The Washington times., 1913-05-04


room, with a. hand still at her
throat. Above her she saw the
keen. brown face of Won kerstenbroock k,
and the narrowed eyes that to her
startled fancy seemed afiame.
"Stille mali said Won Kerstenb, cock,
without temper. ELSE will i make thee
still
She closed her eyes. Anything 10 es-
cape the gaze that scared heri Sne cow
cred beneath his hand.
Il will be STILL she whispered.
See that thou art..' he warned. mo
words more of this brother of thine,
Cannot man have his last evening,
then, IN quiet?'
He took his hand from her throat
and. in his stockings, padded pack
panther-wise. to his chair. He look uI
his Tully that had gone to the floor
frowningly made straight crun'pled
leaf. then sought his place and sereneiy
fell to reading.
For he never dreamed tina, he was
dealing. not with the brother. but with
the sister of the unverschamter Nus
grove. To he sure, he thought the boy
fool, but that he charitably ascribed tc
his being a Musgrove
Furthermore. he thought him cftem-
mate, but that, he broad-mindedly de-
cided. was because he was English. To
his credit. he had manhandled the
youngster no more thar was necessary
so. from the mere feel of Thomsins' s
throat beneath his fingers. he had tSken
no suspicion of sex.
a whelp of boy. he esteemed the in
truder, but at least he had cowed him
Tito quiet. and. in any case, he could
overtake and silence him before ne could
reach the window. Secure in that
thought, he took a draft of beer, Ii,
him a pipe. and immersed himself in his
fully.
Thcmsine. prone on the bed, whence,
for very life, she dared not rise
watC he'd him with dilated pupils for
Sne noted now the thick, brown hair
grew rupmpled about his forehead,
tie way in which his brown eyes were
set deep beneath strong brows, the
characteristic grip of his slender, con-
beer-jug, the iron hardness Of his
smooth -shaven jaw, where the candle
light struck fun across it;
AT times she told herself that she
II she closed her e: es. surely she
should find on opening them again
that she was back In the narrow. dark
chamber in the stationer's house. or
haply in her own lavender-scented oed-
room at Allenthorn.
But she dared not close her eyes
while she was fronted with that terri
fying presence. She lay staring upon
him till she was half hypnotized. TO the
point where she had forgotten Wattie's
oerIl and her mad mission and saw the
n hole world dwindled to the size OF
one half-clad, slender man, with thick.
brown hair and keen, brown face and
strong. slim hands that seemed in
capable of n fumbling or unnecessary
gesture.
She hated him so-she knew that it
was because she so hated him-that
she felt that all her life through she
should find il impossible 10 forget the
least detail of his loathing presence.
Somewhere, afar in oxford town.
world away from this nightmare cor
ner where she crouched. she heard
bell strike the hour. Three O'Clock she
counted IL. and. right on the stroke
she heard a discreet knock at the door
Herein bade Won Kerstenbroock
elertly.
Again the drawer. this time with
stay thou without. This may crave
answer" bade Won kerstenbroock. He
broke the seal and read. and then sat
glooming, with eyes on Thomsine Mus
grove.
that hour rightfully have cried.
Jack Aubrey, the faithful. had written:
There Is back way from the Red
Lion. Make them to let thee forth
thereby. Go out at the north gate
tThe word Tor the night is fONlCk.D Az
the alehouse that bears the sign of the
Dun Cow. turn of by the lane at the
right. and so till thou contest TO a
place OF fording. There | shall do my
endeavor 10 fall in with thee and bring
thee unto Walset Heed this my warn
ing, For have 1t from sure hand
that thou art like to be laid by the
heels. touching the death OF Basil Dor
mer.
Small wonder that Won kerstenbrooCk
looked with eyes of anything but ten
derness upon the kinsman of Walter
Musgrove' For he guessed well whom
he should thank for the treaCherous
stroke that had been aiamed against his
liberty.
To he sure. he had no doubt OF the
issue should he hs questioned twenty
times over touching the affair of Basil
pormer. He was no out-Pt-elbow sword
or. to he jostled hugger-mugSer out Of
life. to pacify the friends Of noble cox
comb :.
In his own land he came of as ancient
A house as any of these. his English
and a house that by honor
TpIe service had bound to II many who
sat in high places.
Al thar moment indeed. he had in his
pnCket letters. ovSr-weighty signatures,
that commended him to Prince Rupert.
tho German nephew of King Charles
and general Of his forces. Privately
Won kerstenbrOoCk regarded that highly
yaunted Young horse soldier as blum
derous fool. hut. with every right. he