The Washington times., 1912-09-05

Miss Driscoll was the victim Of an hal
luctnation.
AS sold before. madam" she re-
peated. II am acquainted with all the
persons who stayed in the house last
| night with the exception OF yourself
| and the two clergymen."
Miss Driscoll, who had been staring
at the manageress very fixedly, and in a
somewhat abstract fashion for the last
| two minutes. opened her lips suddenly.
Ah!' she said. "the clergymen."
| The manageress now stared at Miss
| Driscoll harder than ever.
Yes madam" she said. "You were
| about to say"
Was IT. answered Miss Driscoll.
| Then I wasn't about to say anything:
| l simply remarked The clergyment' |
say again The clergymen' Pray, are
| the olergymen still in the hotel?''
| The manageress began to perceive that
! Miss Driscoll was a person of a GER
tain strength of will and of a decided
| character. Strange as the whole affair
was, 1t was evident from Miss Dris-
| coils manner that there was more In
1t than the manageress could yet guess
at or understand.
"The elderly clergyman" she replied,
"breakfasted at an early hour this
morning, madam, and took a car soon
! after o'clock for Kingsbridge. He left
| word at the office that his nephew, the
| disposed and was not to be disturbed
until 10 o'clock"
"Ah!' said Miss Driscoll did he?"
Miss Driscoll uttered these apparently
/ cant tone that the manageress felt
! alarmed. -
You don't think madam she be-
gan.
I'll dress I'm obliged to you for COM
| Ing to my room. Have the goodness
| to send me a cup of tea-and don't say
anything about what has happencd-Tll
speak to you about 1t again when I
The manageress bowed and went
away. feeling very uncomfortable and
| rot little alarmed. Meeting the
chambermaid in the corridor outside, she
| bade her call the young clergyman at
| once. and to tell him at the same time
| that his friend had left by the o'clock
| train. And having given this order,
she went into the room which the elder
| clergyman had vacated and gave It a
close inspection.
The inspection revealed nothing-the
room was quite in order so far as she
| could see. But giving 1t second care
ful examination, she was aware of a
| a dressing-table to the floor. She picked
II up and saw that It was scribbled
| over with names and figures. She did
| not understand what they meant, but
she put the paper in her pocket and
went downstairs to the office, still
highly mystified and good deal upset.
| Mr.. Ninion Baxendale, sleeping like a
| top in mis- room, became conscious. aft
| er a considerable amount of mental ef-
| fort, that some one was knocking loud
! ly at his door. He. got up at last, feel
ing very heavy and daZed, and admitted
| the chambermatd.
It's 10 o'clock, II you please, sir, and
your friend left word that yoL were
not to he called till 10, and was to So y
! that he'd gone on to Kingsbridge," said
| the chanlbermaid
| What the-oh, yes. all right. all
right said Mr.. Baxendale. He pulled
| himself together when the woman had
gone. and tried to think what this
| meant.
| There was something queer about It,
| After flVe minutes hard thinking he
concluded that Claye meant him to take
| a hint that thay must foregather al
Kingsb,idge later in the morning, and
he dressed and went downstairs.
Mr.. Ninian Baxerdale was a little IL
at ease as he made his entrance, and
forgetting that he was now clean
shaven, he raised his right hand tc
caress a moustache which was no long
er there. He wore signet ring on the
little finger OF that hand, and Miss
Driscoll, who had purposefy taken q
seat at table exactly opposite the
door, saw It. and felt a sudden ilIumina
ton Surprised out of herself she ut.
| tered four words: