The Detroit times., 1910-05-12

hall door closed softly behind her
Aud Lady Altamont knew that she
was quite alone in the house with the
woman that she had used so badly
She hesitated just moment Oh the
threshold. and then entered the bed
room The figure on the bed looked
up at her with spechless astonish'
ment. but with no suggestion OF fear.
so YOU have come back again.
the invalid said We'll. so far as you
are concerned. you could not have ar
rived al a more fitting moment. j
am absolutely alone In the house, and
therefore you can do what you like
with me. II you murder me, nobody
will be able 10 place a finger on the
criminal. Ii is a fine opportunity OF
completing your desire, "
Something like a laugh came from
Lady Altamont's lips. She sat herself
down on the foot of the bed in the
most friendly fashion.
You need not be afraid" she said
The temptation Is past. and in any
case | would not benefit myself now
by your death You came and tried TO
get money out of me at a very criti-
cal moment when | saw a large for
tune in my grasp, and that stirred up
all the evil passions in my nature. L
have many of them, as you know"
I'VE both have, for that matter,
La Belle Atalanta replied, Il have.
So you thought TO get me out OF the
way once and for ever. | have made
up my mind TO pay you out when l
got well, but | see that you are not
so sure OF your fortune as you were.
Anybody would think that the police
We're after you from the expression OF
your face"
And so they are" Lady Altamont
returned 81 have been very lucky up
To now, but look as If had come to
the end OF my tether at last. l should
have been taken red-handed IL O'Brien
had not come along and warned me-"
You don't mean TO say that II Is
the old Berlin affair. after all this
long timer"
mo. II was you who were going
to start the Berlin people on my track
unless gave you as much money as
you needed. It's that Chicago mess
and Capt. Stone. He always swore
that he would be even with me. and
now he has come to England. That
Is why / made my way from my own
house into here. The Pinkerton man
may be at No. IA still, for all know.
can't pop out of the house, as 1t is
so close to my own. | came here to
ask IL you could find me some kind Of
disguise | daresay they have fetched
all your belongings from your lodg-
ings by this time. But tell me, why
is that old Susan allowed to have
these luxurious rooms to sleep in? A
mere servant like her"
She is not a mere servant, La
Belle Atalanta went on to explain.
"She is a half-sister OF Archibald Col
vile, of my husband, | should say
Thomas was a sort of clerk at one
time TO my husbands father. Why
Susan married him. goodness only
knows. But I daresay that Archibald
Colville managed TO bring that about
for certain purposes OF his own. But
you may retort by asking why be-
came the wife OF Archibald Colville.
Perhaps thought that he was richer
than he turned ont to be; perhaps |
was under the delusion that | had a
silly, weak old creature to deal with.
At any rate, we were both mistaken,
and | was not sorry TO go back to the
old life again"
Lazy Shl Nv
shoulders, hopelessly. A feeling OF
depression weighed her down,
What strange, Improbable uses
we have made of our lives" she said.
Without conceit, may say that we
are both handsome women. both clev-
er, and are full of audacity. And yet
you are getting a precarious living on
the stage, and | am a fugitive flying
from the police. | begin to think that
O'Brien was right after all when he
said that honesty pays best. He tells
me that he Ia going to try that line
himself in the future"
Il am glad to hear it," the figure on
the bed said. But you must not stay
here. Fortunately. all my belongings
have been fetched from my lodgings,
so that | can give you a nice yellow
wig, and a sailor hat with a veil to
Il. If you hang about here for an hour
or two, you can slip away from the
house in the dark and call cab. But
don't let old Susan see you in the
house; she is very prejudiced against
you, and may feel disposed to call in
the police. Fortunately she will not
be back for an hour or more, so that
shall be able 10 rig you out respect
ably. and put the finishing touches
on your makeup. Pull that trunk
over there as near to the bed as pos
sible, and | will tell you where to find
things"
CTo Be Continued)