Evening star., 1914-08-16

L y
tiers were regular and reassuring.'
An ominous gleam informed the eyes of
the girl. "Then she stole them!'
@Who stole what?'
"My letters to you-Mrs. Hicks-Lorri-
mer must have stolen them,'
"My dear girl, be fair to herr
@If my letters didn't reach you, someone
must have intercepted them. One might
have gone astray by itself, yes; but it isn't
likely five would"
Lydia, don't get this at all"
@You knew that woman wanted me to
marry man didn't love?"
"She wrote me you were about to be-
come engaged to young what s-his-name
Keyes; gave a good account of him. |
wrote to you at the time
"That was three months ago. 1 haven't
heard from you since. Her later letters
must have told you l had refused him.
@They didn't. She said the thing was
hanging fire-young Keyes bit backward
about coming forward. He must have been
blind! You don't mean to tell me it's fallen
through
Il mean to tell you," the girl cried pas
sionately, @I didn't like him! One of Mrs.
Hicks -Lorrimer's tame cats! He may have
money and family as she claimed,-I don't
know,-bu he's abominable, and l loathe
him! And she wouldn't let me alone. 1
stood her incessant nagging till l thought
I'd go mad. Worst of all, my letters to you
got no answers, save indirectly mean, she
said it was your wish l should marry
him."
u never said that" Craven observed
your wish and for your happiness, gave
my consent gladly. 1t wouldn't be like
me, would it, to wish unhappiness to my
own flesh and blood?"
Not wasn't like you: that's why
didn't understand. lit seemed as if you'd
turned against me-"
@Liddy-dear!"
@Oh, 1 know was wrong; but what could
| think? You wouldn't write. But knew
if could see and talk to you, l could make
you understand. So I pawned some things
some of your presents-and got enough
money for my passage. And now"
Her voice was breaking. Craven passed
an arm round her and drew her close to him,
@There, my dear girl, there!"
@And now-I'm in your way!"
@Lydia!" He had lost none of his old
time trick of quieting her with a show of
righteous indignation. @You've no right
to talk like that to your old Daddy"
@What am I to think? I surprise you
making love-you are angry with me
3Not angry, Deary, but SO surprised
was hardly myself. Do be quiet now for
time, and let me do the talking. Listen, and
learn never to judge a man hastily. Has it
never struck you how little you really know
about our family history?"
3How often have asked you-"
All, but that was long ago, when you
were -ah-too young to understand.
never meant to keep you permanently in
the dark. In the first place, you've always
believed yourself the child of American
parents"
@But surely" the girl expostulated.
3Mrs Grummle told me-
@What she believed too, no doubt The
truth is, your mother was an American;
but I'm British to the marrow of me.
Craven's good English name, as you
know. Not that it matters. l cut away
from my people forever when they tried to
prevent my marrying the woman l loved,
an American girl who'd taken to the stage
and somehow drifted to London. Well, we
defed the family, and it disowned me, and
Invent on the stage with my wife. When you
were born-yes, in Mrs. Grummles,
Bloomsbury combined pay didn't run
to anything much. Most of the time one of
us was out of job. Still, we were happy
enough till we went to America
He was silent for several minutes, appar-
emily lost in memories.