Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-01
CHAPTER XII.
The Gray Lady.

The Shadowy form seen by Kate Glen
DENIM near the conservatory was no
phantom born of emotional excitement,
but flesh and blood creature, a keenly
alert sentinel, steaHhily waiting and
watching for a specific and serious pur-
pose.
For more than one Of the dwellers at
Ipping House thi; had been an important
day. To Betty Thompson it had brought
the suddenly revealed glory of a great.
deep love; to Lionel and Kate the first
delicious WhiSperingS of mutual passion
and the pain of remuneration; to Horatio
Merle it had brought humiliation and
Endorsement, and to this poor, soul
stifed girl, Hester Storm. it had brought
the opportunity to steal $4,000.
With her own eyes Hester had seen the
purse, it was there in the golf bag; she
had almost had it in her hands. Almost!
If that tumble-haired, shifty-eyed chauf-
feur had kept away she would have had
the money. And if Mrs. Baxter hadI
borrowed the golf bag, just at the wrong
moment, she would have had it. Hard
be different an1 she would land the
goods In the whole world she was the
only person who knew where this purse
was. all she had to do was to watch
the golf bag and wait for another chance.
THROUGH the long afternoon Hester
watched and waited in Betty Thompson s
chamber. showing an industry and zeal
in her sewing that Betty thought most
commendable. All this time the girl was
eyeing the clock wondering if. before
she finished her work, Mrs. Baxter would
return the golf bag. But no Mrs. BaX-
ter appeared, and at 6 o'clock she was
obliged to go Miss Thomson wished to
dress for dinner and-no she did not
need maid.
Hester walked slowly back to the lodge
considering what her next move should
be- Evidently she must act quickly for
some one else MIGHT see the purse. Some
one might already have seen it. Some
caddy boy, Or -hrs. Baxter herself
There it lay, down among TIE clubs. quite
un%uarded except by the darkness in the
bottom of the bag Hester's hope lay in
that lttle LAYER of darkness and in the
unlikeIihood that any one would search
there.
What would Mrs Baxter do with the
golf bag aftc~ she had finished using It =?
She would naturally return it to Miss
Thompson she would return it this
evening and Miss Thompson would nat
urallv nut it IN her chamber, lust where
II was this afternoon. there in the cor
ner nv the dressing table
md then what The Storm girls face
~ -kened and her hands shut tight. This
as no time for trifling with fortune
The OPPORTUNITY was hers now. this night,
but it might be gone tomorrow. She must
act at once. At once Before she reach
ed the lodge this decision had taken form
vaguely in her mind and, before she had
finished her supper it was clearly crystal
lzed she must do something before morn
irg Something! But what!
At a quarter before Hester heard the
rartine of an automobile near the lodee
gate and hurrving to the window she
watched Mrs. Baxter ard Robert as they
swept oast in the big. closed car the
younr man driving Stare she would
the agtated girl was unable to catch
sight of the golf bag, but she knew it
was inside the car. it must be there: in
a few moments it would be back in Up
ling House, where she might get tiff
she only could think how-later in the
night.
Later in the night! That meant enter
ing the big house secretly and lying in
wait until she could make her search.
She could look in the library. in the hall.
in the hall closet under the stairs That
would be easy, but suppose the golf bag
were not there? What If Mrs. Baxter
had brought it to her own bedroom or
to Miss Thompson's bedroom? Then
what?
(To be continued tomorrow