Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-16

CHAPTER X111-Cont1nueo.
Evelyn fighting for the man she loved
was a very different girl from the proud
disdainful Evelyn. who. twenty-four hours
earlier, would have endured almost any
infection rather than flout her adversary
IN public dining room. She credited
Rosamund with the adoption of any petty
device to gain her ends. and felt that
Fairholme was just the man to be used
as a stalking horse
NO" he said. ''or rather. yes-and no.
I am anxious to know the truth. but
Baumgartner suggested that l ought to
accept your offer of reading the evidence.
Don't you see he has to consider the flu
ture bit
well, if Mrs. Laing stole letter in
his house. she-it's jolly hard thing to
say-but she must be warned of"
Baumgartner as a guardian of morals
was a new conception. Evelyn felt that
more powerful foe than Rosamund was
i'm the field. Her unimpOrtant romance
domain of politics. She must decide
quickly and decide right. In that vital
moment she realized that her postscript
to the Lochmerig letter might have con-
sequences far beyond their effect on War
den'S fortunes and her own.
Lord Fairholme," she said. turning so
that she could watch the slightest change
in the expression of his face. docs Mr..
Baumgartner strike you as man who
would go out of his way to interfere in a
dispute between two women"
Not unless there was money in It, -
said Fairholme. cheerfully.
Then why is he showing such. interest
now in a matter which he deliberately
closed at luncheon"
~ gave you his explanation. Even
Baumgartner likes to associate with peo-
pie of good character
mo. that is not the reason. Mr.. Baum
gartner is engaged at this moment In
plot against British dominion in West
Africa. You see that cruiser in the har-
Dor? Well. she is here to watch the Sans
Souci. You yourself heard today that our
steamer Why. when the Sans Souci is
at our disposal? I will tell you. The
British authorities believe that the yacht
will help. or further in some way. ma
tive rising in southern Nigeria. Now. the
letter In my possession. read by any one
who could extract its inner meaning.
would yield a valuable clue to the amount
Of information at the disposal of tie
home government. If you, without know
ing this. answered Mr.. Baumgartner 8
questions as to it's contents, you would
be doing the gravest injury to Great
Britain
by gad.' exclaimed Fairlolme
You can easily assure yourself that
all TOl cXd6&cTdtluS Tue ldCSS' IlCIC 10
the letter. Read 1t and remember what
have told Sou.
Fairholme pursed his lips and bent his
brows in deep mental effort. He held the
letter in his hand unopened during this
unusual and seemingly painful process
Then he gave 1T back to Evelyn.
mo, Miss Dane" he said, emphaticallY.
I'm far too candid an ass to be laden
with state secrets. Now, II you wouldn't
mind just pickin' out the bits that refer
IN ire OH olxinrin' all the n0lifi-
cal part, I'll be able to bounce old Baum
gartner for all he's worth
But l cannot. 1t is the political part
which proves that my letter was stolen. y
Same thing! Change the names. Turn
West Africa into Newmarket. an call the
emperor Lord Rosebery."
1.-The emperor" said Evelyn, surprised
at Fairholme's chance shot.
in every pie. an some of 'em have bin
jolly hot. Now. go ahead. II it's at all
awkward. leave me to fill in a bit about
the ditch mile an the EPSON gradients
that will bamboozle Baumgartner."
Evelyn did her best FatrhOlme was de-
lighted with Warden's description of the
baccarat and roulette incidents. but his
face heightened when he heard Rosa
munds illusions to himself Once Eve
lyn forgot his stipulation and spoke Of
the men of Oku."
"Oku." broke in Fairholme. where is
that?'
1T is a savage native state in West
Africa. That is the one name you must
not remember, Lord Fairholme.'
He did not interrupt again till she had
finished reading. Then she told him how
Peter Evans had brought her the ring
and the letter. and. finding him sympa-
thetic, she explained the extraordinary
chance that led to Warden's capture by q
Mohammedan fanatic at Rabat.
Funny thing!" he said, when she had
made an end. That chap Figuero joined
my steamer at Lisbon"
He is not here?" cried Evelyn, gen.
timely startled, for she feared Figuero.
Yes. he is. I fancy he's on board the
Sans Souci. didn't speak to him; l have
a notion that he didn't recognize me
, under my new name. We also picked up
port but they left us at Funchal. where
another ship took them on to the Cam
eroons. That is German West Africa.
isn't it?'
edge of this part of the world is Of the
vaguest. 1t dates chiefly from last
night
"When the naval Johnny was showing
you the map, / SUPPOSE"
But how do you know that?' she de-
manded. and another wave Of surprise
flooded her face with color.
Mrs. Laing and l watched you for
quite a time-the watchin' was invOlun-
tary on my part but she wouldn't come
4
| why. You will observe, Miss Dane. that
1 have bin the goat all through the pro-
| ceedins."
II can hardly say that"
mo, you wouldn't. But it's true. The
| only bit Of luck I've had is that l am
saved the painful necessity of bein' re-
| fused as a husband by Mrs. Laing.
came here to ask her to marry me-"
'Oh. / am SO sorry" began Evelyn,
but Fairholme's cackling laugh checked
| her.
, why sorry? You've done me a good
turn, twice over. an If I can do you one.
just ask In the first place, she would
probably have said No, and In the Sec
ond, where should have been if she said
Yes. In the soup. Ell, what?''
| Lord FairhOlme seemed to pride himself
| on his narrow escape. and gave Evelyn
! the credit of rescuing him. She protested
that If she had known he was really bent
on marrying Mrs. Laing she would neither
| have attacked the latter in his presence
| ments. But he refused to admit that she
! had conferred other than a favor on him
| and repeated his desire to serve her II
the opportunity offered. II came quickly
That night, when Evelyn was sound
| asleep, her room was entered and War
denis letter taken. 1t lay with the ring
and some other trinkets On a dressing
table. The door was locked and bolted
but the window was wide open to admit,
the sea breeze. and, although the room
| was on the third floor. and therefore some
! forty feet or more above the ground level
Ii was impossible that the thief could
have entered 1t except through the win
dow. That the letter alone was the oh.
4 -tx h. mob kl,r.A ~