Evening star., 1912-11-21
CHAPTER XXIX-Continued.


Have advance news highest authority
will be announced tomorrow, Friday. and
will be unfavorable. Prices sure to break
violently as soon as decision is known
This is our one chance to save everything
and close out with profit. Ask your au-
thority to sell $1,000 shares lndepenaent
Copper. Vital Importance to act before
exchange opens this morning:
did you get that, sir?"
There was a long pause while the chauf-
feur listened. nodding respectfully and oc-
casionally murmuring, 'Yes, sir" Ihen
he answered: II understand. sir. Five
hours will do the trick. If Baxter hasn't
acted by L it's all Off" He looked at
his watch. 1T isn't yet. I'll see that
Mr.. Robert doesn't get this cablegram
until after luncheon. Goodbye. SIR"
With a gesture of relief he hung up the
receiver. and. folding together the cable
gram and the code translation. he put
these carefully in his breast pocket.
Meantime Hester had been doing some
quick thinking. Here was the naughty
He was betraying his employer. he was
keeping back message that evidently
involved a fortune and that must be
acted upon before II o'clock. There was
erations or Supreme Court decisions to see
the importance of getting hold OF TINS
cablegram that Anton had just stuffed
into his pocket. That was in her line,
getting things out of pockets. and-per-
haps this piece of yellow paper might
help her play her own game. Anyhow,
she was going after it.
Thus resolved, Hester flew back silent
ly up the stairs. one flight, two flights.
and turning, came Gathering down again
with deliberate noisiness. as If for her
first appearance. and. entering the IL
brary, greeted the chauffer with look OF
well acted surprise.
''Oh!" she said, coldly.
Anton thrust his hands deep into his
pockets and stared at her, biting his mus
tache nervously. Then, without speaking.
he moved toward her slowly, until he
stood about a yard away. She faced him
steadily.
..You little deyilv' he said, hoarsely.
"Ive got a notion toto He began
to breathe quickly through dilating nos
trils, while his beady eyes burned on her.
ITO what?" she challenged him.
He reached forward quickly and caught
"See here. now. I'm going to talk to
you-straight." He drew her close to
him, so close that he could feel every line
of her 1.-THE, slim figure. You know What
I said last night. kid. Wen; | meant II.
I'm crazy about you, and, by God. I'm
going to get something out Of this" He
held her, struggling against him. and
pressed his mouth down upon her unw1ll-
ing lips. - a.
post that letter to Scotland Yard?''
'@Why-er-no." he answered, and she
knew that he was lying by the way his
eyes shifted.
once more, mad with desire. the chauf-
feur tried to kiss her, but with sudden
effort Hester freed herself and darted to-
ward the door.
Il guess you've made trouble enough for
one day. Mr.. Anton she laughed, mock
land Yard detective shows up here today
it's you he'll take away, not me-.
1t was an empty threat, but she made
it bravely as she tripped away, and.
somehow. her words filled Anton with a
vague foreboding.
Damn that girl" he muttered, as he
strode toward the garage. And presently
his anger changed to black rage when. on
searching in his pocket for Baxter's i'm
portant cablegram, he found that it was
gone. Little liar! She had tricked him
again. She had let him kiss her with the
deliberate purpose of stealing those pa
pers, and then she had laughed at him.
Very we'll: he would show her. He was
glad now he had notified Scotland Yard.
He hoped they did send a man, and he
swore this Storm girl should pay for
what she had done. He would certainly
make her pay.
lowed Hester busted herself, as usual.
with the housework and the kitchen work,
trying to be diligent and good tempered,
and putting from her resolutely the temp
tation to flee from this place that might
soon be full Of peril for her. But as noon
approached she eyed the clock anxiously,
and at every sound of wheels hurried to
the window. There was a train from
London at twenty minutes to II. Would
Betty Thompson be on it? Would man
from Scotland Yard be on it? Would one
of these two arrive before the other, and,
If SO, which one?
Then she wondered what would happen
if a detective did come. After all, An
tons letter gave only a vague clue. No
name was signed and no names were
mentioned. Robert Baxter could tell moth
ing about the robbery. because he knew
nothing. And the Rev. Merle could tell
nothing for the same reason. There was
only Anton to be feared. and Anton
wasn't going to put himself under the
cold, investigating eye of an officer of the
law, not If the Storm girl sized him up
right and she thought she did. On the
whole, the situation might be worse,
still
Twelve o'clock, Half-past II! And no
arrival! Perhaps Miss Thompson wasn't
coming. Perhaps she didn't believe the
thing was important. And straightway
the impS of darkness whispered that this
was fate. She had done her best. she had
written the letter to Miss Thompson, and
now, if no one would help her. If no one
would take the money when she was try
ing to give 1t up-Why she had better-Sne
had better
At this perilous moment carriage came
crunching up the drive. and, glancing out,
Hester recognized Betty Thompson on the
back seat.
Well. that settled it. The hour had
come for the testing of Hester Storm. She
must go to Miss Thompson and make her
confession. She must tell this sweet
young woman. who had trusted her and
befriended her, that she was a thief, that
she had stolen the bishops purse. She
had better go quickly, while she had the
courage.
It was twenty minutes later when the
Storm girl, white-lipped. entered the Ii
brary, where the secretary was arrang-
ing in a dull green vase some yellow roses
that she had just picked in the conserva-
tory. She looked up brightly and came
forward with extended hand.
that believe in you. Your letter came
this morning at half-past 8. and at half
past / was on the train. Poor child.
you look-why you look ILL"
do I? Well. IL am not feeling any
too good.'
what is it? What has happened?
Come over here" With kind concern
Betty led her troubled friend to the
davenport. "You know I'll be glad to do
Hester sighed wearily. You can't help
me, lady, except to-believe what 1 say
wish me luck when Tve-gone"
You're going away
The girl nodded. Just as soon as l
can-this afternoon
"Oh! I'm sorry to hear that. I take
a great interest in you. II like you,
Hester"
The genuine friendliness OF her tone
GtrQf0 ha rt ~