The Washington herald., 1916-11-01

range tnen tOr tne next sitting. BY
the way, mother, may l present
Miss Tosca?"
Vanya, with her most winning smile.
held out her hand. The elder woman
looked frigidly at her for an instant
Then, taking no notice whatever OF
the outstretchoG hand, Mrs. Clayton
turned her back upon the model and
walked across the room to the win
dow.
Robert flushed scarlet, to the roots
of his hair, at this snub to the girl he
loved. Vanya went white with rage.
without word she left the studio.
"Motherl" cried Clayton, as the
door closed behind the model, why
did you do that? Why did you insult
Miss Tosca so grossly? It was cruel
OF you"
The old lady's eyes filed with tears,
but bravely she answered:
II refused to meet her, my son, be-
cause she Is not the sort of a woman
my son should know"
You have no right to say that!"
blazed Robert, you know nothing
about her. She"
II love her" retorted Clayton, In
stubborn defiance, and I mean to
marry her. With your approval or
without it."
His mother tried to speak. Her
voice failed her. Rising hastily, she
quilted the room. leaving Robert
staring after her.
DR.. Montrose's after-lunch nap,
that day, was troubled by gruesone
dreams. AS he lay back in the big
leather chair in his laboratory he
seemed to see the secret panel in
front Of him slide open and the face
OF Pierre La Rue appear in the black
aperture.
The face grinned malevolently
down upon him; the crimson stain
glowing in the haIf-shut evil eyes.
Montrose shouted aloud, In terror,
and leaped to his feet, wide awake.
But even though the dream was
banished, he saw that the secret
panel in the wall stood wide open and
that figure was gliding through it
into the laboratory.
he cried aloud once more-this time
in sheer relief-at seeing the figure
was Tanners and not that Of a
demon. The tough had come for
treatment. And for once DR.. Mont
rose made no objection to giving It to
him.
But even as he pushed forward the
mysterious apparatus pounding
at the laboratory's outer door inter
rupted him. Ho thrust the apparatus
back into its niche. Tanner disap-
peared through the secret panelway,
like a rat into It's hole
What on earth Is the natter"
queried Florence, breathlessly, as her
father appeared. I'VE heard you cry
out as If you were suffering. We
heard 1t all the way downstairs. Are
you in?"
NO." the doctor managed to reply,
with a fair semblance Of careless
ness. II Just snoozed: and had a
nightmare. I'm sorry I scared you
two children"
Shutting the laboratory door behind
him, as he spoke. he accompanied
them down the stairway and out onto
the veranda, chatting as he went
Tanner, emerging from q side
entrance Of the house, was about to
cross the lawn toward the street
when he saw the three come out upon
the veranda. Not wishing to be seen.
he crouched among the porch vines
until they should go indoors again.
AS he did 50 he caught a glimpse
of Mrs. Clayton. who was coming UP
the walk toward the Montrose house.
And he shrank closer in among the
vines.
Mrs. Clayton, seeing the three
people on the veranda, quickened her
pace.
'Doctor, I'm so glad to find you!"
she greeted her host, I'm in suoh
trouble. And you have advised me
30 wisely at other times when things
went wrong"
You look tired" said Florence.
'Tll ring for tea. Felix can serve II
out here, where it's COOL"
She went indoors to summon the
manservant. Mrs. Clayton turned
again to the doctor.
IT'S about Robert" she said. He
is in love with a woman-a horrible
woman-and he declares he's going to
marry her-'with my approval or
without it He"
who is the woman?" asked DR..
Montrose synpathetically, anyone
we know?"
mo one we could possibly know"
returned Mrs. Clayton. "A model
Her name, believe, is Vanya Tosca-
She is posing for Bob"
Stanley, furtively watching Mont
rose, saw the doctors face blanch
and stiffen at the models name.
And it's all the worse; coming, as
1t does, at q time when I'm so wor-
ried and unhappy about my beau
tiful necklace. The police show no
signs Of finding my necklace, by the
way. It wasn't so much its value
that mourn, though 1t cost $4,000,
and it's worth much more now. But
it was my dear husbands last pres
ent to me. And love 1t on that ac-
count more than"
Mrs. Clayton" broke in Harold
Stanley. 'T did not mean to tell you,
just yet; for a reason I'll explain
later. But I can't see you suffer
when can ease your trouble. Your
necklace is perfectly safe have it."
"You?" gasped Mrs. Clayton, in
credulously, while DR.. Montrose and
Felix gasped in wonder.
Yes. 1t came into my hands, in
an odd way. I'll explain that part
~ LOT go D,11,