The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-10-20


serves anything that his rival can do
to him. ! hope you may overhaul the
yacht, runalongside of her and show
Margaret the two, making love to
each other in Tartar on deck! That's
the least that ought to happen to
himl"
Thank you. like to hear you talk
like that. Capt. Brown will do his
level best, think. And now, tell me, "
he lowered his voice a little more,
is that man Leven, or not?"
Il am sure he is" Lady Maud an
swered, "and yet feel as if there ought
to be little doubt still. / don't know
how to express it, for it's rather an
odd sensation"
Il should think 1t might be! Is
there anything l can say or do? I'll
ask the man any question you sug
gest. I'm certain he's not old Levi
Longlegs, and if he's not Leven, who
on earth is he? That's what l should
like to know"
i shall find out, never fear!
know | shall, because | must, If am
ever to have any peace again. I'm not
very nervous person, you know, am
/? But it's more than | can bear long,
to sit opposite man at table, again
and again, as l shall have to, and not
be sure whether he's my husband,
come back from the dead, or some
one else!" She paused, and her nos
trils dilated a little, but Van Torp
only nodded slowly and sympathetic
ally. Il mean to know before | go to
bed tonight" she said, with a little
desperation in her voice. Il shall talk
to him till am sure of one thing or
the other. At table, cannot tell, but
If we are alone together | know | can
settle the question. If you see that
we are talking at the other end of
the deck, try to keep Mrs. Rushmore
and Margaret from coming near US.
VIII you?"
To Mrs. Rushmore's amazement
and Margaret's surprise, Lady Maud
made dead. set at Kralinsky all that
day, an attention which he seemed
to appreciate as it deserved. Before
breakfast was over, Van Torp had re-
peated to her what Kralinsky had
said about having formerly been in
innate with Leven, and Lady Maud
took this statement as basis of op-
erations for finding out just how much
he knew of her own life; she judged
that If he were not Leven himself, he
must soon betray the fact by his igno-
rance.
That was the strangest day she had
ever passed. She found 1t very easy
to talk to Kralinsky, as it always is
when there has been long familiarity,
even If 1t has been only the familiar
intercourse of domestic discord- He
knew many details of her life in Lon
don. That was clear after half an
hours conversation. She alluded to
the idle talk there had been about her
and Van Torp; Kralinsky knew all
about that and had heard, as he said,
some silly story about Leven having
found her with the American in GER
tain rooms in the Temple, and about
an envelope which was said to have
contained over four thousand and one
hundred pounds in bank-notes. He
politely secuted the story as nom
sense, but he had heard it, and Lady
Maud knew that every word of 1t was
true. He knew of Levens unsuccess-
full attempt to divorce her on that
ground, too, and he knew the num-
Der Of her house in Charles street
Berkeley square.
On the other hand, there were
many things of which he knew moth
ing, or pretended to be ignorant, such
as the names of her brothers and sis
tiers, her fathers favorite pursuits
and the like. But she understood very
we'll that If he thought she suspected
his identity under the disguise of his
lard, and if he wished to avoid re-
,&niton, he was just the man to pre-
- blank ignorance of some vital
fI@e>o1A after admitting his acquaint-
lA>(%No1 many others He had been
81 GtlGn1e. with Leven, to the last,
le SdIay Ieven had always written
o him votJ TN about his life, very
yittily so1 ~ but always without
balance ~ 1a<&; he had no bal
ance." Yes. ~ IN had been in
wxek aswas killed
md had seen IT. Ne previous
lay. Within a wee ~ ~ made a
'apid trip to New Yd1kpI0ace he
had now just retur had
crossed on five-day boato Nh going
and coming, and he named them.
Il am naturally interestedsln meet
ng any one who knew my husnag% 50
WE'LL" Lady Maud said, making 4 bold
lash at possibility. I'VE had many
differences, as you seem to know, ~ !.
dare say that If he could come -
to life and know the real truth, -
should forgive each other"
She looked up to him with a gentlD
smile as she said this, for she had
often felt it; and in that instant a
fash of light came into his usually
rather uncertain eyes. Her heart stood
still; she looked at the sea again d.
rectly, for she was leaning against the
rail; then she drew breath, as If from
an effort She had seen a look that
could only mean recognition. Leven
was alive and was standing beside