Evening star., 1912-11-17

painted wall of the conservatory.
Hello. Yes, Mr.. Henderson" she was
saying, apparently absorbed in her tele-
phoning and quite unconscious that An
ton was present. Il understand. I'll re-
port tomorrow as usual. What? You
don't want me to call up I24 Chelsea? Oh,
see
AS she pretended to listen the girl held
the transmitter SO that she could watch
her adversary's face in the nickel plated
surface. 1t was evident that his surprise
and alarm were genuine.
Very well, Mr.. Henderson, she con-
Goodbye, sir" And hanging up the re-
ceiver she turned innocentIy toward An
ton.
OH she exclaimed. when did you
Gomez
He strobe toward her with an ugly look.
"Who were you telephoning to?''
No one i'll particular "a friend of
mime she answered, with simulated en-
harrassment
a friend named Henderson," he de-
She shook her head. you've got your
wires twisted. | don't know any one by
that name
You called up 724 Chelsea 1 heard
you.
well, what of it,
You said YOU were going to report
there tomorrow? What do YOU mean by
that
Hester looked him steadily in the eyes,
then, going close to him. she spoke, with
a semblance of concentrated anger.
If you think YOU me off on a
side track like this, little chauffeur boy,
let me tell you you've got another guess
coming. / want to know where is my
part of that money!
He Swore violently. "You know
we'll where it is
''What?''
You took the money. my share and
yours
so that's your game. That's the kind
of cheap skate you afe!' She seemed
to tremble with rage Remember what
l told you. You can't fiimfiam me. II
won stand for it
Her bosom heaved her nostris dilated
and her Spanish eyes burned on his so
iierce1y that the chauffeur hesitated Was
it possible she was on the level? Had
some one else taken the money?
There was nothing in that purse" he
said, sullenly.
You mean there is nothing in it, she
sneered. L suppose you'll show it to me
empty? Ha-'
1T is empty and it was empty You got
away with the stuff and ] know it,
How did L get away with it? You
wouldn't let me touch the bag or move
my hands. l suppose l took it with my
feet?'
Anton scoWled and was silent. II don't
know how you got it, but
Suddenly he caught her arm and drew
her sharply to him
Leave ME a one" she struggled
He held her in his powerful grip. and,
with buslnessi1ke thorouahnesS, proceed
ed to press his hands over her garments
until he had satisfied himself that the
bank notes We're not concealed about her
person.
Little devil, You've hidden it some
where and he pushed her from him saw
agely, glaring at her.
Iou-you- she tried to brave him
again. but the words failed her. He had
hurs her and shamed her with his rough
handling, and. frightened now, she shell
tered herself III a WOmanS last defense.
she burst into tears.
Nhereup0n Anton, manike, began to
weaken. After all he did not know that
she had taken the money from the purse
He had followed her quickly and found
her telephon ng-telephoning to Hender-
son. That was another queer thing. but
anyway. it always took him three or four
minutes to get Henderson, so she wouldpt
have had time to hide the money Be
sides, how did she get it? He had watch
ed her like a hawk, even while he was
kissing her. And it was true the golf ba <
had been four days at the clubhouse |
Many things may happen in four days
Say. kid. don't cry lie relented I'm
sore about the money, but-maybe You |
didn't take it,.
Maybe somebody got away with it at |
the clubhouse he continued.
''You-you don't believe anything l say
she sobbed
''We.l, you don't believe anything [ say,
do you? You think I took the stuff my !
self, don't you?" he retorted.
This seemed TO Hester the moment for |
a more conciliatory attitude and she |
agreed. still snifting and dabbing at her |
eyes with her handkerchief, that it was |
barely possible some one at the club had |
stolen the money.
But there's one thing I want 10 know,
grille. and l want ii straight" the chauf- |
feur insisted How did YOU happen to |
be telephoning Henderson just now?'
Hester dried her tears and smiled faint |
ly. Now she was the victim of her own |
What plausible reaso |
could she invent for telephoning to a man |
about whom she knew absolutely moth |
ing?
What do you care about Henderson," |
she laughed
Il care a good deal. Come now,' 1t /
was plain that Anton took this telephone
incident very seriously.
Henderson is "a party I'm WORKING |
for" she ventured.
Then YOU do know some one by that
name? You just said you didn't
She looked at him repfoachfully 4
work for him, do r.
what Kind of work do you do?"
She hesitated biting her lips. first the
lower, then the fun upper one, until they
We're red like cherries, and all the time |
trying to imagine what kind of work it |
could be that she was doing for Hender- |
son. If she only had some faint idea who |
Henderson was. What fool she had |
been to get herself into this tangle,
You know what the work is bow or |
you can come pretty near to guessing" |
she answered, with a wise dropping of |
the eyelids. |
You're making reports to Henderson?
Is that it? Don lie. i heard you on the /
phone
Hester clutched at this guiding straw |
We'll. what of it? When | came to IN |
pinsford II didn't know you and-it was |
IA chance to pick up some easy mo7ey'' |
She was feeling her way, WONDERING |
where this glib improvisation would lead !
her,
You didn't know me?'' he scowled. !
whats that got to do with il?
She leaned forward and patted his hand
payfully. Now, don't you be cross. An I
ton. You know the little fat man with
the brown derby hate
No"
Yes you do. The one who does busi |
ness for Henderson, the one who slut
terS."
Never saw him.
You didn't? Well. | saw him. The
day after | came here he got hold of me
at the lodge and-we had a walk. and
he said there was party named Hender-
son who wanted TO get line of Baxtar's
chauffeur-that's you-and-the end of it
was | agreed to telephone 72l Chelsea I
every day.
The devil you did, Anton was so dis
turbed by this that he thrust both hands /
into his name of black hair and sat si- I
lent.