The Raymer enterprise., 1911-08-03
CHAPTER ". (contlnued).

40 0oauo uhl. 1fc hbheu lug uOWu
for the shooting-owns a country
place across the bay: Tanglewood."
"A very able man: I wish l might
have met him. What Of your.
self What have you been doing these
three years? Have you married."
I've been too busy to think Of
that. mean, till lately"
"Ahr'
Amber flushed boyishly. There was
. girl at Quain's-a guest.
But she left before dared speak. Per.
haps It was as we'll"
Why7"
Because she was too fine and
sweet and good for me. Rutton."
Like every mans first love-"
Tho elder mans glance was keen
too keen for Amber to disslmulate sue.
cessfully under II. You're right"
he admitted ruefully. It's the first
sure-enough trouble Of the sort ever
experienced. And. Of course. 1t had
to be hopeless"
why! persisted Rutton.
"Because-Ive half notion there's
a chap waiting for her at home"
AT homer"
I'm England" The need for con.
fdant was suddenly imperative upon
the younger man. She's an English
girl-half English. that Is: her moth.
er was an American, a schoolmate OF
Quain's wife: her father. an English.
man in the Indian service.
Her manner"
Sophia Farrell" A peculiar quail.
~, a certain tensty, in Rutton's man.
ner. forced itself upon Amber's at.
tention. "Why7" no asked. DO you
know tho Farrells? What's the mat.
teri"
Rutton's eyes met his stonIly; out
OF the ashen mask Of his face, that
suddenly had whitened beneath the
brown. they glared. aflre but unseeing.
His hands writhed, his fingers twisting
together with cruel force, the knuckles
gray. Abruptly. as II abandoning the
attempt to reassert his self.control. he
Jumped up and went quickly to a win.
dow. there to stand. his back to Am.
ber. staring fixedly out into the storm.
racked night. 81 knew her father"
he said at length, his tone constrained
and odd. "long ago. In India"
Hes out there nova political I
believe they call him. or something Of
the sort"
Yes"
She's going out to rejoin him."
What" Rutton came swiftly back
to Amber, his voice shaking. What
did you say?"
Why. yes. She travels with friends
by the western route to Join Colonel
Farrell at Darjeellng, where he's sta.
toned Just now. Shortly after came
down she left; Mrs. Quain had wire
a day or so ago, saying she was on
tho point OF sailing from San Fran.
cisco. Good Lord, Rutton!
are you M"
Something In tho mans face had
brought Amber to his feet, n prey to
ineIpressible concern: II was rs II n
mask had dropped and he were look,
Ing upon the soul OF a man In mortal
torture
NO" gasped Rutton, I'm all right
Besides" he added beneath his
breath. so that Amber barely caught
the syllables. ITS too late"
AS rapidly as he had lost he seemed
to regain mastery Of his inexplIcable
emotion. His face became again com.
posed. almost immoble. and stepping
to the table he selected a cigarette
and rolled II gently between his slim
brown fingers. I'm sorry to have
alarmed you." he said, his tone a bit
too even not to breed doubt In the
mind OF his hearer. ITS nothing seri.
ous--a little trouble OF the heart, Of
long standing, incurable-I hope"
Perplexed. yes hesitating to press
him further. Amber watched him fur.
lively, instinctlvely assured that be.
tween this man and the Farrells there
existed some extraordinary bond; won.
dering how that could be. convinced
in his soul that somehow the entan.
clement involved the woman he loved,
he still feared to put his supicions 10
the question. lest he should learn that
which he had no right to know .
and while he watched was startled by
the change that came over Rutton. At
ease. one moment, outwardly compos.
Cd, II absorbed In thought. the next he
was rigid. every muscle taut. every
nerve tense as steel spring. His
head jerked back suddenly. bis gaze
fixing itself hrst upon the window.
then shifting to the door. And his
fingers, contracting. tore the cigarette
In half.
"Rutton. what the deuce 10 the mat
A~e ~