The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-04-09
CHAPTER TX.


~ Ei5HAo vi Oh f1AdlUdS FIcF.
On my way home through st. Aga
tha's ! stopped to question the two
guards They had heard nothing. had
seen nothing. How that girl had
passed them 1 did not know. I scanned
the main building, where she and Miss
Pat had two rooms, with an interven-
Ing sitting room, but all was dark.
Miss Helen Holbrook was undeniabIy
a resourceful young woman of charm
and wit, and went on to Glenarm
House with new respect for her
cleverness.
was abroad early the next morn
ing, retracing my steps through st.
Agatha's to the stone bench on the
blur with a vague notion of confirming
my memory Of the night by actual con
tact with visible, tangible things. The
lake twinkled in the sunlight, the sky
overhead was a flawless sweep of blue,
and the foliage shone from the deluge
Of the early night. But in the soft mold
OF the path the prints Of a woman's
shoe we're unmistakable I bent down
and examined them; 1 measured them
.-ungraciously. indefensibly, guilty
with my hand, and rose convinced
that the neat outlines spoke of a modish
bootmal1er, and were not apt to be ex-
planned away as marking the lightly
limned step Of a fairy or the gold
sandaled fight Of Diana Then 1 de
scended to st. Agatha's and found
Miss Pat and Helen lettering tranquil
ly in the garden.
They gave me good morning-NIiss
Pat calm and gracious, and Helen In
the spirit of the morning itself, smil-
ing, cool, and arguing for peace. De-
ception. as a social accomplishment,
she had undoubtedly carried far; and
/ was hard put to hold up my end of
the game have practiced lying with
pastmasters in the art-the bazar
keepers of Cairo, horse dealers in
Moscow and rug brokers in Teheraa;
but ] dipped my colors to this amazing
girl.
I'm afraid that We are making our
selves nuisance to you" said Miss
Pat. q heard the watchmeD patroling
the walks last night
Yes; it was quite feudal!" Helen
broke in. 4 felt that we we're back
at least as far as the eleventh cen
tury. The splash Of water-which you
can hear when the lake is rough
must be quite like the lap of water in
a moat But did not hear the clank
NO" observed dryly. lima
wears blue serge and carries a gun
that would shoot clear through cru
sader. The gardener is a ScOtchman,
and his dialect would kill horse
Miss Pat paused behind us to de
liberate upon a new species Of holly
hook whose minarets rose level with
her kind, gentle eyes. Something had
been in my mind, and I took this op-
portunity TO speak to Helen.
why don't you avert danger and
avoid an ugly catastrophe by confess
ing to Miss Pat that your duty and
sympathy lie with your father? 1t
would save a lot Of trouble in the
end"
The flame leaped into Helen's face
as she turned to me.
Il don't know what you mean! /
have never been spoken to by any one
$50 outrageouslyi" She glanced hur-
iriedly over her shoulder. My position
lis hard enough; it is difficult enough.
without this. l thought you wished
10 help US"
I stared at her; she was difting out
iof my reckoning. and leading me into
luncharted seas.
] DO you mean TO tell me that you
have not talked with your father-that
you have not seen him here?' l be-
sought
Yes: I have seen him-once, and
it was by accident It was quite by &C
cident"
Yes; | know of that"
Then you have been spying upon
me. Mr. Donovani"
why did you tell me that outrage
ously foolish tale about your chess
game when knew exactly where you
were at the very hour you would have
had me think you were dutifully en-
gagged with your aunt? 1t seems to
me. my dear Miss Holbrook. that that
is not so easy or explanation, even 10
my poor wits"
THAT was without purpose; really
1t wasi was restless and weary from
so much confinement; you can't know
how dreary these late years have been
for us-for me-snd l wished just
once to be free. went for long
walk into the country. And II you
saw me. II you watched me-"
1 gazeG at her blankly. The thing
could not have been better done on
the stage; but Miss Pat was walking
toward us. and put an end to the
talk.
Il came upon him by accident
had no idea he was here" she per
sisted.
You are not growing tired of US,