The Washington herald., 1914-01-04

~,
cept thar IT'S Margery. Is 1t correct that
you have . regard for herr
The bewildered look with which that
young man regarded me. as IL he wonder
ed N something had happened to the foun-
dations of the world!
'I don't know what use you intend to
make of the information. but have no
objection. since you appear to know al
ready, to telling you that Miss Stainer is
dearer to me than anything else in the
world"
'I knew IT. but preferred to get the
fact from you. Without thrusting myself
ask, Miss stainer-I should prefer to call
you Margery, but as IL seems your name
Is Stainer-"
Please call me Margery," she mur-
murmured: ! could see the
words better than could hear them.
May aak. Margery. II you have in
the least degree any feeling Of the same
kind for ~ Armitage7'
She did Not answer-she looked at me.
I don't know what she saw on my face.
but she seemed to see something which
induced her TO draw close and take my
right hand in both of hers. and-that was
all; but l understood! as I Immediately
made clear.
That being the case. II is evidently de-
sirable that you should be married at the
earliest possible moment"-you should
have seen their faces-"and a friend has
placed funds at my disposal which will
enable you to do So Please don't speak.
not yet. Mr.. Armitage, you've been doing
something disgraceful; I'm ashamed of
You. How much money do you owe that
Objectionable Clark person."
1T was eight hundred, but now he
makes IT out to be a thousand"
did not ask what hold the man had
over him. not out loud; but daresay the
question was formulated in my brain.
cannot explain how II was, but I seemed
to see the answer in his eyes, or some
where: Hes got a forged acceptance" Z"
And il gave me such cold shivers down
my back that 1 went hurrying on.
Mr.. Clarke will be paid his thousand
pounds: and you will sit down at that
table and write on that sheet of paper a
list OF the moneys you owe; they will all
be paid-out OF the fund which / have at
my disposal Now. do not ask questions
but do as you're told. Yes, IT is a mir
acle IL you like to think IL so. it's the
miracle which is going TO be the making
of you. Now, sit down and write
He sat down and wrote: it took him
some minutes A young gentleman can
not be expected to set down all he owes
sions in that list Of his when IT was fin
ished, though It came to a nice little total
as IL was.
That's a very great deal Of money"
told him when / glanced at it. Nearly
three thousand pounds II. by a miracu-
lous interposition. it is paid. is this sort
of thing going to recur? Wait before you
answer. You will leave Dieppe tonight.
by the boat which starts at half-past one.
Miss Stainer will leave also. in charge OF
a lady who is a very dear friend OF mine
You will go to London, there you will OBJ
tain a marriage license. and the day after
tomorrow, which will be Thursday, you
will be married"
oh" Margery gasped: ] had TO put
an arm round her waist TO hold her
steady.
You will book two berths by the boat
which starts for New York on Saturday.
On your arrival there employment will be
found for you. and you will be provided
with funds which will enable you TO live
until your salary falls due. The future
will be in your own hands. Now, Mar
gerry, you're not to do that
The girl. having come close UP to me-
had laid her head against my breast and
was crying. ] had to comfort her.
Now. my dear. you must keep your
head; You mustn't give way; there are
heaps OF things you must do. Tomorrow
you must buy your trousseau, and all
sorts OF things you will have to have:
and-now. Margery. il you will keep on
crying you'll make me cry. too. you will
and j won't
Everything happened as intended.
They left by the early morning boat-Mr
Armitage was so shamefaced. He was
still bewildered; even as the boat was
starting believe he had a sort of feeling
that his brains were added. Mrs. Curtis
shared a cabin with the girl. And Mr.
Curtis stayed behind with me-
The next morning I interviewed Mr.
Clarke. l sent for him to Mr.. Curtis sit
and he came. Mr.. Curtis was
present to see that everything was fair
l began at the visitor before his nose was
objection to the man.
Mr.. Clarke, / presume you're aware
that you have placed yourself in a very
serious position
He glared at me as if he wondered who
i was; then he looked at Mr.. Curtis and
perhaps that kept him from saying some
of the things he would have liked to say.
You have in your pocket a forged bill
of acceptance which you received. well
knowing it to be forged. and which you
have used for the purpose OF extortins
blsckmail. | need not tell a person OF
your experience that by so doing you
have placed yourself within the reach of
the criminal law"
He began to bluster.
who the deuce are you. and what dc
you mean by talking to me like this?''
Mr.. Armitage has instructed me to
act on his behalf" 1 laid some notes on
the table. There is the money he owes
you. You'll give me the bill you hold and
a quittance in fun of all the claims you
have against him.
The man made quite a pretty Httle
scene-or, rather. he tried to: because a
few remarks from Mr.. Curtis brought
him to before he had really got under
weigh. When he left that room he had
got his money. and / had the bill and the
luittance and everything wanted Then
interviewed Miss Drawbridge.
I found her In the courtyard Of the
hotel having what she called her aperi-
live. As always. I came to the point with
her at once.
Miss Drawbridge, Mr.. Armitage wishes
ne to tell you that the engagement which
be entered into with you Is at an end.
As you made IL clear to me that there was
no sentiment about the matter, am sure
you will excuse my treating IL as a bust
ness proposition-which is on"
She did not seem to mind my talking
TO her like that in the very least. She
was a most extraordinary woman. In
stead Of my taking her aback, she took
me.
That's all right. I've been turning
matters over In my mind, and I think my
self that it would be better to cut the
loss"
I left with Mr.. Curtis by the afternoon
boat for London. The next day that af-
tectionate pair were married. Mr.. Curtis
gave the bride away, and I was her