The state herald., 1910-02-11

Because if you Lad any reason"
said Mrs. Rushmore, following her
own thoughts, Il insist upon knowing
what 1t was"
We'll, now, I'll tell you," rejoined
Mr.. Van Torp, to save Margaret the
trouble of answering the futile little
speech, 'her husband didn't treat her
very well. There's not purer wom-
an in the six continents, Mrs. Rush
more. but he tried to divorce her. be-
cause he'd lost his money II he ever
had any, and she had none. and he
wanted to marry an heiress. How
ever. they automoblized him, or some
thing, in st. Petersburg last June
"Auto-what did you say?" inquired
Mrs. Rushmore.
KILLED by an automobile" ex-
planned Mr.. Van Torp gravely. 'But
now | come to think. it wasn't that.
He got blown up by n bomb meant for
better man. 1t was quite instantan-
eous. / recollect. His head disap-
peared suddenly, and the greater part
of him was scattered around. but
they found his pocketbook with his
cards and things. so they knew who
1t was. 1t was driven through some
body else's hat on the other side of
the street, wasn't it, Miss Donne?
Things must have been quite lively
just then. where 1t happened. / sup
posed you knew"
Mrs. Rushmore explained that she
had never heard any details.
Besides" said Mr.. Van Torp, in an
swer. though not quite relevantly.
everybody always calls her Lady
Maud instead of Countess Leven,'
which she has on her cards"
"She would naturally use the higher
title," observed Mrs. Rushmore rev.
erently
We'll. now. about that" objected
Mr.. Van Torp. I'm bound to say
think the daughter OF an English earl
as good as a Russian count, anywhere
west OF Siberia. / don't know how
they figure those things out at courts
when they have to balance em up for
seats at dinner party. OF course.
It's Just my impression, that's all, as
n business man. He's dead. anyway,
and one needn't make personal re.
marks about dead men. All the same.
II was happy release for Lady Maud.
and l doubt II she sits up all night
mourning for him. Have YOU been
out this afternoon. Miss Donne?"
He changed the subject with ex.
treme directness. and Mrs. Rushmore.
who was used to the dictatoriaI WAYS
OF lions. took the hint submIssively
enough. though she would have been
glad to discuss the relative and In.
trinsic values OF the designations
Lady Maud" and Countess Leyen."
But 1t was much more important that
the lion should be left alone with
Margaret as much as possible, and the
excellent lady therefore remembered
that she had something to do and left
them.
Il had little talk with Kral,nsky
before he left" said Van Corp. when
she was gone. HE says he'll meet
MS In Venice any time In the next few
days. He's Just going to run over to
Vienna In his sudden.death.cart for
"a hours; then he'll go south. he says.
lie ran me up to the hotel and
dropped me. dare say you heard
the toots. thought l saw Lady Maud
looking out OF the window OF your
room as ! got out"
Yes" Margaret said. But how do
you know that is my Window"
In the first place. I've counted the
windows. ] felt sort OF interest I'm
knowing which was yours. And then.
! often see your maid opening the
shutters In the morning"
"Oh!" Margaret smiled. "DId Won
notice anything unusual about Lady
Maud when you saw herr" she asked.
for she knew that he had good eyes.
Since you mention II. thought she
looked as II she didn't feel quite up to
the mark-pale. thought she was"
"Yes," Margaret said. She felt
III for n moment. and thought she
was going to faint But Il passed al.
most directly. and she insisted on 70.
ing for walk"
oh" mused Mr.. Van Torp. "ls TINT
e's ''hs H"H' ~ wan iHt OtNt
thing she could do. ! was telling you
about Kralinsky. He's not Levi Long.
legs after all. and I'm not sure he was
ever In the west
II thought It sounded unlikely"
Margaret said.
II asked him. Just like that. In n
friendly way. and he thought mo.
ment and made nm effort TO rocollcot.
and then he seemed quite pleased to
remember that I'd been Fanny and
he'd been Low Longlegs.' and that he
used TO whistle things out OF 'Parsifal'
by the FIRE OF nm evening"
"wcll-but In that case" Marga.
rot stopped with nm inaulrlng look
Just so." continued Van Torp. nod.
ding. Did you ever attend trial
and hear n witness being cfoss.oS.
amincd by lawyer who wants him to
remember something. and he wanta to
remomber IL hImnolf hut emit be.