Evening star., 1912-11-03

the aspect OF a man VINO was killing time ana
liked the task.
About ten o'clock he strolled toward the
Waverton place, using woodland path
that gave a short cut over hill avoided
by the road From the top of the hill he
could survey nearly the whole of the park,
with its lawns and woods sloping down to
Lake Champlain and, sitting on a tree
stump, he watched a high-powered motor
car speeding along the drive.
Claude Waverton was at the steering
wheel. Armand was by his side.
"Now,' thought Clancy, "if | was in the
tonneau, and leaning over the back of their
seat, there would be SO much French flying
about that one might fancy oneself in Lower
Canada
A hooded victoria crawling along the road
caught his eye. 1t halted at the lodge gates,
and after brief colloquy between its ocou
pant and the gatekeeper's wife, passed III
and headed straight for the house, while the
"Now, who in the world is that?" de
manded Clancy, almost with anxiety. "Mrs.
Waverton is not due here till four o'clock.
Surely, it cannot be Mrs. Delamar! Per
haps it isn't woman at all. I'll find out
from the driver after he has deposited his
fare"
He hurried down to the road, and waited
nearly twenty minutes before the victoria
rumbled back toward Saginaw.
"H! Are you passing O'Hara's?" cried
Clancy. "O'Haras" was the name of the
hotel.
"Yes, Sir, jump in" said the driver; for
by this time everyone in Saginaw had seen
or heard of Monsieur Brun.
mo, no, jump up-so, and Clancy was
on the box Within minute he had ascer-
tanned that the vehicle had brought from
the railway station no less a person than
Mrs. Waverton, "an' the poor thing divorced,
an all!' grinned the man.
as she?' grinned Clancy, his face creased
with merriment, while his very soul writhed
within him; for he felt that this unexpectedly
early visit presaged developments that he
could not control.
zone would ha thought he'd seen enough
of that husband of hers, she was that anxious
to be rid of him. But she isn't goin' to stay
here. l have to call for her in an hour, and
bring her back to O'Hara's."
"Ah, dat excellent O'Hara! Den I shall
zee de lady," said Clancy.
"Most likely, Sir"
1t was, indeed, more than likely. Clancy
was very angry with Doris Waverton She
was on the boards at least five hours toe
soon, and such contretemps would annoy
the most ph1egmatic of dramatists, let alone
a mercurial playwright like detective.
IN very truth, her arrival at The Dene had
wrought something akin to consterna-
ton When she alighted from the victoria,
and waited for a few seconds to consult her
watch and speak to the driver, distressed
footman had hastily summoned Rice, who
was regarded by the household as Waiver
tons deputy in matters that could not be de-
cided without instructions.
So the valet was just in time to hurry for
ward and greet his mistress as she entered
the hall. He noticed that she was dressed IN
black, and was instantly aware of compo-
sure of manner and perceptible stiffening OF
demeanor toward himself that were marked
1y absent during their last meeting. In fact,
Doris was now convinced that Rice was a
party to the fraud carried out by his en-
plover, and the belief had weakened her
faith in human nature.
as Mr.. Waverton at home?" she de-
manded coldly, and Rice fancied she placed
a sarcastic emphasis on the name.
ale is motoring about the grounds
Ma am, said Rice.
"Kindly send for him, or go yourself, and
tell him he must come at once. | shall wait
for him in the library
Without vouchsafing another word of ex-
planation, she crossed the hall. Her glance
fell on her own portrait, smiling from the
landing and bv a curious chance, the first