The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1915-11-09
CHAPTER XVII.

NoAP 6U Anvil
He found her seated near the fire
place, at nearly the same spot where
he had first seen her. She looked won
6erfully handsome, he thought, in her
black evening gown, which showed off
SO well her red hair and her dazzling
white skin. Again the resemblance to
some one he had known struck him
unpleasantly. He noticed with qualms
that her whole attitude expressed i'm.
patience and excitement. Her knees
were crossed, her head was thrown
back, her hands drummed on the arm
Of her chair. She was putting vicious
ly at cigarette. which she threw
into the CRATE as he entered.
"Sit down, Sir Ralph" she said in
a husky voice "You and have good
deal to say to each other"
Then she stood up and looked down
at him in wondering scorn. when we
last met in this room," she began in
deliberate accents" you heard Os-
wald say that he was satisfied with
the assurances of Captain Steele and
that Melas woman that they had al
ready been married. Two days after
that Oswald was killed. Captain Rhe-
dan says that you placed the pistol in
his pocket which killed him
The Baronet interrupted her with a
wave Of his hand. Il thought you had
sent for me to talk about that lie" he
said calmly. .
II hope 1t Is lie--I hope SO very
much for reasons you are presently to
hear. hope 1t Is also lie that you
destroyed or purloined the will which
Oswald executed in the boat-which
was witnessed by two stewards. Heav-
en- knows am the last person to wish
these things were true"-her voice
quavered little.
She choked down a dry sob and
went on:
UNFORTUNATELY it seems that you
have a motive which might easily have
prompted you to commit these crimes.
Yesterday your spy Erdsley called on
me and told me that you were conspir-
ing to GUST Oswalds son from his In.
heritance."
The baronet went gray "Erdsley!"
he gasped. 'He told you that! The
vile hound!"
Eyes. he betrayed you as you be-
trayed Oswald and are ready to betray
Oswald's son. He came all the way to
Switzerland to tell me the informa.
ton you had sent him to Egypt to OBJ
tain. For a man Of the world, you
seem to possess singularly little
knowledge of character!"
She paused to let the gibe sink in.
He sat clenching his hands, staring
before him, curs1ng under his breath.
He was a fool-an utter fool! He
might have forseen that Erdsley would
sell him. Had Erdsley ever kept faith
with any man? And she, of course,
had the ready money to buy him.
"Erdsley is a cheat, a thief. and a
liar" he cried. His voice sounded
thick and gutteral. His heart did not
seem to be standing the strain Of this
excitement we'll. OF late 1t had been
behaving very irregularly. Just now it
seemed to be threatening to stop
altogether.
"You say he is liar-you deny that
you sent him to Egypt?" she asked, her
eyes glittering.
He Invents a
Plausible FaIsehood.
He thought quickly Erdsley might
have shown her his cablegrams.
She studied his face. She read there
only anger and indignation-the indig-
nation, it might be, OF man falsely
accused or of scoundrel betrayed by
HIS dCCoIAPAiSC. EIuslcy Adu dOulllcu
that he had not been told by him that
she and Leslie Morne were the same
person.
"Very WE'LL" she said. never taking
her eyes from his face, II may or may
not believe that. Your subsequent be-
havior will confirm or disprove what
you say. l rejected Erdsley's
offer. I-I-"-she laughed outright
II threw him in the water and
fished him out with hook. He is com.
ing to England to tell you that Steele
and that woman were never married
and that the law will enable you to
swindle Jimmy out of his fathers
property If you are vile enough to take
advantage Of it." ,...... 49,. ...
A CLEAN of triumph came into his