Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-17

sisted. the hunchback stole round behind
and struck me on the head. l was giddy
for few moments. and when I came To
they had disappeared
.'Since them the marquis remarked IT
suppose You have met the young lady
more frequently"
Il saw her twice again., Hannaway
answered. land then she disappeared with
few days later we came back from Paris
on the same steamer. She was no longer
a street singer. She was a creature OF
another world. the world to which | had
felt all the time that she belonged. 1
made her acquaintance by chance. Since
then there is considerable interval
which l need not enlarge upon. because
the facts are known. Lord Eliingham.
to both of US. l discovered that the girl
was your stepdaughter: that you had
married her mother, Nine. de Lanson.
in Paris: that she was indeed. the daugh
ter of the woman who died in the house
at the Place Noire few weeks before
the raid"
The marchioness shivered a little. but
she did not speak. The marquis turned
his head and looked toward her She
smiled and nodded back at him.
THE girl is your stepdaughter," Han
naway continued. and directly YOU found
her out, or rather she found you out.
you. Of course. provided for her. had
hoped that before now she would have
become my wife"
The marquis raised his eyebrows. TIE
corners OF his mouth twitched with a
faint smile. My dear Mr.. Hannaway."
he said, III the favor which you are go
ing to ask Of me is my permission to pay
your addresses to my stepdaughter. can
assure you that in all such matters her
wishes are entirely mine"
Hannaway held out his hand. Lord
dillingham; he said. lit is not SO simple
a matter. You remember the hunchback
Of whom we have spoken"
Quite WELL" Lord Ellingham answered.
His devotion to Christine" Hannaway
said. seems to be one of those strange
who are in any way unusual. mentally or
physically. seem to be most capable of.
Practically since his boyhood he has
given his life for her. He has kept her
near starvation"
Il appreciate all that" the marquis
said, interrupting. Il will tell you some
thing. So fearful was he lest they should
be separated that he came to warn M
that she was in England searching 70
me. l was, in fact, on the point OF leav-
ing England. when some other person
brought us together"
cit was L." Hannaway admitted Il
knew for whom she was searching and
told her. You will not blame me for
that? There was no reason why l should
not Your secret l was guarding. al
though there was no reason whatever
why I should not have cried out TO the
world that the Marquis of Ellingham had
once been an habitue of a house of very
evil repute in low quarter of Paris. |
did not do that. | had no Thought OF do,
ing it. l was even glad that you had
been able to re-establsh yourself in the
world. Never whisper passed my lips
of the things l knew. nor did | in any
way bring myself to your notice.
1T is quite true the marquis ad-
mitted.
but with the girl it was different
Hannaway continued. Il saw her In
want. l knew that she would never take
anything from me. Naturally. having II
in my power, l showed her how to find
you.
Il have no word of complaint against
your behavior. Mr.. Hannaway, the mar
quis said. I'm fact. you have shown q
considerable amount of forbearance.'
Il want to return to the subject of tile
hunchback and his devotion. HannaWay
continued. What he suffered after their
separation / can. only imagine. Christine
herself was little cruel but even when
she did offer him the means to leave his
miserable life he refused almost herceiN.
Still he played his piano and dragged
himself about London, living God knows
how All the time he was watching her.
All the time, fancy. things were smolder-
ing in his mind One knows nothing. One
cannot even guess what such things may
mean'' he continued, dropping his voice
a little, but Anatoile. the Frenchman.
who came over most surely to rob her.
was found dead in her rooms, and
alone know-a knowledge / have never
shared with a single person-that. that
night Ambrose played his piano outside.
l am very sure that he has been in COM
munication with the other Frenchmen,
Marcel and Pierre. All the time there
has been something in his mind. He had
given his life for Christine. In way IL
was an epic. He had asked for nothing
from her save her presence. She was not
even kind to him. His life was one un-
ending sacrifice for her. When she left
him do you think that a creature like
that would accept his fate?''
Hannaway paused. His listeners leaned
a little forward. Both seemed deeply IN
terested.
(To be continued tomorrow