The Tupelo journal., 1910-04-22

Cruising till wanted" she read
quickly. RUBY found. Address,
yacht Erinna, Naples"
She heard Van Torp close his door,
though she had not heard him open it,
and turning round she found herself
face to face with him. Her eyes were
sparkling with anger.
Very sorry" he said. II couldn't
help hearing"
It's of no consequence, for I should
have told you," Margaret answered
briefly.
He argued well for himself from her
tone and manner, but he chose to
show that he would not force his COM
pany upon her just then, when she
was in a visible rage, and instead Of
stopping to exchange more words he
passed the two ladies hat in hand, and
bowling rather low, after his manner
he went quietly downstairs.
Margaret watched him till he disap-
peared.
II like that man." she said. as if to
to herself, but audibly. 6" cannot
help it."
Mrs. Rushmore was more than de-
lighted, but had tact enough not to
make any answer to a speech which
had probably not been meant for her
ears.
Perhaps" she said, you would
rather not go out just yet, my dear"
Margaret was grateful for the sug-
gestion, and they turned back into
their rooms
Meanwhile Van Torp had reached
the door of the hotel, and found Lady
Maud standing there with her parasol
up. for the sun was streaming in.
Il was waiting for you," she said
simply, as soon as he reached her
side, and she stepped out into the
street. Il thought you would come
down, and l wanted to speak to you,
for I did not get a chance last night.
They were both watching me, prob
ably because they thought l was ill.
and I had to chatter like a maybe to
keep up appearances"
"You did it very WELL" Van Torp
said. "If / had not seen your face
at the window when l got out of the
automobile yesterday I shouldn't have
guessed there was anything wrong"
But there is-something very
wrong-something I can hardly bear
to think of, though l must, until /
know the truth"
They turned into the first deserted
street thew came TO.
81 dare say l can give a guess at
what it is" Van Torp answered grave
ly. 81 went to see him alone yester-
day on purpose, before he started, and
l must say. if it wasn't for the beard
I'd feel pretty sure"
He had a beard when I married
him, and it was like that-just like
that"
Lady Maud's voice shook audibly,
for she felt cold, even in the sun.
shine.
81 didn't know" Van Torp answered.
THAT alters the case. If we're not
mistaken, what can 1 do to help you?
Let's see. You only had that one
look at him, through the window, is
that so?"
Eyes. But the window was open,
and it's not high above the ground,
and my eyes are good. He took off
his hat when he said good-by to you,
and 1 saw his face as distinctly as /
see yours. When you've been mar
ried to a man'-she laughed harshly
you cannot be easily mistaken
about him, when you're as near as
that! That is the man 1 married. I'm
intimately convinced of it, but l must
be quite sure. Do you understand"
"Of course. If he's really Leven,
he's even a better actor than I used
to think he was. If he's not, the re-
semblance is just about the most ex-
traordinary thing! It's true I only
saw Leven three or four times in my
life, but I saw him to look at him
then, and the last time I did, when he
made the row in Hare court, he was
doing most of the talking, SO 1 remem-
Der his voice"
There's only n difficulty" Lady
Maud said: Some one else may have
been killed last June. 1t may even
have been the pickpocket who had
stolen his pocket-book. Such things
have happened, or do in books! But
this is certainly the man you met in
New York and who sold you the stone
you gave me, is he not?".
ooh, certainly. And that vas at
the end of July, and Leven was killed
late in June"
Eyes. That only leaves a month
for him to have been to Asia-that's
absurd"
utterly, totally, and entirely impos-
sible," asseverated Mr.. Van Torp.
"One of two things. Either this man
is your husband, and if he is, he's not
the man who found the rubies in Asia.
Or else, if he is that man, he's not
Leven. / wish that heather girl had
been here yesterday! She could have
told in a minute. She'd better have
been here anyway than cutting around
the Mediterranean with that fellow
Logotheti!"
"Yes," Lady Maud answered grave
ly. But about myself Leven is
alive, what is my position meanI
don't really quite know where I am.
do II"
Anybody but you would have
thoughtof marrying again already" OBJ
served Mr.. Van Torp, looking up side
ways in her eyes, for she vas taller
than he. "Then you'd really be in a
bad fix, wouldn't you? But as it is, /
don't see that it makes much differ
oroo Tho pnop,c ucipU ,,ndor q fo1co