The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-27
(Continued.)

(COntinued)
Through all the talk, Vernon was
struggling to form some idea of what
her own course must be in view or
this sudden complication. The one
idea which emerged strongly was that
she must see Evelyn. She was the
one person who could help her. Eve
lyn was invited to the picnic the fol-
lowing day, and during lunch it tran
spired that Mrs. Bardsley had only
one spirit-stove. Vernon knew that
Evelyn had a very good one, of
special kind, and volunteered to go
over and ask her to lend it.
II don't think I dare bicycle, though
that would be the quicker way, she
said. But if anything went wrong,
and j were alone, I shouldn't know
what to do
II will take you there" said Jem
at once Il have business over at
Wishfeld. that ought to have been
done last week.
Yes. but what about getting back?
may not be ready to leave till six" .
'.AI right; I'll call for you at six"
Vernon's thanks were not very
hearty. She wanted to, think; and
though Jem was not talkative, she
would rather have gone alone upon
Sultana- However, she would not
hurt him by refusing. He had been
very good in teaching her to ride, in
trying to show her that he was sorry
for past surliness and wanted to do
better i ,@ig
Mrs. Bardsley's lips were sealed.
She had to consent to their riding off
together, for all the neighborhood to
see-with that secret business of his
at wishfield in the background What
possible business had Jem over there?
Either it was what she hated to
think of, or else he was just MAX
ing an excuse to ride with Vernon;
and that did not seem likely.
It appeared hours to Vernon be-
fore she was able to leave the table
and run upstairs to change. She
tore the letter from her pocket, and
SAT- down on the edge of her bed to
read it. with her heart beating in her
throat
''Amersham Hotel, Embankment.
My Own Girl
Don't think me a traitor to Gold
en- Ridge had. to, leave 1t. This
means life or death to me.
when your letter came. about that
young baronet. and your delight in
the place and the country, and your
conviction that your duty lay with
your aunt, I simply felt I couldn't
stick it,
Chapman is a good sort, and he
saw that / was. eating nay heart out
He said If, after all his years of faith
full service, he couldn't get in the
hay without me, 1t was a pity. He
gave the best-the only possible ad-
vice I must make my own position
clear
You are free--you may do as you
like-but at least you must not be
able to shelter yourself behind the
plea that 1 am not free man. There
fore l have come over to ascertain the
whereabouts of my so-called wife, and
set rid of her. once and for all.
Il know the name of the man with
whom she bolted, and I used to know
friends of his. i ought to be able
to get at things without much trou-
bic. once / start out to do it.
Il am mad for a sight of you
hungering, thirsting for it. All. the
journey. and here in London, 1 have
not seen a woman who could hold a
candle to you in my eyes. But 1 shall
not come-unIess you ask me to-
until i can come as a sutton for your
hand
But should you say tCome'-why,
then 1 don't suppose 1 could hold out.
Yours, as you know, in life and
death,
Lionel"
Vernon sat as if stupefied, holding
the letter in her hand. He was there
in London. bent on bringing things to
\ crisis. And. when this was accom-
Qlished, what should she do?
She had not the vaguest idea.
Lionel seemed to belong to a for
r1er state of existence. The English
coil. from which her race had sprung,
the English life, had engulfed her.
The only thing about which she was
certain was that she would not go
back to Golden Ridge
But Lionel was English, too. No
doubt he would rather live in England
with her than out of England with
out her. That made things easier to
conceive. He was evidently miser-
able, and craving for her. Then she
ought to marry him. But the idea
was not thrilling
Well. she had to consult Evelyn.
>hs could put the whole case before
1er. She had heard that church peo-
pie did not believe in divorce If
-. cuuid she give Lionel that reason
for refusal? And if she refused,
what would he do?
The tangle seemed hopeless. She
came downstairs looking quite jaded,
with marks under her eyes. Jem as