Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18
CHAPTER XIX.
Not All About It.

Col. Harris sent in his card to Sir
Thomas Ryder. He had driven over from
the Langham in a hansom-holding taxi
cabs in even more whole-hearted abhor-
renee than before. He inquired at once
IL Sir Thomas was in his private sanctum,
and, If SO, whether he might see him.
Curiously enough. the chief. usually
quite inaccessible to the casual visitor
whether relative or stranger-received his
brother-in-law Immediately.
Hello, WILL" he said. by way of greet
ing, the way EngIishmen have Of saying
that they are pleased to see one another.
Hello" responded Col. Harris, In the
same eloquent tone.
And the two old boys shook hands.
Sir Thomas then resumed his official
chair behind his huge desk and motioned
his brother-in-law to an armchair close
by.
Have a cigar said the host.
Thanks rejoined the other.
The box was handed across, Havana
selected.
The cigars were lighted, and for quite
three minutes the two men smoked In 81
lence One of them had come here to ma
out how much of his daughters happl-
ness lay IN jeopardy; the other knew
Ill
his niece's happiness, the terrible abyss
Of misery which yawned at her feet
But both sat there and enjoyed their
cigars. They were dressed with scrupu-
lous care. in the uniform prescribed by
the world in which they lived as being
suitable for gentlemen of their position
and of their age-frock coats and dark
gray trousers, immaculate collars and ties
with pearl pins. Each wore seal ring on
the little finger of the left hand, and
81 toto
They might be twins but for their faces
Convention had put livery on them
which they would on no account have dis
carded.
But the faces were very different. Col.
Harris carried his sixty years as easily
as if thew had been forty There We're not
many lines on his round, chubby race,
with it's red cheeks and round, childllke
eyes. The heavy cavalry mustache, once
auburn now almost white hid the eX-
preston of the mouth, but one felt, Judg-
ing by the eyes and the smooth forehead.
which continued very far now on to the
back of his head, that If one were al
lowed a peep below that walruslike face
adornment one would see a mouth that
was kind and none too firm, the mouth
Of a man who had led other men, per-
haps, but who had invariably been led by
his women folk.
Now Sir Thomas Ryder was-or rather
is, for he is still in perfect health and
~
You have no doubt seen him about town
for he takes constitutional in the park
every day on his way to his work, and
he goes to most first nights at the the
aters-and, If so, you will have admired
the keen, sharp face. the closely set eyes,
the mobile mouth, free from mustache or
beard; the face is furrowed all over, espe-
cially round the eyes, yet he does not look
old. That is because Of the furrows;
they form a wonderful network round his
rj,-;r <1nn nf
petual keen amusement. The hair Is pale
in color-not white, but faded-and
scanty. Sir Thomas wears 1t carefully
brushed across the top Of his head, with
a parting on the left side.
He has a trick when he is thinking
deeply of passing his hand-which is
white. slender and tapering-over that
scanty covering of what, but for it. would
be bald Uranium.
Some people said that Sir Thomas Ryder
was a man without any sentiment; others
that he was a slave to red tape; but no
one denied the incontrovertible fact that
he was the right man in the right place.
He looked the part and always acted t.
and fewer blunders had undoubtedly been
committed in the detective department Of
the metropolitan police since Sir Thomas
Ryder took the guiding reins i'll hand.
Il suppose he said. at last. that
you've come to see me about this de
Mountford business"
II have" replied Col. Harris. simply.
well. it's not a pleasant business
81 know that. The papers are full of
it, and it's all COMPOUNDED damnable
business Tom, and that's all about it,
unfortunately It's not all about 1t, :"
rejoined Sir Thomas dryly.
That's what Louisa says. Women are
SO queer about things of that sort. and
the papers are full Of twaddle. She is
anxious about Luke
II don't wonder"
sRut it's all nonsense, isn't it?''
What is?"
Col. Harris did not reply Immediately:
for one thing, he did not know exactly
how TO put his own fears and anxieties
into words They were SO horrible and
so far-fetched that to tell them plainly
and badly to his brother-in-law, to this
man with whom he was soberly smoking
a cigar in a sober-looking office, while
hansoms and taxicabs were rafting past
in the street below within sight and hear
ing, seemed little short Of idiocy. He was
not man Of deep penetration--was Col.
Harris-no great reader of thoughts or of
character. He tried to look keenly at Sir