Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-21
A Woman's Enchantnent s
By WILLIAM LIE QUEUX
by |.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES NnG<0n0<amHm0c>OASs
Copyright, Isoe. by william L. oueu1.,


of fresh Gloire de Dion roses sent forth
their sweet odor throughout the ROOM
ne meal was essentially coy and pleas
ant. Old Mr.. StapIeton was very well
on. and he disagreed with modern prog
ress He believed in keeping up the
same traditions as his father and grand
father had done before him. The motor
car was the only innovation at Stapletou
Grange. and that had been n necessity
owing TO its distance from the railway
station. Since the days of Elizabeth the
Stapletons had held possession of that
mouse and lands. and some of the silver
plate before US had been the property %
Roger Stapleton, early ia the sixteenth
century. The present head OF the house
was nothing IL not typical Yorkshire
gentleman, good rider to hounds. a
me shot, open-handed and generous-a
man iuil OF the pride OF an ancient race
and yet TO his interiors always affabie
and ever ready to render a poor man a
service.
His ancestry and his old port were the
two things he most priced OF the for
mer. though he bore no title, he had
every right to be proud. The family had
sprung from Nicholas de Stapleton, who
Is mentioned In records in the reign %
King John. and whose warlike son WAS
created Baron Stapleton In 1873
As We sat there. Myra, bright and vi
Nacious as she always was, cilatted mer-
rily with Ralph Garshore and myself, and
they were arranging n run in the car
over To flower show in York on the
morrow
My fellow-guest was. saw. very anx-
ious and unsettled. Ny unexpected ar
rival had evidently upset his plans what
ever thay had been. He was. Of course.
uncertain whether Granny had not ex-
posed him to me. and whether I. on my
part, would expose him TO, our host and
his daughter
He saw that his position had become an
exceedingly unsafe one. To the people at
the Hotel Cecil he had pretended to leave
for the continent. and had given an adj
dress abroad. whereas I had found him
living In quiet seclusion as guest at Sta
pleton Grange
looked at his dark face across the
table and wondered The countenance
was not an open one. The eyes were set
too closely together while beneath the
Well trimmed mustache was a iaard, cruel
mouth. the mouth OF man who was as
What would father and daughter think
II they knew the actual truth Of their
guests trickery toward Granville Cough.
or of his association with the notorious
woman, Lydia Popescu.
In that calm old English home. where
everything breathed the spirit of old
world solidity, and where the head of the
house was as fine a specimen of the real
gentleman as could be found between
Tyne and Thames they were entertaining
dangerous person unawares-a man
who did not hesitate to use 4 woman's
evil reputation for the advancement of his
own ends.
I could have risen, with the finger OF
scorn pointed at him. and denounced him
Yet was 1t wise? Would it act beneti-
cially to the interests Of the hunted man
now gone into hiding. or otherwise?''
To my host I was describing some OF
my journeys hither and thither on the
continent since our last meeting. when
suddenly he said:
And how is Granny Cough. the dear
old fellow"
.Garshore pricked up his ears. and
glanced quickly across at me.
oh! he is all right. just as merry a.
ever" replied airily 'Browses on
Nietzsche's works. as usual and Is full
OF quaint philosophy that's all his own
He was in London the other day and I
invited him down; But he didn't reply"
my host remarked.
He's gone back to the continent"
answered. He had some pressing bust
ness. ! think. for he left suddenly
Granny Cough" exclaimed Garshore,
interrupting. as he fixed his eyes upon
mine. do you mean Granville Cough?
Do you know him.
Why did he ask that question. ! won
dered. At that moment could not see
which he must be quite cognizant. Later
on I recognized the reason.
''Oh. yes, quite WE'LL I replied, and a.
the same moment Myra glanced at me
/ knew well what was passing through
her mind.
Cough is an old friend Of nine.''
added. I'VE often spend q good deal Of
time together on the continent" and. as
a further stab. said: quite recently We
were in Bucharest I assisted him in the
transaction Of some business with the
minister, Soutzo.
I saw that his brow darkened. / had
referred to q subject that was, to say the
least. an unpaIafable one.
That expression. though It only rested
upon him for single second, caused me
to resolve upon the course should pur-
sue.
suggestion into practice.
(To be continued tomorrow