Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-28

the telephone. But there remained the
secrecy of the postoffice. What harm If
she sent brief message to both the Green
Dragon and the Mitre Hotels-Marigny
would be sure to put up at one or the other
if he was in Hereford and demand his adj
vice? She hurried to the drawing room and
wrote:
Remaining Symons Vat Hotel tonight. Sup
pose you are aware of to-days developments.
F. is of gentleman you met in Bristol.
Wire reply. DEvAR.
She went to the hotel bureau; but SYM
pathetic landlady shook her head
The postoffice is closed. No kilograms
can be despatched until eight o'clock on
Monday" she said. But there is the tele-
phone"
1T doesn't matter" said Mrs. Devar,
crushing the written forms in her fingers as
though she had reason to believe they might
sting her.
She resolved to let events drift now.
They had passed beyond her control. Per-
haps a policy of mastery inactivity might
rescue her from the tornado that had swept
her off her feet. In any case, she must fight
her own battles, regardless of the cabal en-
tered into in Paris. Captain James Devar
was an impossible ally; the French Count
was a negligible quantity when compared
with an English Viscount whose ancestry
went back to the Conquest and whose es-
tates covered half of midland shire; but
| there remained, active as ever, the self in
terest of poor widow from whose despair
us it too later" she asked herself "Can
anything be done? Maud, my dear, you are
| up against it, as they say in America. Pull
yourself together, and see if you can't twist
your mistakes to your own advantage"
CYNTHIA, meanwhile, was enjoying her.
- self hugely. The placid reaches of the
Wye offered delightful contrast to the sun
baked roads of Monmouthshire. and, it may
be added, there was enough of Mother Eve
in her composition to render the proceeding
none the less attractive because it was un-
conventional. Perhaps, deep hidden in her
consciousness lugked doubt; but that was
successfully stifled for the hour.
Indeed, her wits were trying to solve a
minor puzzle. Her woman's eye had seen
and her quick brain was marveling at GER
tain details in Medenham's costume. There
are conditions, even in England, in which a
flannel suit is hard to obtain, and the manner
of their coming to Symons Vat seemed to
preclude the buying of ready made garments,
solution that would occur to an American
instantly. Yet here was that Incompetent
sible chauffeur clad in the correct regalia of
the Thames Rowing Club; though Cynthia,
of course, did not recognize the colors.
How did you manage it?" she asked,
wide eyed and smiling.
Il hunted through the hotels and met
man about my own size who was just off to
town" he said.
"But-there are gaps"
Il thought they fitted rather well. In
fact he was slightly the stouter of the two"
Don't be stupid. The gaps are in your
story. Did you borrow or buy?"
Il borrowed. Luckily, he was a decent
fellow, and there was no trouble"
did you know him?"
by name only"
do Englishmen lend their clothes to
promiscuous strangers?"
More, much more; they give them at
times"
She was silent for a few seconds. He had
persuaded her that oars were preferable to
sails on such still night, especially as he
was not acquainted with the shadows; but
he had not explained that if he rowed and
she steered he would be able to gaze his fill
at her.
What colors are those?" she demanded
suddenly.
Il ought to have told you that happened
to find member of the club to which | be-
1Ono - he cO,1ntared Then before che could