, our friends, Claude
and Co., have communicated theirs
to me. If Lambert begins to try con-
| cealment we'll find out something"
''I trust we SHALL" said Glynn, me-
chanically, his eyes greedily follow
ing the two figures, lamp after lamp
shedding its light upon them as they
passed.
It was an extraordinary situation
to be thus dogging the footsteps of
the quarry you wished to preserve
from your fellow hunter, and yet to
be unavoidably leading that hunter
on her track.
81 fancy you don't want me-" said
Deering, at last. eff So"
"Why should you think do not?"
interrupted Glynn.
''I can't exactly tell why" said
Deering, laughing, ''but I am sure l
am right"
Glynn was almost beside himself
with hope, dread and nervous ten
sion.
Another Islington omnibus drove
past and stopped. The two ladies
darted to it, exchanging hasty hand
pressure, and then the shorter of
the two mounted swiftly, and van
ished swiftly into the interior.
"Good night" cried Glynn abrupt
ly; ''the humble bus will suit me ad-
mirably."
Before his astonished companion
could reply he was beside the vehicle,
which was still standing, as a stout
and irritable elderly gentleman was
painfully disentangling himself from
among the tightly packed passengers:
If you had only let me out first,
he exclaimed angrily as he alighted.
Trouble you for threepence," in.
terrupted the conductor.
"Threepence! why, only got in at
Leather Lane"
"All right!-Islington!"
Another instant and Glynn occu.
pied the stout mans place-nearer
the door, but on the opposite side to
the lady he was following-and they
were rolling rapidly westward.
cat first he would not let himself
seem to see her, and by the light of
the omnibus lamp he could hardly
make out her features, so thin was
| the lace which concealed them. Sud-
denly he saw her start and draw her
cloak closer together with a nervous
movement. Had she recognized him?
Gradually, his eyes growing famil-
lar with the light and the texture of
| the veil, the conviction grew upon him
| that he was not mistaken, that it was
indeed Elsie Lambert.
At last he observed Elsie-yes, it
was Elsie-murmur something to her
next neighbor, who Immediately
called out:
Conductor, Chapel street for this
lady"
The omnibus stopped. Glynn kept
quietly in his place, but sprang out
the moment she had passed him. The
omnibus drove rapidly away.
The slight figure was but few
PAGES before him in a quiet street
| leading from the omnibus line. The
| longed-for, dreaded moment, had
come He walked rapidly past her,
| turned round suddenly and confront
ed her, exclaimed:
Miss Lambert Elsie; you cannot
wish to avoid me?"
She 5pped and put out both her
hands with a repellent gesture of
| helpless terror that touched Glynn's
heart with immense pity.
els it possible you fear me?" he
said, catching both her hands in his.
She was silent, motionless; but as
he almost unconsciously drew her
nearer to him, he felt that she was
trembling so violently that she could
scarcely stand.
do not fear, I will not betray you
to any one. I will help you if I can.
VIII you not speak to me? Is it the
Elsie 1 used to know"
With a long, quivering sigh she
whispered, "It is"
"Let me look at your face once
MORE" said Glynn in a low, intense
tone. Don't you know you may
trust me?"
sit is not for myself 1 fear" she
said in the same hushed, frightened
voice, as she yielded to The moi>-neut
| by which he drew her under lamp;
and loosening her veil, she lifted it,
| raising her eyes with their well re-
| membered expression Of thoughtful
| candor to his. How lovely they were!
With what rapture Glynn read in
| them the confirmation of her assur-
| ance that she was the same Elsie he
| had loved and lost. But she was
changed; the swee. eyes were unut-'
| terably sad, and the delicate cheek
was less rounded. The soft lips were
pale and quivered nervously, and the
| hand he still held was thinner. She
| seemed unable to suppress the eXces-
sive trembling that had seized her.
Glynn's whole soul went out to her
in love and trust; he could hardly re-
sist the impulse to clasp her to MS
heart, to shelter her against all Ill IN
his bosom. But might she not be the
wife of another man? Anything
might have happened during the ter
rible blank; and, above all, he must
win her confidence.
"Ah, yes, you are indeed the same
Why-why have you given US all this
sorrow, this fearful anxiety? Thinh
Of what your poor father has suffered