The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-12

tciie5 VI i-uch HousSY dHG tlelr eject 1
upon herself, And now a fresh trouble
threatened her.
Promise me you won't send for the !
police" she whispered. II am sure Lady
Mallaby would not like TIT will make
such lot Of gossip
Il know. darling" he said regrstfully.
II wish / could avoid it-but il am
forced 10 DO so I must. 1t Is one Of those
disagreeable duties / cannot escape"
~ am quite sure 1t will be found
Rosemary went on earnestly. But IL the
police begin worrying in the house II will
be awful"
poor little girl" he said tenderly.
"But II Miss Craven insists. it must be
done|
why should Miss Craven come here
and make US all miserable?" Rosemary
cried, "She has been trying to poison
your mind against me. and might have
succeeded If you had not come straight
to me-"
''She win be going soon" he answered
AS long as she is my guest 1 must pay
her proper attention. but you know that
in spirid am always with you. and that
l am never happy till we are alone to-
gether-and shall never be completely
happy TIL we are married and alone by
ourselvesi"
Rosemary was silent She knew that
he had not taken her seriously when she
had told him she could not marry him.
He had asked her II she loved him, and
though her lips had wished to give him
the lie her eyes had betrayed her secret.
and then she could not resist nstening TO
his love and tenderness nor forget how
readily he foTgave her when she told him
the truth about Sidney Ffrench. Another
81 cha e.,
ment, though at the same time II broke
her heart and his.
Il am not worthy OF such love" she
murmured at last. IF you only knew
how wicked and easily led I am, you
would have only contempt for me instead
Of love-
Perfect love means perfect forgive
ness"' he said Nothing you could do
would rob you OF my love. Besides. you
have confessed"
But II there was something else she
went on, forcing a playful smile TO her
lips. would you forgive that?'
Anything, so long as you never led
10 me about your love for me-" he said
gravely.
Il shall always be truthful about that"
she began. then stopped. as the door
opened abruptly. and Laura Craven stood
there. with a fainst smile on her thin.
red lips.
Il am afraid I am interrupting tete-
a-tete." she said, slowly; but I have
! been looking for you Sir Douglas, and
KeZiah told me ] should find you with
! Miss Ffreneh IN her private sitting room"
She did not add that Reziah had rendered
the information with a readiness and a
certain pleased expression that had sent
an angry color TO her face.
II am quite at your service. Miss
| Craven" Sir Douglas said coldly. He
had taken a strange, unaccOuntaOle dis
Ike TO the woman whose bold brown
eyes were always seeking his, and whose
hand sometimes touched his own with
an apparently unconscious air
Laura looked at Rosemary with a
mocking smile Thanks. Then We had
better have our chat here, as II concerns
Miss French. and II is only fair that she
should be present"
Concerns me?" Rosemary faItered,
with trembling lips, and unconsciously
drew nearer to Sir Douglas.
Laura saw the movement and smiled
How she longed TO hurt this girl with the
pale, fOWeF-like face, and shy, shrinking
ways-to drag her down from the pedes-
tai where Sir Douglas had raised her,
and 10 crush her with the weight of her
own envy and hate!
YES she said, slowly, II have dis
covered how my pendant must have been
stolen The ivy outside my window IS
I dragged and there are marks on the
window sill / am sure the police Will
/ agree with me in thinking the robbery
must have taken place from the outside.
! by some one who climbed up
IT don't see how all this concerns Miss
! French" Sir Douglas said coldly, while
! Rosemary raised her hand to her throat
and held IL there with a little nervous
| gesture
because don't think the person who
came into my room could have done so
/ without some information from some one
| inside the house." Laura said. slowly.
/ and Miss French knows who II isl"
! Sir Douglas broke into a short, con-
temptuous laugh. He had guessed from
/ the very beginning that she had in some
4 foul way or other contrived TO throw
slur upon Rosemary's honesty, and his
/ blood boiled al the insult to the woman
he loved,
Before you go any further. Miss Cra-
ven" he said. gently let me inform
! you that your insinuation is ridiculous.
/ Miss Ffrench, to begin with, could never
| have any dealings with thieves AS my
mothers companion. she is far above
| suspicious of that description"
/ "Oh is she?' Laura sneered. Then
what about the young man who last
night was urging her to listen TO a plan
he had?"
Sir Douglas started and turned TO Rose
mary, whose face had gone whittier than
the winter roses on the table
You see. dearest how people get hold
Of the wrong end OF the tale" he said,
tenderly. Miss Craven imagines that
that man was the thief, merely because
he was talking TO you last night and
Used some ambiguous language"
| LauTa's face went lvid with rage. The
term Of endearment sent all her care
fully prepared sarcastic speeches to the
| winds
ASK Miss French who that man was!"
she said quickly Perhaps you think IT
was her brother. Of whom she has told
you"
ION the contrary. Miss French tells
me he is not her brother" Sir Douglas
replied. And before you continue this
attack on Miss Ffrench. let me inform
you that she is not only my mothers
companion, but my affianced wife as
| wei"
Laura broke into a plying laugh $50
she has cheated you very successfully.
| Sir Douglas 7 did not credit her with
such audacity as to LET you actually be-
come engaged TO her. But II may walt
The question now is whetI she knows