The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-01-01
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CHAPTER XIV.
Taotinna

Z 'I, too, have a favor to ask of
you," she almost pleaded. Il am in
your power, wholly and inevitably;
but as an English gentleman, l beg
of you to keep-this :latter-a pro-
found secret from Ivan Meyer.
am strong again now. will co.
With a grave inclination of the
head she passed him, stepping firmly
on the dry turf. He watched her as
she made her way along the edge of
the stream by the little path that
led to Walso.
When VINEYARD reached Broom
haugh with rather poor basket or
fish upon his back, he was told that
Colonel Wright had also returned,
and was changing his fishing clothes.
When he came down stairs a few
minutes later, he found his chiel
waiting for him at the door OF lit
tie smoking room which was special
ly set apart for the gentlemen. The
old fellow looked grave, and, ignor-
ing Vineyards inquiry as to what
sport he had had, he motioned him
to enter the room, and followed
closely. Then the colonel closed the
door, and held out telegram.
VINEYARD took the pink paper, and
read aloud:
"Would suggest Mistley engaging
a valet whom 1 can recommend.
Marie Bakovitch is in England
The message bore only the in
itials ''M. L." and had been dis
patched from the Westminster
Branch Post Office. VINEYARD read it
over once for his own edif1cations
and turned toward his chief with a
smile. The colonel was standing
with his broad shoulders against the
mantle-piece, his eyes fixed on the
carpet. His hands were thrust deep
ly into his jacket pockets, and he
moved restlassly from one foot to the
other.
GAS usu;. {, said Mistley, still smil-
ing, as he tc:.k a seat on the edge OF
the table, ami carefully tore the tele'
gram into snail pieces-"as usual
with news frclu headquarters, tE.S
comes just toe late"
"How?" aske,; the colonel, looking
up rapidly.
'I had the ,easure Of meeting
Miss Marie BakoV:tch this morning. "
"You? Here?''
eyes. She had shot at me with
a very nice little revolver at dis
tance of about five yards, and missed
mel"
tsWhew-w!" remarked the colonel
Words usually failed him at a criti-
cal juncture. Mistley laughed as
he dropped the remains of the tele-
gram into the waste-paper basket
his usual laugh, which had little hi
larity in it, serving, nevertheless.
very we'll as a stop-gap.
''She was in the train by which
we came. l remember seeing her at
Kings Cross No doubt she is stay
ing at Walso. Privately, l think she
is little vague in the upper regions;
she did not appear to know exactly
what she was about, and-and it was
desperately poor shooting!"
The colonel tugged pensively al
his gray mustache, while his kindly
eyes rested with an expression OF
wonder on his companions face.
'Now that I come to thinF Of it,
he said, slowly, when l drove .-our
mother and Mrs. Wright into Walso
tho other Gay, I saw a foreign-look-
fellow who looked like a Scandina-
Wan. The ladies were in a shop and
I was waiting outside"
'fThe foreign-looking girl wca
Marie Dakoyitch," said VINEYARD,
partly to himself lie was slowly
stroking Adonis with a soft pressure
of his slim brown hand on the shag-
gy head. ''If," he continued, after
long pause-''If it had only been
man, the whole affair would have
been intensely funny; but, somehow,
since 1 have seen the girl, the humor
of the thing has vanished"
Lena and Charlie, passing the open
window at that moment, heard Win
yards remark. There was no mis-
taking the neat enunciation, no mis-
conception of the meaning, and as
they passed on, each wondered a lit
tie over those words caught on the
wing.
Presently the colonel walked to
the window, still pondering over the
event just related to him. Then,
without looking around, he asked:
''Will you have this valet?''
mo, thank you, ] do not believe
in that system, for one reason; and
require no one to protect me from
q girl, for another"
Then the colonel turned sharply
round and faced his companion.
'Who was the man 1 saw with
her?"
81 was wondering" replied Win
yard, adroitly.
II think" continued the colonel,
while his kindly eyes acquired new
keenness, Il think-I will go and
see-Marie Bakovitch.''
"No!" exclaimed VINEYARD, incau-
tiously; ''you must not do that"
Then there followed rather an
awkward silence between these two
men who knew each other so we'll.
The younger busted himself with
Adonis, while the colonel looked on
with a misty look about the eyes.
you must think me a great du1-
fer, my boy" he said at length
little grimly.
VINEYARD shook his head, but did
not look up.
"I am afraid" continued the Old
soldier, that I must be one or /
should have suspected it before.
Now-when it might have baen-too
late, l see it all. That first letter
from the Society of Patriots