The San Francisco call., 1909-02-07


allowances for woman's nerves"
Beneath his breath the bewildered
man said. The deuce." and above il,
lin a stupefed tone. Mrs. Hallam"
She nodded in a not unfriendly
fashion. smiling brightly. Myself. Mr..
Kirkwoodl Really, our predestined
paths are badly tangled, Just now;
aren't they? Were you surprised to
find me in here. with you? Come now,
confess you werer'
He remarked the smooth. girlish
freshness Of her cheeks. the sense and
humor Of her mouth. the veiled CLEAN
of excitement in her eyes of the chang
ing sea; and saw. as well. that she was
dressed for travelling. sensibly but with
an air. and had brought a small hand
bag with her.
Surprised and delighted" he re-
piled. recovering with mendacity so in
territorial and obvious that the woman
laughed aloud
L knew-yOud be, You see.
I had the carriage ahead. the one you
didn't take. I was so disappointed
when you flung up to the door and
away again, You didn't see me hang
ing half out the window TO watch
where you went, did YOU? That's how
1 discovered that your discOurtesy was
unintentiOnal. that you hadn't recOg-
nized me-by the fact that you took
own
She paused invitingIy. but Kirk
wood. grown wary. contented himself
with picking up his pipe and carefully
knocking out the dOttle on the window
ledge.
II was glad to see you" she affirmed;
but only partly because YOU were YOU
Mr.. KirkwOOd- The other and major
part was because sight of you con-
frmed my own secret intuition. You
see. I'm quite Old enough and wise
enough to question even my own intui-
tions."
a woman wise enough for that is
an adult prodigy" he ventured eau
tiously.
It's experience and age. I insist
upon the age; I the mother OF a
grown up boy, So 1 deliberately ran
after you. changing when we stopped
at Newington- You might've escaped
me if 1 had waited until you got 70
Queensborough-"
Again she paused in open expectancy.
Kirkwood, perplexed, put the pipe in
his pocket and assumed a Fictitious
look Of resignation, regarding her as
kance with that whimsical twist of his
eyebrows.
For you are going to Queens
borough, aren't you. Mr. KirlxwoOd?
"QueensbOroUgh? % he echoed blankly
her drift. NO. Mrs. Hallam; I'm not
bound there"
Her surprise was apparent; she
made no effort to conceal il. But"
she faltered. IF not there"
"'Give you my word, Mrs. Hallam,
have no intention whatever Of going
to QueensborOugh," Kirkwood pro-
tested.
Il don't understand" The nervous
drumming Of a patent leather covered
toe, visible beneath the hem OF her
dress. alone betrayed a rising tide OF
tmpatience. Then my intuition was
at fault.'
In this instance. if it was at all
concerned with my Insignificant af-
fairs. yes-most decidedly at fault"
She shook her head. regarding him
with grave suspicion. 7 hardly know
whether TO believe you. 1 think e."
Kfrkwood's cOuntenance displayed an
added shade of red After a moment,
Il mean no diseourtesy." he began
stiffiy but"
But you don't care a farthing
whether I believe you or nOt2'
He caught her laughing eye. and
smiled. the flush subsiding.
Very we'll then, Now let US see:
Where are you bound?'
Kirkwood looked out of the window.
I'm convinced it's a rendezvous"
a
landscape.
rs Dorothy Calendar so very. very
beautiful, Mr. Kirkwood with "a
trace of malice.
Ostentatiously Kirkwood read the
Southeastern and Chathams framed
card of warning. posted Just above
Mrs. Hallam's head, to all such incura-
bic lunatics as are possessed Of a de-
sire to travel on the running boards
of railway carriages.
You are going to meet her, aren't
you?"
He gracefully concealed a yawn.
The woman's plan of attack took
another FORM Last night. when you
told me your story. l believed YOU"
He devoted himself TO suppressing
the temptingly obvious retOrt. and sue
ceeded; but though he left il unspOken.
the humor of it twitched the corners
OF his mouth; and then Mrs. Hallam
was observant. So that her next at
tempt TO draw him out was edged with
temper
Il believed you an American but a
gentleman; it appears that. if you ever
were the latter, you've fallen so low
that you willingly cast your lot with
thieves"
Having exhausted his repertoire Of
rudeness. Kirkwood took TO twiddling
his thumbs.
7 want TO ask you if you think it
fair to me or my son, to leave US in
ignorance of the place where you are
to meet the thieves who stole our
my sons jewels?"
Mrs. Hallam," he said soberly. IF L
am going to meet Mr.. Calendar or Mr..
Mulready. 1 have no assurance Of that
fact"
There was only the briefest of
pauses. during which she analyzed this;
then. quickly, But you hope tO?' she
snapped.
He felt that the only adequate retort
to this would be a shrug OF his shOul-
ders. doubted his ability to carry one
of; and again took refuge in silence.
The woman abandoned a second plan
of siege, with a readiness that did
credit TO her knowledge Of mankind
She thought out the next very care
fully. before opening with a masked
battery.
Mr.. Kirkwood. can't we be friends
this aside?"
Nothing could please me more. Mrs.
Hallamr'
I'm sOrrxr II I've aDpoxya5 30,