Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-26

armed to leave him with a few hurried
words of thanks for the jealous service
he had just rendered.
Half a mo-. interposed his lordship:
very morosely. I'VE might just as well
come to an understandin' now as later on.
l want to tell YOU that. whoever Lady
Iosceline is or is not, I've asked her to
marry me-and, if you're goin' to see her
nOw-I don't know what your ideas are,
but-we might just as well start fair
CartheW contemplated him for a mo-
ment in surprised silence, and then nod
ded CURLY. He was going to see Sallie
at once, if he could, as his rival had di-
vined.
''All right he assented. Come on"
He looked into the banquet hall i'm pass
ing. Herries was there with the butler
and all his assistants. The dinner table
had been cleared and draped with great
black mortcloth. And on it lay. recum-
bent, with clasped hands i'm the clear.
mellow light of the TALL white tapers at
its head and feet. the unheeding shape of
Carthew's predecessor in the earldom of
Jura, still dressed in it's disreputabie.
greasy blue uniform and burst boots.
with a red smudge, as of iron rust, on
its forehead.
The fires had both been raked out and
their hearthstOnes strewn with the ashes.
not to be rekindled before that night on
which the dead earl should be carried
away by the water gate from his cata-
falque to the great. black burial barge,
with the pipes wailing d wild lament for
the mountains to echo, and the waves or
the still sea surface, might befall.
crimson under the twinlling torches of
those who would follow with muffled oars
Herries came forward to speak to Car
thew. I'm seeing to everything here
now, my lord, and We'll soon have all as
it should be- said he. capt. Dove and
his friends are. fast i'm the north keep.
And your other orders have all been OBJ
served.
'Ill see you again in little. then"
Carthew returned, and went on his way,
by no means inspirited.
1t was the Duchess of Dawn, her blue
eyes still blurred and showing traces of
tears, who came to the door of the bou-
doir i'm Sallie's suite in the distant west
wing. in response to Carthew's knock.
Have you brought her back with you?''
she asked, and looked supposedly past
him at Lord Ingoldsby.
Where is she?" Carthew asked. in sud-
den alarm. Il haven't seen hero
''She went along to the gunroom a lit
tie ago-a note came to say she was
wanted there. And-I supposed it would
be from YOU
I'll find her there, then declared Car
thew. and turned and retraced his steps
very hurriedly. An instant dread of some
unforeseen mischance among his over
rapid plans for her welfare had filled his
mind: and his face grew dark as he hob
bled back along that endless corridor and
across the deserted main hall again, with
Lord Ingoldsby at his elbow.
or the sleepy servants they passed by
the way he asked no questions, for only
the butler and his immediate underlings
knew anything as yet of what had hap
pened. 1t had been Carthew's own idea
to prevent any garbled report being
spread about till he should have devised
some means to save Sallie from pain and
scandal.
He found the gunroom empty and
stared about it in dire distress. Then he
shifted the air, frowning. And then he
noticed d half-smoked cigarette smolder-
ing in the fireplace. He picked it up
hastily and saw Jasper Slynes mono
gram upon 1t.
Must have been long time burning"
he thought, and a concrete suspicion
flashed through his mind. But that SEEM
ed 50 far fetched at first that he shook
his head impatiently over it,
They could scarcely escape from the
north keep" said he to himself Butt
may as we'll make sure that everything's
safe here while I'm about it, he mutter-
ed and limped across to the panel that
covered the passage to the water gate.
1t was unlocked.
He pulled it open and looked down into
the darkness, listening intently. Then he
swung round, and. snatching up the light
ed lamp on the table beside the fire, made
off down the steps, leaving Lord Ingolds-
by in the dark.
But his gaping lordship was not to be
left behind. He followed hot foot, utter
ing foolish oaths as he barked an elbow
on the rock wall.
Carthew stopped suddenly. He could
hear voices not very far ahead and the
movement of some heavy weight The
tunnel curved little there, and he knew
he must be near the bridge that crosses
the oublette. He went on again, very
cautiously keeping close to one wall and
shading the lamp as we'll as he could. till
he came to Point where further pre-
caution was idle. For, fifty 9ards away,