Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-07

over his eyes. and curious square-toet
boots. thick silver watch chain. sht
noticed. dangled across his wsistcoat
His face was Insignificant except for eyes
that seemed wide awake and intelligent
Maud felt vaguely uneasy. She pulled
her coat collar up higher about her ears
and quckened her steps. She looked
round her for bus. but none was In
sight, surely unusual In Victoria street,
she reflected. She was quite certain the
man was following her. He had crossed
over TO the opposite side Of the street, but
there were few people about, and she was
still aware OF his footsteps She had
meant to walk up whitehall to Charing
Cross but held up her hand to a prowlng
taxi, hoping to leave the man behind.
She got out at the Charing cross station
| OF the Hampstead Tube For a moment
she thought she had shaken off this un-
| wanted follower; then, Just a as she reached
tho ticket window she saw him come
down the steps into the booking hall In
| loud voice she asked for a ticket for
! Tottenham Court road. She fancied she
| heard him repeat her words to the clerk
In the lift he managed TO brush up
| against her. She turned her back on him.
but felt his scrutiny, though when shs
/ turned sharply round to confront him his
| eyes were glued to the latest edition Of
the Evening News
/ NidAh Atlt uOln angry ana alarmed. SnG
| felt certain this man was a detective His
| boots betrayed him, she remarked cynl-
| cslly to herself She remembered she had
| once heard a militant suffragist who had
| had much experience of the police force
| say that you could always tells detec-
| tive or a plain clothes man by his feet.
| She had expected, of course, that her
mother and Huron would set detective
to watch for her. She had not considered
/ that thew uyOtlI tt,s1
fiat watched as we'll She bit her lip
with vexation. She had got herself into
pretty mess with this wlld-goose chase
| and had got nothing for It. Well she
/ had got to get rid OF the man somehow
before she went on to Hampstead. She
would have a try at Tottenham Court
road.
But Euston was the very nearest she
could let him track. She blessed the man
| for going about his work so clumsily II
| he had shown a little more finesse she
| might have taken him on to Hampstead
before che discovered that she was being
| followed.
Surely It ought to be easy enough to
slip n man in the tube She meditated
deeply, biting her lips as the train jerSed
| into stop at Leicester Square. The man
was watching her from the next compart-
ment. She had only two more minutes
to think Of something.
| 1uuueHly an lued blTuCh ner, ana ner
| face relapsed into a smile. "I'll get even
with you yet. Mr.. Detective" she NUT
| tered to herself
The train drew UP at Tottenham Court
road and Maud stepped out onto the plat
form. Then she waited. The man emerged
also and walked slowly toward the exit
| He looked surprised as Maud did not
move. He walked slowly back again,
| twisting his small mustache nervously
| with his fingers.
Maud looked at him with a smile in
her eyes as he passed. The spirit of the
chase was upon her now. She was be-
| ginning to relish the adventure
A green light leapt to the indicator.
| "Highgate train" called out the porter
Maud moved toward the entrance. the
man keeping almost at her elbow With
one foot on the platform Of the smoking
compartment he watched her enter the
one next door and take the first seat.
! Then he entered the smoking car. 1t
was rather full and he had TO pass some
| distance before he found a seat
X Phere remained only one passenger to
4 board the train. The conductors hand
fidgeted with the lever Maud leaned
forward. rs this right for Leicester
| Square?" she asked.
"Other side, Miss" replied the con-
| ductor without sign of impatience, He
was used to ladies who did not know in
which direction they were travelling.
Maud sprang to her feet wait
moment" she cried, II must get out
herel"
The train was beginning very slowly
TO move. The conductor shrugged his
shoulders and Maud sprang out onto the
platform.
The man in the next compartment
Jumped TO his feet and ran down the car
The gates clashed I'm his face and the
train swept out of the station.
Maud drew deem breath "What an es-
cape!" she said beneath her breath. Then
she raced toward the exit. At the corner
Of oxford street she hailed a taxicab.
"Hampstead-as quick as you cam" she
said. I'm tell you the address later"
She leaned back In the cab and laughed
outright She had enjoyed the chase and
could have chuckled over the detectives
discontinue. But the incident had it's
grave side. Her mother or Huron, or
both, would now know she was in Lon
don and would redouble their efforts to
fnd her OF course they could not COM
pei her to return home; but once Huron
could communicate with her he would
be able to present that dreadful ulti-
matum.
She wondered what he would do II she
put II out of her power to accede to his
demand by marrying Martin. Would he
then, as diplomatists say. yield TO the
inexorable logic OF the accomplished fact?
That would indeed be glorious solution
OF the difficulty. But Martin was in
America.
She reached home at the moment the
pOstman was delivering letters at the
house. She took them from him as she
opened the door with her own latchkey.
The uppermost envelope bore an Ameri-
can stamp and was addressed to Miss
Dereve in the handwriting OF Martin
Arrol.
C,IIApTuR XYTT