Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-22

capacity. stin less IN my judicial one.
any proof against Brent? Do you know
that he has got the papers?"
NO. the case rests on suspicion only
at present" answered Charles: that
is where we thought you or your
daughter could help us- You VIII not
forget. Mr. Pollock. that It Is your
bounden duty as an Englishman TO
use every means IN your power to dis
cover these papers. which are OF vital
Importance to the admiralty"
Certainly: oh, certainly. but ! don't
see what my daughter can do"
II gather from what my mother has
told me that Miss Pollock has more In
fuence with Brent than any one else
has. and from what / have observed
myself ] should say that whatever
duplicity he may indulge IN elsewhere
he Is very genuinely devoted to her"
Il thought so until today myself" ad-
mitted Mr.. Pollock. But I don't be-
lieve Molly would consent to try TO get
anything ont of Brent. When tried TO
throw suspicion on him today about
said only that she trusted him abso-
lutely and all that sort of stun. You
know what women are
But don't forget" put In Mrs. San
derson. that Mrs. Lee is involved IN
this suspicion. too. when you arouse
Miss Molly to take steps"
"Ah. If we could prove that. then
Molly would be cured of this undesir-
able attachment Upon my word. al
most wish we could"
IF may speak for my sex" went on
Mrs. sanderson, Il should say that even
a hint that Mrs. Lee and Mr.. Brent
were working together would be suf-
ficient to make your daughter deter
mined to try to find out the truth"
A slow smile spread over Mr.. Pol
woman, eh?" he asked wisely. "Espe-
cially when there Is a man in the case.'
And he gave the satisfied chuckle of
the man who understands all about
women.
Mrs. sanderson shook her finger at
him. You know too much. Mr.. Pol
lock-" she said archly. You make none
of us feel safe
Observation. my dear lady; merely
observation. In my position as justice
of the peace I have had very queer
aspects of human nature brought I'M
der my notice, and one thing l have dis
covered-that all women are alike. all
of them"
You Will understand Mr.. Pollock.
why my mother and called you in to
help us. We feel that you, with your
wide experience. are the man to handle
the situation authoritatively and deli
cately."
My dear sir, Just leave It to me;
even anything mysterious against
Brent he shall be laid by the heels to-
night"
Let us hope, for his sake, that you
will not be able to- Charles replied
Have another cigar. Mr.. Pollock
Mother. perhaps you will find Miss Pol
lock and ask her to come in here to
her father. I will just go and have q
turn on the cliff: it's lovely night"
Left alone. Mr.. Pollock pulled furi-
\, jr lnfa ,fv,nl IN h
both firm and tactful and trying to ar
range how he should go about It. He
felt completely master OF the situation
when Molly came into the room.
cheeks and her eyes glittered. She
had been at the piano again since
dinner. while the others were all play
ing their respective games, and she
still had the tenseness of aspect which
a piano can give, as though something
of the quality of it's wires passed into
the performer through the finger tips.
Molly had been playing like some one
possessed, and she was possessed by
jealousy and fear, the two worst feel
ings known to the soul Up till now
everything had gone so easily for Molly
At school she had been popular with
the girls because she was pretty and
sweet and not clever enough to make
them feel uncomfortable, and popular
with the miStresseS because she was in
telligent enough, backed by her pretti-
ness and sweetness. to do them credit
Also hers was the gift possessed by sc
many people who never felt intensely
the gift of attracting affection.
She had loved Brent quite naturally,
and as easily as she loved a summer 8
day, or dance, or box of chocolates.
There had never been anything about
her love to make her afraid either of her
self or Of him-and perfect love makes
fear-fear Of the fates, lest the whole
universe from lightning to a taxicab
should be bent on the destruction Of the
loved one-fear of ones self that such
known emotions should be stronger than
a lifetime's training: fear of the other