Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-25

toniesses that she IL really b,na MS 5bucisIos
,ssh Of which bears half az insfsript0n snI,on
e whole is glue biSb 10 - h'auen papep PriTee frne
ins her father from suspicion Of swindIins.
nsSnF, s,o that "a, Us he Will Which hfp 4 rSht Nte
6lIy hers, confesse9 his love, for her
Helderman impersonates q lawyer acbbiins binss
iron fS Miss Ballantyne's, buckle, but is re- re-
fused His villainy Is discovered When inc
real lawyer appears.
CHAPTER XVITI-(Continued.
esms here saw young lady enter the
house up there, little after two. We've
o.sen seen her going in and out. She
,eems to be relative, or an accomplice,
Or something. She is Mrs. Talcott-"
aWhy, you don't know Mrs. Talcott,
crowder!" Craig protested, trying vainly
10 keep his voice steady.
''Don't l, though! Sims has known her
ever since they came across on the
Gothic"
Sims nodded.
SLENDER woman," he said. Graceful,
and carries herself well. Has long
gray cloak and another of blue. Fond of
wearing buckles. I've often seen her.
she came up to the house in a cab,
few minutes after YOU heard the clock
strike two, downtown, and Helderman
met her at the door. | saw them"
The detectives departed, and Craig sank
back upon his bed, as though some one
had struck him a deadly blow. So that
vas how she had known that he was
injured, and had been able to summon
rd so quickly! She had learned it from
Hederman himself, to whose house she
had gone at a quarter after two.
Rutherford gave over wondering how
sHederman could have known about it,
unless there were really a double of his
abroad, in the agony of this new train of
thought Had he been Systematically de-
ceived by a woman whose heart and soul
we're as dark and deceitfu as her eX-
terror was fair and innocent? The excuse
he had made for her when he believed
her to be the tool of an unprincipled hus-
band no longer held. He knew her better
now, and the knowledge destroyed all
power to imagine her the blind instru-
ment Of others. She was too sane. too
vel-balanced, too positive in her nature.
Hshe we're implicated in criminal things,
4 was because she chose to be.
He felt that he never wanted to see her
lgain-never so much as hear the sound
Of her voice.
The telephone bell rang-welcome inter-
npton to his painful meditations. Cooley
had placed the receiver in easy reach of
the Invalid. Craig answered the call, and
at the first words, he turned even whittier,
hit were possible, than his weakness had
made him.
It was Miss Ballantyne's voice. greeting
him trifle uncertainty. She had waited
Tor him to make some overtures of peace,
for tNvn 1t,y. L. l., Inn ell ATStNT
she had swallowed her pride to ask him
about matter of business.
Il called you UP toto make a request"
The clear voice said.
Don't hesitate. if can serve YOU" He
endeavored to say the words easily, but
lhey sounded coh and formal.
Gould you-could you find 1t convenient
10 call this afternoon? ] don't want to
put you to too much trouble, but I wanted
% arrange to get certain piece of prop
efty before called at the lawyers"
I'm very sorry" he replied, "but am
sun unable to navigate very we'll. Even
cannot recuperate from treatment such
as have received, at short notice"
on please don't-make me more
ashamed than I ami" she cried, her voice
temblng.
don't intend to-" he answered dryIy.
unable In spite of himself to keep his
lone
l-l-thought that If you could call,
n9uid tell you INFLOW sorry 1 am. l
lunt mean to be rude, the other evening,
,!er ~. All YOU have done for me and my
,alner-but your words hurt! I know
zFeumstances seem against me; and l
mould not blame you that you cannot
.ssep your faith, in spite of them. oh.
you only knew how gladly I would tell
lou allv'
tsulhertord marveled at her She seemed
aos1 concerned about their little tiff of
~ evenings ago, which he had all but
S.sotten. while she utterly overlooked
he terrible physical treatment he had
.ilee ne received at the hands of her accom-
j, Il was very good of you to send the
I,s,se9n!' he said.
,,lo-what2' she asked.
ne ne repeated his words.
sna si! lhe surgeon! Do you need a sur |
~ IheFe was no mistaking the al |
sv1 ss,,,, GREATNESS anxiety of her tones.
~, you certainly must have known |
Nv , ! was pretty badly done up, or you |
,s,.ll Slu not have telephoned to Doctor |
dsssn istsnaraF he insisted. vexed at her
,,aS po9tor Richard? I know no Doctor
leasei,s me "hat Is the matter
Ia sald Doctor Pritchard. Didn't you
~ ,spnone none him about o'clock, night be- |
~ ssst, 70 come and look after me?"
ula not, MIR. Rutherford. How could
N, mat you needed a physician? II
80 would only tell me what Is the
is,.srl iPntt You talk SO strangelyP'
~ neiIord listened In amazement to
u shnlety, the uncertainty. the plead
~ lhe mellow voice, and fought nard
1sep from yielding to its seduction.
49, thls girl was the most eonsum-
~, actress he had ever knoWn! What
'.T ,uhe she could make upon the stagel
s,,. ail lald up for several days" he
IN. req, Some one entered my room.
y peIore last. In the tussle 1 got
M 'Mst paused, disgusted with himself.
nv M ne mad let her lead him on into
1asy @ leets which she must already
~ IN I'm so sorryl So sorryP' came
~ ~ the distressed voice. "AndsI feel
~ as II | have been 10 blame, Was
Yes.
e ne get anythlng?'
Miss Ballantyne, you needn't
On ~ that account The blue buckle