The Washington herald., 1910-08-15

in Washington street and tell Mr.. Fen
wick there that wanted him.
There ! stood in the chill daylight. shlv-
erins In my pale blue cloak. impetuousiy
changing the brazen lions head upon its
clapper. The outer door opened TO me
noiselessly as IL had done before, shut
ting as silently after. But the garden.
which had seemed picturesque and
dreamy under the kind sunlight. now
looked CHASTITY. disheveled. crumbling. as
II it had been deserted for at least 100
years. The inner door was a long time
in opening Just as I was beginning to
despair it swung cautious crack. 1 saw
the glimmer Of eyes. then Immediately
it was opened wide by a woman. the
same maid whom I had seen brushing
out the Spanish womans hair.
The Sonora Valencia?" l asked. feel
ing the mockery of my question. but
pressing forward in terror lest she should
not let me in. Her face had a set APP
pearance. She looked as II she hated
me. but she admitted me readily enough.
closing the door quickly upon me. There,
she held out to me a white envelope.
The outside was blank. enlgmatic as
the servants face, but from Il I pulled
a folded sheet of paper scrawled in that
bold hand which. like all other attributes
Of that woman. was unforgettable. Within
the paper was card. Upon the card
l read:
lynn sen he updarS+a,,,l, -, ,,.-e.-.,..
He wishes TO be rid OF me and he has
chosen the one way possible. l give you
back his words"
No signature, and the card was my
dance programme still with its little PEN
Gil. on the back ] read the farewell
Johnny Montgomery had made her. 1t
was I'm Spanish. Il am in love with an
other woman. Go away without me. I
am going back"
/ stood crumpling the thing in my
clenched hand and the first thought came
trembling words: oh cruel. cruel! How
could he say it," When I remembered
her passionate face and wild will I won
dered what love had done with her when
first she had read that card II a girl
like Laura BuTnet had tainted at a lesser
shock, what had a creature like the
Spanish woman done? And then the next
thought came. wiping out the memory of
the first. But there is nothing here 10
help Johnny MISUNDERSTANDING at
air.
The maids voice broke upon my be-
wilderment, harsh and grating. "Will the
senorita walk UP stairs?'
I turned to her in increasing amaze
ment. What might this mean? Was 1
after all to find my mystery's clew?
The senorita's ROOM" the woman ex-
planned. going before. and 1 followed up
the stair
1 thought 1 could have told without
previous knowledge that the house
had been deserted by its mistress.
The rooms which had been warn
as with the heat OF life were now death
ly cold, as IL they had been closed for
long time. The sweet. thick perfume
which had pervaded them had failed.
leaving only a dank smell OF old weighty
hangings; the very righteousness SEEM
ed 20 have disappeared out Of the pass
ageways and doors. every turn and IN
expected opening and winding OF which
I remembered through sheer terror.
At the door Of the private sala there
was no pause; the maid did not knock. No
need. was there, at the door Of an empty
room? She led me straight across the
anteroom and there in front OF the cur
tain stood the impassive major-domo. the
man who had led me there the first time.
He was as stil as a bronze. he did not
even seem TO see me, but stretching out