The Washington herald., 1912-06-09
CHAPTER u.
4 Lapse of Memory.

Lapse OF Memory.
~ ZANE sat at his desk, immersed
once more in the affairs of his
- great business. His cheeks
were bronzed with the sun and heather
scented wind. His eyes were clear and
bright. All traces of the unsettlement
of those few nervous weeks seemed to
have passed away. One thing only oc-
casionally disturbed him-the non-ap-
pearance of Winifred Rowan. Since
those few seconds of tremulous excite
ment when they had stood face to face
in the darkened room of the hotel, he
had neither seen nor heard from her
He could understand her having left
the hotel hurriedly. He could have un-
derstood her keeping away for a day
or~two. But a whole month had passed,
and she had taken no steps whatever to
communicate with him He had left
exact instructions at to what was to be
done should she come to the Office
while he was in Scotland. He had had
the whole of his private letters for
warded, lest by chance a word from her
should fail to reach him. There was
something a little ominous in this abso-
lutte silence. something which troubled
him occasionally, which set him think
ing, wondering, whether under that still,
quiet demeanor there might be qualities
of which he had taken no account
whether indeed she, too, were not a
Schemer who uneant to make the most
of this opportunity which chance had
thrown in her way.
4 4 = H. l.,
"a young lady is here to see you, sir, Z"
he announced-"M Miss Rowan.
Miss Rowan" Deane repeated me
chanically.
"Yes.. sirp the clerk answered. "We
have instructions outside to let you
know if she called at any time"
Deane leaned back in his chair. With
few quick words he dismissed his Sec
retary from the immediate business in
hand. You may show Miss Rowan
in" he said.
A moment or two later she entered
Deane watched her with a new curios-
ity as he rose to his feet. She was as
quietly dressed as usual, as pale, and
her eyes, except for one upward glance,
seemed always to be seeking the carpet
There was something curiously mega
tive about her appearance-something,
it seemed to him, almost willfully so.
The rich brown hair, which had flashed
almost golden in the morning sunlight
at Rakney, was drawn up and conceal
ed, as though the owners sole object
was that it might escape attention. Her
clothes were not unbecoming, but they
were the quietest of their sort Her
eyes, which should have been beautiful
were so perpetually veiled and hidden
that their quality was lost Both phys
ically and in her reticent speech she ap-
pealed to him more than ever that morn
ing as a woman whose desire seemed
to be to creep through life unnoticed.
AT last y he remarked, holding out
his hand pleasantly. Il have been ex-
pecting to see you for some time, Miss
Rowan"
''You have been expecting to see me
she repeated, raising her eyes to his,
How stranger
"WlTy stranger" he answered, glanc-
ing around the room, and lowering his
voice a little. Don't you remember at
our. last meeting you promised to bring
my tea a few hours laterl Since then,
have not even seen you, nor have you
sent me line"
She raised her eyes again and looked
at him. They were beautiful eyes, but
he did not understand the somewhat
blank expression, which shone out OF