Willmar tribune., 1909-03-24
ILLUSTRATED BY
| R1 WALTERS
SYNOPSIS.

Three girls =. Elizabeth. Gabrielle and
summer there. On board steamer they
were frightened by an apparently dement,
ed stranger; who, finding bag belonging
,inizins "a photo photo Of 'fGh the trio. Elise M shared
her stateroom with Mrs. Graham. also
bound for Canada. The young women on
anxiousiy Awaiting her husband, who had
dueed to Lord Wilfrid and Lady Eaith
the % trio for sS tn the Sun summer: Elizabeth
learned that a friend of her fathers was
to call: Two men called, one of them
steamer. The girls We're mot at home"
but discovered by the cards left that one
OF. the men was Elizabeth's fathers
Blake and Gordon Bennett. The party
was told Of the search for smugglers in
the vicinity Of the cottage: Elise visited
Mrs. Graham, to find that her life was
Grahams and Lady Edith were acquaint-
ed. A wisp of yellow hair from Mr.. Gra-
hams pocket fel! into the hands of Elise.
a storm the young women heard crash
in the basement Of the cottage and a mo-
ment later Mary Anne, their woman serv-
ant, entered, her arm bleeding. TO as
sure them there was no danger, Mary
Anne descended to the basement alone
and quieted their fears. Lady Edith told
hs F's esans S foeGsy for s sa{s cf
gems, she left them in a safe at the cot
tage. Mr.. Gordon Bennett was properly
returned the lost bag and told Of mysteri,
with the cottage: Exploring the cellar,
TON, the exact counterpart Of which both
Gordon Bennett and Lady Edit were
found to possess, also. Elise, alone, ex-
3Fsa pa the there ee neveH Ma11 Anne snS
man. He proved to be her son, charged
with murder. The young women agreed
to keep the secret Lady Edith told q
story of lost love in connection with
the sphinx key.
CHAPTER VIIl.-continued.
could not think of anything to
say, for at critical moments my vo
cabulary always proves inadequate,
so 1 merely took her hand and stroked
it gently.
Il don't know why have told you
this" she said, "but you have all been
so good to us that we are no longer
strangers, nor even mere acquain
tances; and my heart is still so heavy
sometimes. We all have graves in
our hearts, we women. Yours has not
come yet, and l hope it may be long
deferred; mine is still green enough
to be painful when l visit it. For
give me, dear; you look quite sad
and, indeed, I am not worthy of sc
much sympathy"
"You are very brave" said, admir-
ingly.
Il do not show the white feather te
In <lok g. ~11 Dat %@n
about Mr.. Blake, whom I met here the
other day. Who and what is he?"
l could tell her very little, for Mr.
Bennett had proved uncommunicativt
about his friend, and beyond the fac
that he would be here for an indefinite
period l knew nothing.
But do tell me-" 1 remarked, a!
she rose to go, "has Mrs. Bundy heart
anything about her jewels?"
Not yet. Poor old soul, she i!
quite heart-broken. It is generally
believed a detective is in the hotel
posing as a guest, but he does no
seem to be making any progress.
feel perfectly comfortable about m,
few possessions, however, thanks t,
your goodness"
She went away then, and I sa
alone in the hammock, thinking of th>
two secrets I had learned that after
noon, and watching the glow of tn,
setting sun, which turned some sail,
pink and others pearly white, as tn,
boatloads of merrymakers sailed home
After a while Gabrielle and Eliza
beth appeared. rather the worse TO
wear, and inclined to be indignant
They had not enjoyed themselves: tn,
shops were no good whatever, Lad.
Edith had been unable to go, and ther'
had been some MISUNDERSTANDING, 70