The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-08-27

This is a surprised" she exclaimed.
when did you return7 Leslie told
me your plans were quite settled when
he saw you in Lucerne. oh, see! OF
course! How stupid of me. Sara sent
for you"
"She has been quite ILL.," said Het-
ty, non-committally. I'VE got in yester-
day. | thought my place was here,
naturally"
Naturally" repeated Vivian, in a
detached sort of way. How Is she
today? May see hers"
"She is very much better. In fact,
she is sitting up in her room" warm
flush suffused her face, shy smile ap-
peared in her eyes. "She Is receiving
two gentlemen visitors, to be perfectly
honest. Miss Wrandall her lawyer, Mr..
Carroll, and-Mr. Booth"
They were seated side by side on
the uncomfortable Louis Seize divan
in the middle of the room.
Perhaps she won't care to see me.
after an audience so fatiguing,' said
Miss Wrandall sweetly. "And so ex-
asperating," she added, with smile.
Hetty looked her perplexity.
But she will see you, Miss Wran-
dall-if you don't mind waiting. 1t is
business conference they're hav-
ing"
An ironic CLEAN appeared in the cor
ner of Vivians eye. "Oh," she said,
and waited. Hetty smiled uncertain
ly. All at once the tall American girl
was impressed by the wistful, almost
humble look in the Englishwoman's
eyes, an appealing look that caused
her to wonder not little. Like fash
she jumped at an obvious conclusion,
and almost caught her breath. This
girl loved Booth and was losing him!
Vivian exulted for a moment and then,
| with an impulse she could not quite
catalogue, laid her hand on the others
| slim fingers, and murmured somewhat
hazily: Never mind, never mind!"
"Oh, you must wait" cried Hetty,
not at all in touch with the others
mood. Sara expects to see you. The
men will be out in few minutes"
81 think l will run in tomorrow
morning." said Vivian hastily She
arose almost Immediately and again
extended her hand. so glad to see
you back again, Miss Castleton. Come
and see me. Give my love to Sara"
She took her departure in some
haste, and in her heart she was rejoic-
ing that she had not succeeded in ma
king fool of herself by confessing to
| Sara that she had said unkind things
| about her to Brandon Booth.
Hetty resumed her seat in the broad
French window and stared out over
the barren treetops in the park. A
frightened, pathetic droop returned to
| her lips. 1t had been there most of
the day.
In Sara's boudoir, the doors of which
were carefully closed, three persons
were in close, even repressed confer
! ence. The young mistress Of the house
! sat propped up in a luxurious chaise-
lounge, wan but intense Confronting
here were the two men, leaning for.
ward in their chairs. Mr.. Carroll held
| in his hand number of papers, prom
inent among them being three or -four
! kilograms. Booths face was radiant
| despite the serious matter that occu
| pied his mind. He had reached town
early in the morning in response to 8
telephone message from Carroll an
nouncing the sudden, unannounced ap
! pearance of Hetty 6astleton at his of
fees on the previous afternoon. The
girls arrival had been most unexpect
ed. She walked in on Mr.. Carroll, &C
companied by her maid, who had dis
tinctly sheepish look in her eyes and
seemed eager to explain something
but could not find the opportunity.
With some firmness, Miss Castleton
had asked Mr.. Carroll to explain why
the woman had been set to spy upon
her every moment, a demand the wor
thy lawyer could not we'll meet for the
good and sufficient reason that he
wasn't very clear about it himself
I confessing that she was eager to go tc
Mrs. Wrandall, at the same time sob
bing out something about symbolic
dicky-bird, much to Mr.. Carroll's won
der and perplexity.
/ He sent the maid from the room
and retired with Miss Castleton to the
innermost of his private Offices, where
without much preamble he informed
her that he knew everything. More
over. Mr.. Booth was in possession OF
all the facts and was even then on the
point of starting for Europe to see her
OF course, his letter had failed te
reach her in time. There was quite 6
tragic scene in the seclusion of thai
remote little office, during which, Mr.
Carroll wiped his eyes and blew hi,
nose more than once, after which be
took it upon himself to dispatch mes
senger to Sara with the word that he
and Miss Castleton would present
themselves within half an hour after
his note had been delivered.
The meeting between Sara and Het
| ty was affecting Almost inn
mediately the former began to show
| he ca 81 -