The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-08-22

nave. yUGI ., pIuase MISS
Louise that Mr.. Kent is here"
"I'll tell her, if you wish" she said
doubtfully, carefully closing the door
before she went on the mission.
The shutting of the door in my face
gave me IN odd sense Of desolation.
It seemed as if I were being shut out
Of the life Of the woman l loved Yet
on second thought l smiled at my per
turbation. The maid was only carry
ing out a necessary order. AS soon
as Louise knew l was there she would
come running to the door herself. In
a minute she would be folded in my
arms and all misunderstanding would
be cleared away. Undoubtedly she
would have a good explanation for
her telephone message of the night
before. told myself that it was only
lack of sleep and the incident in the
park that had upset my nerves. My
misgivings were utterly foolish.
At length the door opened slowly. l
had expected to see Louise herself be-
hind it. but it was the same maid. This
time she held the door hardly as wide
as before.
I'm sorry, sir, she said, "but Miss
Louise says she can not see you now
"What?" ! gasped.
She repeated her message while l
stood there dazed There must be
some mistake. Louise must have mis-
understood the name.
Ibid you tell her it was Mr.. KENT
Eyes, sir, I told her"
what did she say?"
"She said she could not see you o.
any one else now"
was puzzled beyond expression,
Why should Louise refuse to see me?
I was conscious Of having done moth
ing to offend her. If only could see
her for Just a minute TO find out what
was the matter! l felt that l must
reach her For an instant l was
tempted to brush past the maid ana
force my way in. Surely Louise OF
her own accord would not treat me
thus. She must be beside herself with
grief. Perhaps she was under the
same malign influence that SO dis
tressed her sister. Yet even in the
depths of despair We observe the con-
ventionalities.
will you ask Miss Louise when
she can see me-" found myself say
ing in calm tones to the maid.
Again she closed the door in my
face Again ! waited.
Miss Louise says that she will see
you if you will return in an hour,
was the message that was brought me.
left the Parrish door and stumbled
| blindly up the street. The plight IN
| which | found myself seemed ineXpli-
| cable, maddening. | was sure Louise
| loved me Had she not turned to me
| In the first hour of her distress? Had
! she not telephoned me when her Sis
! ter shot herself? Had she not permit
| ted me to take her in my arms? Had
she not commissioned me to solve the
mystery of the yellow letter? Yet
why had she babe me discontinue my
| search? Why had she shut her door
to me? What could be her motive?
What could have Influenced her
against me?
Torn by hundred conflicting emo
tons. I traversed street after street,
not knowing or caring whittier my
feet were taking me. l must have re-
traced my steps, for ! found myself
| in the block where the Farrishs lived.
| looked at my watch and saw it was
still half an hour before the time
had been told TO return. l turned
away from the house and wandered
aimlessly on. There was some mys-
terry in Louise's conduct l could not
rathom. She refused to see me, yet
| Just ahead of me some one else had
been admitted to the house. A wave
of jealousy swept over me. Who was
| this other man? | racked my brain,
striving to recall his appearance, try
ing to remember what there was that
was familiar about him.
All at once it came to me. A wild
rage filed me. l knew now who he
was. A picture of the office in that
little hotel in New Jersey came to
my mind, as it looked when l stood
by the stove drying my clothes. A
man had come to the desk and got
his key and had walked past me as
he went to his room. | knew now
where | had seen that man who was
admitted to the Parrish home. TWAS
the man called Cook.
1t was Hugh Crandall.