The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14

your fathers own lips that Mrs. Hal
lam was to pay him two thousand
pounds for keeping you out of England
and losing you your inheritance. I'm
inclined TO question, Furthermore, the
assertion that these jewels were your
mothers. Frederick Hallam was the
man who followed you into the
Frognall street house and attacked
me on the stairs; Mrs. Hallam admits
that he went there to get the jewels.
But he didn't want anybody to know 1t"
But that doesn't prove"
"Just a minute" Rapidly and con-
cisely Kirkwood recounted the events
wherein he had played part, subse-
Quent to the adventure of Bermondsey
Old Stairs. He was guilty of but one
evasion; on one point only did he slur
the truth; he conceived 1t his honor
able duty to keep the girl in ignor-
ance of his straitened circumstances;
she was not to be distressed by knowl-
edge of his distress, nor could he toll
crate the suggestion OF seeming to
play for her sympathy. 1t was neces-
sary, then. to invent motive to ex-
cuse his return to 8 Frognall street.
1 believe he chose to- exaggerate the
inquisitiveness of his nature and threw
in for good measure a desire to re-
cover a priced trinket of no particular
moment, esteemed for its associations,
and so forth. But whatever the fabri-
cation, it passed muster; to the girl his
motives seemed less important than the
discoveries that resulted from them.
"I am afraid" he concluded the sum-
mary of the confabulation he had over
heard at the skylight of the Alethea'o
cabin, you'd best make UP your mind
that your father"
"Yes," whispered the girl huskily;
70 hn win a
quivering muscle in the firm young
throat alone betraying her emotion.
TITS bad business" he pursued re-
lentlessIy: bad all round Mulready,
In your fathers pay. tries to have him
arrested, the better to rob him. Mrs.
Hallam, to secure your property for
that precious pet. Freddie. connives
at, II she doesn't fnstigate. kidnap-
ing. Your father takes her money
to deprive you of yours-which could
profit him nothing so long as you re-
mained In lawful possession Of It; and
at the same time-he conspires to rob,
through you, the rightful owners-if
they are rightful owners. And If they
are, why does Freddie Hallam go like a
thief in the night to secure property
that's his beyond dispute?
don't really think you owe your father
any further consideration"
He waited patiently. Eventually,
MOO" the girl sobbed assent.
TITS this way: Calendar, counting
on your sparing him In the end. Is
going to hound us. He's doing 1t now:
there's Hobbs in the next car, for
proof Until these Jewels are returned,
whether to Frognall street or to young
Hallam, we're both in danger, both
thieves in the sight of the law. And
your father knows that. too. There's
no profit to be had by discounting the
temper OF these people; they're as des-
perate a gang of swindlers as ever
lived They'll have those Jewels If they
have to go as far as murder"
"Mr. Kirkwood?' she deprecated. in
horror.
He wagged his head stubbornly, om-
inously. "I've seen them in the raw
they're hot on our trail now; ten to
one they'll be on our backs before we
can get across the channel. Once In
England we will be comparatively safe.
Until then 49,. But I'm brute
I'm frightening you!'
"You are, dreadful1y,' she confessed
In a tremu1ous voice.
Forgive me. If you look at the dark
side first, the other seems all the
brighter. Please don't worry; we'll pull
through with flying colors, or my
names not Philip Kirkwoodw
IT have every faith In you," she in
formed him, fawlessly sincere. when
I think Of all you've done and dared
for me, on the mere suspicion that
needed your help"
Wed best be getting ready" he
interrupted hastily. Here's Brussels"
It was so. Lights. in little clusters
and long, wheeling lines. were leaping
out Of the darkness and flashing back
as the train rumbled through the sub
urbs Of the little Paris of the North.
Already the other passengers were
bestirring themselves. gathering to-
gether wraps and hand luggage, pre-
pairing for the journeys end
Rising, Kirkwood took down their
two satchels from tAe overhead rack,
and waited, in grim abstraction plan
ming and contemplating against the
Vaccinations in whose wiles they two
had become so perilously entangled.
Primarily, there was Hobbs to be
dealt with; no easy task, for Kirkwood
dared not resort to violence nor in any