The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-09-10
CHAPTER VIII


\ street level Calendar held up
q hand Of warning "Hers thsy comet
Bteadyp be said tenseiy.
Calendar turned % the bcat
"sheer on" he ordered. drop out
Of sight I'll whistle when want
you
AYE. aye. SIR"
The boat slipped nolselessly away
with the current and IN an instant was
lost 10 sight Calendar plucked at
KirrwOOd's sleeve. drawing him into
the shadow OF the steps. "E.easy." he
whispered. "And. say, lend me
hand, viii you, n Mulready turns
uglyT
"Oh, yes" aBsented KlrkwoOd, with
q nonchalance not entirely unassumed
The rncket drew nearer and ceased
The hush that fell thereafter seemed
only nccentuated by the purllng OF the
river. II was ended by footsteps echo.
ing IN the covered passageway. CaleB-
dhr craned hls thick neck round the
shoulder Of stone, accommodating the
landing and stairway.
THANK GOd" he said under his
breath II was right, after aliw
A mans deep tones broke out above
"ThIs way. Mind the steps. They're a
BIT slippery Miss Dorothy"
"But my fatherT came the girls
voice. attuned to doubt.
ooh. he'll be along--if he isn't wait
ing now IN the boat"
They descended, the man leading.
AZ the foot, without a glance 10 right
or left, he advanced 20 the edge Of the
stage. leaning out over the rail- az ~
ondeavOri 10 locate the rowboat
"But Mr. MuiFeady"-
The girls words we're drowned BY
prolonged blast on the boatsWain's
whistle az Der companions lips. The
shorter one followed Ia due course.
But what shall We DO n my father
isn't hero-waitT
"No; best not to-best 10 set on the
Alethea 90 soon 90 possible, Miss Gal.
endaF. We can send the boat back"
"'Onco aboard tho luRgeF the girl IL
mine en-. Mulready, 10 say nothing Of
the lOOtT
n Calendars words were jocular bis
tone conveyed a different impression
entirely Both man and girl wheeled
right about 20 fnco him, the one with
a strangled oath. the other with a low
cry.
'"rhe dewitt" exclaimed this Mr.. Mul.
ready.
"Oh. my fatherI" the girl voiced her
recognition Of him.
"Not precisely one and the same per.
son." commented Calendar suavely.
'but-er-thanks. just az much You
see. Mulready, when ! make an ap
pointment keep H."
"we'd begun 20 get q bit anxious
about YOU Mulready began defen-
slvely.
80 surmiscd from what Mrs. Hal.
lam aud Mr, klrkwood told me.
wellT
The man found no ready answer. lie
foil back a pace 10 the railing. his fea-
lures working with his deep chhgrin.
The murky fare Of the gns lamp over.
head fell across n face handsome be.
y0nd the ordinary. but married by
gullen humor aud scanned with indul.
gence-a face that seemed hauntlngly
familiar until KirkwOcd in a fash Of
Visual memory reconstructed the por.
trait OF man who fingered over
dining table with two empty chairs
Tor company. This, then, was be
whom Mrs. Hallam had left at the
Pless-p tall. strong man, very heavy
about the chest aud shoulders.
"Why. my dear friend" Calendar
was haunting him. "you don't seem
ovorioycd 20 sec me for oil your Wild
anxiety Pom my word, you act % n
you hadn't expected me-and our en-
gAgement 40 clearly understood at
that why, you fool" - here the
mask of irony was cast-"dld you
think for a moment ia lot myself De
nabbed by that zap from Scotland
Rard3 Were you banking on thatf ]
give you my faith I ambled out under
his very nOsoi Dorothy, my deaf"
turning impatiently from Mulroady,
ewhere's that baET
The girl withdrew q puHEled eaEe
from Aulready's face dt was apparent
20 KIrkwood that this phase Of TIE ~.
fair Waa no more enlgmatic 20 him
than 10 herr and drew aside q corner
u her cloak, disclosing the gladstone
bag securely graSped IN one gloyeo