Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-11

Of Ivy which peered and beckoned at
the window where she had been.
Deeply disappointed, Christopher
walked about. pretending to be inter-
ested In the thickness of the walls.
The old woman stood still, watching
him as he went to the window and
| looked out. Turning quickly he
caught. or fancied that he caught, a
cynical expression on the dried-apple
| face.
II saw young lady looking out of
the window this morning, whom / took
to be an artist" said Christopher,
growing impatient. very pretty,
with yellowish- hair and dark
eyes-might have been brown or vio-
let ! think she had on dark blue
Dress"
"You must have been mistaken,
sir" replied the old woman. II didn't
bring any such young lady in this
morning"
Christopher asked no more leading
questions, but meekly allowed himself
to be shown the usual things and told
the usual legends. Then he gave the
old woman the, usual fee, with the
| usual extra tip, and took his leave.
But turning to glance back at the
guardians cottage when the door was
shut he saw his late guide at the win
dow peering out. Behind her stood a
man, looking over the STOPPING Shout
der, and though, as Christopher's eyes
met his, he moved away and was gone
| In an instant. Race caught a clear
enough impression to feel that he
would recognize the face again. 1t
was that of man passing beyond
middle age The eyes and skin were
singularly dark in contrast to thick
white hair and there was something
peculiar-Christophe had not time
to see clearly what-about the promi-
nent nose.
quest, he resolved to return to the
castle after dark and linger about in
the hope that the girl might return
under cover of dusk-to demand her
property and explain her strange man.
ner of disposing of IT. Meanwhile,
however he had half the day to get
through, and-sape for such inter-
ludes as meals, nothing to, do with it
except to make inquiries concerning
the girl. r.
Describing her, he questioned the
landlord at the inn, and afterwards
the coquettish young woman at the
postofiice, but neither the one nor the
other could tell him anything, and
when after nightfal he CROPPED his
way through a thick mist towards the
castle ruins he had still no clew which
might help him to find the lady of the
cigaret case.
Sauntering as IL aimlessly along
the road dominated by the vast ruins,
Christopher began softly to whistle
the air from La Traviata which Soar
let Runners new siren played. 1t
must have been those musical notes,
heard from a distance, which had
drawn the girl to the keep-window
before he arrived beneath in the car.
III she remembered and recognized
them now she would know what they
meant, as they fiuted a message out
OF the night. Again he whistled the
same air. while he lighted cigaret
which should also have its special
meaning for the girl II she were near,
as well as giving her hint of his
whereabouts
Perhaps she wanted a reassuring
glimpse of his face before speaking.
Well, she should have It. He held up
the lighted wax match to the cigaret
until its flame began to burn down.
Then, as II fiared up before the end,
suddenly there came TO his ears hiss
sharp and wicked as a snakes, and at
the same instant he was conscious of
singing pain In his left arm.
Away went match and cigarette,
their sparks drowned in the wet grass
and Christopher, surprised and pricked
to anger, realized he had been shot at
with an air-gun. Suspecting no Turk
ing malice. he had calmly made him
self a target Tor someone to pot att