Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-06-10
Through a
WOn1an's Heart.
BY Sidney Warwick.
BY Sidney Warwick.
CHAPTER XVI. (continued1

anthony Strangways' behalf BonhOlt
was exceedingly anxious to find out
what there was suspicious, because he
was rather afraid of Anthony, after
his revelation that the woman calling
ht rself Olive Vanstone, who had been
stopping with the Ruthens, was,
whether she herself knew it or not,
Philip Hume's widow, and as such had
4 prior right of inheritance to the
comfortable fortune he was enjoying.
Anthony had been convinced that
something was happening - "some
queer game" as he had put tin this
house, and Bonholt Hume was begin
ming to feel that the suspicion was
correct.
He looked cautiously round, then
bent and put his eye to the keyhole.
He could see nothing, but he could
hear a voice, the doctors speaking
In a low, rapid tone to some one in
room just beyond the door, and that
some one was evidently not Ralph
Strangways, for the words he caught
with difficulty were:
eyes, this man has plainly come to
spy out about Ralph Strangways, for
all his plausible talk. There's one
thing-he'll find out nothing; he won't
find out that
Bonholt Strengthened himself sud
denly and made step from the door.
He had heard a footstep in the hall.
He turned quickly, going very red,
wondering if he had been caught
eavesdropping; inwardly raging, too.
If he could have caught the next few
words spoken behind that locked
baize door he felt he might have
something important to communicate
to Anthony.
Miss Strangways had come into the
hail. Bonholt could not be sure from
her manner whether she had actually
seen him with his ear to the door He
tried to cover his confusion by an ap-
pearance of unconcern, as overdone as
when weeks ago Stephen Ruthen had
caught him prying into a drawer in
his study.
How d'you do, Miss Strangways?
So long since we met. | felt | must
run down and see my dear old friend,
your father. Surely you remember
me. Mr.. Hume?"
She bowed slightly without extend
ing her hand She knew perfectly we'll
that this man and her father had
never been more than mere racing
cquaintances-and why was he loiter-
ing near that door?
The turf and men connected with
it were alike abhorrent to this girl,
who had been brought up in the at
mosphere of racing, who had seen so
much of it's attendant evils. 1t was
the turf that had brought her father
to the brink of ruin; it was this gam
bling fever, that was horror to her,
which had drawn this swarm of
racing touts and betting men to ho-
yer about this place trying to obtain
a glimpse of Ralph Strangways-
ghouls who would not hesitate to in
trude on a mans deathbed in their
eagerness to know whether a horse
COuIo L I'LL III q lclSO' w 40 NAAA0 AAAe1AA
here for that same purpose?
81 am sorry if the servant has left
you to wait in the hail. she said,
coldly.
''No; I've seen the doctor; he has
just gone to see if your father is
strong enough to see me, and | I'M
thinkingly strolled out after him."
Wont you wait for him here, Mr.
Hume?" She held open the door of
the morning room. And Bonholt
Tuning, went in again. If only he
could have heard the rest of the doc
tors words!
Thank you. l am sorry to hear
such bad news of your father" he
said, watching her face. believe me,
as an old friend, l sympathize
deeply"
Thank you,' she said. 81 must
ask you to excuse me, Mr.. Hume"
And the girl went away.
eff Ralph Strangways is living he's
muttered Hume to himself. He had
seen the tears start into the girls
eyes at his deliberate words, and she
had not contradicted him.
Margaret Strangways walked away
The note was in her hand that had
been left at the gate at the time Bon
holt Hume was asking for Mr.. Strang-
ways-an insolent note, unsigned, but
evidently written by the man who had
tried to wrest the key of the wall
door from her.
You and that friend of yours who's
so ready with his fists spoiled my
plans this afternoon, but I'm getting
bit of my own back, and something
over. You ask him how it feels to
be in Jail | expect he hasn't told you
that, nor who he is-no blooming
fear! So I'll tell you. He's Jack La
Thorn of Fellsgarth-wanted for the
murder of Philip Hume. hope you're
proud of your pal, and are glad to
know that because of you it won't be
so blooming long before he's quodded
again. I'm putting the police On to
him-that's where the laugh comes in
for met"
This threatening note had startled
Margaret Strangways UNNECESSARILY.
At first she had refused to believe
that there could be a word of truth
in the assertion it made; this dis
comfited scoundrel wanted to fright
en- her by some preposterous lies.