The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-01-22
CHAPTER ili-Continued.

Meanwhile Judge Ostrander was
looking about him for Mrs. Yardley.
The quiet figure of squat little body
blocked up certain doorway.
81 am looking for Mrs. Yardley," he
ventured.
The little figure turned; he was con-
scious of two very piercing eyes being
cents, which yet were not the accents
of weakness, the surprised ejacula-
ton:
Judge Ostrander!"
Next minute they were together in
small room, with the door shut be-
hind them. The energy and decision
of this mite of woman were surpris-
ing.
Il was going-to you-in the morn
ing" she painted in her excitement.
"To apologize" she respectfully fin
ished.
"Then," said he, "it was your child
who visited my house today?"
She nodded. Her large head was
somewhat disproportioned to her short
and stocky body. But her glance and
manner were not unpleasing. There
was moment of silence which she
fastened to break.
Peggy is very young; it was not
her fault. She is SO young she doesn't
know where she went. She was found
lettering around the bridge-a dan
gerous place for a child, but we've
been very busy all day-and she was
found there and taken along by-by
the other person. ! hope that you
will excuse it, sir
What he had to say came with de-
cided abruptness.
"Who is the woman, Mrs. Yardley?
That's what have come to learn, and
not to complain of your child,'
The answer struck him very strange
ly, though he saw nothing to lead him
to distrust her candor
81 don't know, Judge Ostrander. She
calls herself Averill, but that doesn't
make me sure of her You wonder
that l should keep lodger about
whom l have any doubts, but there
are times when Mr.. Yardley uses his
own judgment. and this is one of the
times. The woman pays well and
promptly" she added in a lower tone
"Her status? Is she maid, wife or
widow"
"Oh, she says she is widow. and
l see every reason to believe her."
slight grimness in her manner,
the smallest possible edge to her voice,
led the judge to remark:
"Pretty?"
'NOt lie girl, sir. She's old
enough to show fade; but don't be-
lieve that a man would mind that. She
has a look-a way, that even women
feel. You may Judge, sir, if we,. old
stagers at the business, have been
willing to take her in and keep her,
at any price-a woman who won't
show her face except to me, and who
will not leave her room without her
veil and then only for walks in places
where no one else wants to go-she
must have some queer sort of charm
to overcome all scruples. But she's
gone too far today. She shall leave
the inn tomorrow. ] promise you
that, sir whatever Samuel says. But
sit down; sit down; you look tired,
Judge. Is there anything you would
like? Shall l call Samuel"
No. I'm not not much used to walk
ing Besides, have had great loss
today. MY man, Bella" Then with
his former abruptnees: Have you no
idea who this Mrs. Averill is, or why
she broke into my house?"
There's but one explanation, sir.
I've been thinking about it ever since
] got wind of where she took my
Peggy The woman is not responsible
She has some sort of mania. Why
else should she go into strange gate
just because she saw it open?"
You speak of her as a stranger.
Are you quite sure that she is a
stranger to Shelby? You have not
been so very many years here, and
her constant wearing of a veil indoors
and out is very suspicious"
$50 I'm beginning to think. And