Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-06

L stumbled TO my feet, 1eellng SICK ana d1zZy,
and upset the little table with my glass that
Jim had placed at my elbow. Sorry, Mary;
I'm always clumsy man., l said, forcing
laugh "1'll ask you to excuse me. must get
back to the office. l have to see Lord South
bourne when he returns. He's been out motor
ing all day"
"Oh, but you'll come back here and sleep"
Mary protested. You can't go back to that
horrible flat"
"Nonsense!" said almost roughly. There's
nothing wrong with the flat. DO you suppose
I'm a child or a woman?"
She ignored my rudeness. "You look very
bad, Maurice" she responded almost in whis
per as we moved toward the house.
l was acutely conscious that the others were
watching my retreat, especially that 1nqulsl-
tive little Vereker woman whom was begin
ming to hate. When entered the dusk of the
drawing room, out of range OF those curious
eyes, | turned on my cousin
MARY, for Gods sake don't let that woman
or anyone else speak of Anne in connection
with Cassavetti!" said in hoarse undertone.
"Anne! Why, what on earth do you mean?"
she faltered.
"He doesn't mean anything, except that he's
close at hand. He had followed us in from the
garden. Z" You go back to your guests, little
woman, and make EN- talk about anything in
the world except this murder affair Try
frocks and frills,-when Amy Vereker starts on
them there's no stopping her,-and if they
won't serve, try palmistry and spooks and all
that rubbish. Leave Maurice to me. He's
faint with hunger and inclined to make a fool
of himself even more than usual Off with
you'll"
Mary made queer little sound, which was
half sob, half laugh. IAN right. I'll obey
orders for once you dear, wise old Jim. Make
him come back tonight though
She moved away, slender, ghostlike little
figure in her white gown, and Jim laid heavy
kindly hand on my shoulder.
" Ruck I'D. Maurice. Come along to the din
ing room and feed, and then tell me all about
There's nothing to tell" persisted. but
guess you're right, and hungers what's wrong
with me-"
7 MANAGED to make good meal-I was
= desperately hungry, now came to think of
it,-and Jim waited on me sollcitously. He
seemed somehow relieved that manifested a
keen appetite.
That's better" he said, as declined cheese
and lighted a cigarette. when in difficulties
have square meal before you tackle EN-;
that's my maxim,-original, and worth its
weight in gold. / give it you for nothing. Now
about this affair. It's more like melodrama
than a tragedy. You know, suspect, that
Anne Pendennis is mixed up in it?
81 neither know nor suspect any such thing,
l said deliberately l had recovered my self
possession, and the lie, l knew, sounded like
truth, or would have to anyone but Jim Cay
"Then your manner Just now was inexplica-
ble," he retorted quietly. Nov, just hear me
out, Maurice; it's no use trying to bluff me.
You think l am prejudiced against this girl.
Well, I'm not. I've always acknowledged that
she's handsome and fascinating to a degree:
though, as l told you once before, she's CO.
quette to her fingertips That's one of her char
acteristics, which she can't be held responsible
for, any more than she can help the color of her
hair, which is natural and not touched up-like
Amy Verekers, for instance. Besides, Mary
loves her, and that's a sufficient proof to me
that she is o. X. in way. You love her too;
but men are proverbially fools where hand
some woman is concerned"
What you driving at im?" l asked.
At any other time l should have resented his
homily, as l had done before: but now |
wanted to find out how much he knew.
"A timely warning, my boy. l suspect, and
you know I'm very much mistaken, that
Anne Pendennis had some connection with this
man who was murdered She pretended last
night that she had never met him before; but
tween them. l saw that, and SO did you and
l saw too that her treatment of you was a mere
ruse-though Heaven knows why she employed
it! l can't attempt to fathom her motive. |
believes she loves you, as you love her, but that
she's not free agent. She's not like an ordi-
nary English girl whose antecedents are known
to everyone about her. She, and her father too,
are involved in some mystery, some interna-
tional political intri gues, I'm pretty sure,
this unfortunate Cassavetti was. l don't say
that she was responsible for the murder. /
don't believe she was, or that she had any per-