Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-17
CHAPTER KIN.

we're no trains DclWcel Midnight and
morning And Talbot's car, which he
might have used, had been long de-
layed by his burst tire. He took
suburban trolley line for perhaps half
the distance and walked the rest.
AT four o'clock in the morning he
messed the arbor button. and old Hen.
r.e,te. grumbllng at this second dis
turbance OF her rest, reused Elinor
again.
Time was precious. Huff, having
rung the announcing bell, made his
vfv no through the dew to the house.
And so 81 was that Elinor. opening the
bouse door. met him face TO face. AS
she recoiled from him, he closed the
door.
81 have brought you a message from
Boroday." he said swiftly. "rve been
fool and scoundrel and--it's about
all up."
EInor hardly realized what he was
saving. The light of horror had hardly
died out OF her eyes. To her Walter
once her lover. now typihed all of suf-
ferlng and nearness To death that lay
In old Hilary's room upstairs.
"The first train leaves the city at
SIS o'clock he said, trying 70 keep his
voice steady ut Is hardly likely they
will be ont so soon. but Under some
pretext or other they win search the
house this morning"
"How Gun 7 leave the house nowi
Upstairs In fathers room"
81 know" he put In hastily. 81 know
all about It, Elinor, I am sorry, am
wildly sorry. It's no excuse to say ]
was crazy, but I was."
II ] go away" Ellnor said with
white Lips, how viii they manage
about hlmI The nurse needs so many
things. and IL see that she has them.
A flame leaped into the boys eyes.
"If you care for him like that
what are you going to do about 1t
Even If he cares for you, you canno'
msrry him. If he ever found out abou
you"
"He viii never marry me. And--h'
does know"
The fact that Ward knew the trutl
Gbout Elinor and the band brough
back 10 him their common peril. IL
thrust aside, for the time at least, hi
passion and his despair; and calrnl.
directed his energies toward preparing
the house for the Inevitable search.
So systematic had old Hilary beei
thar there were few papers TO destroy
Such Of the ledgers as were incriminat
Ing he burned in the furnace. Elinor'
box of Jewels he carried upstairs an
placed on the library table. Such sci
tugs as had remained from the cour
try club raid, after the gems had bee
taken out. he melted together in oil
HiIury's crucible and placed the gol
GDd platinum nugget In Elinor's box.
he hod set the safe 10 a simple con
hL1atiou and closed It. Except for ii
size and for the protective wiriD
tlied FOO Its walls. It might have bee
O. family safe, built by a nervous an
elderly gentleman living In the couI
lry 10 hold his silver spoons.
It was too late by that time to bur
the box as Boroday had suggeste
Hun did the next best thing. +
buried It carefully in Ellnor's garde
under a clump Of crimson phlox.
Einor worked hurriedly, but wit
hopeless eyes. Her preparations CO.
sisted IN little more than putting {
the clothing in which she meant
travel. In this new life on which 81
was entering she wanted little TO r
mind her OF the old. A letter to He
riette contained enough money to p'
off the servants and the household q
counts. In another envelope she fol
ed the deed TO the house and a no
conveying it 10 Henriette.
"You can sell It," she wrote. 5000
by dear Henriette. I shall never fc
get you, and II ever it is possible,
sure shall see you again"
The time came, just before dav
when she and Walter stood again ia
to face in the library.
Huff was going at once. It was \
Boroday's plan that any Of thf
should further incriminate Elinor
accompanying her to the train. At
sound Of steps ON the stairs, al
started.
The nurse going down, probably
ice she explained.
He is getting better, isn't her
Eyes, but he stiil suffers at times
When the steps had died away, I
nor slowly drew off her engagemt
ring, and held 1t cut TO him across
table Although he was watching b
he made no move 10 take 1t. and
laid It down between them on
table.
II don't think we need talk about
Walter" she said Simply. 'There,
nothing to say, is theref"
u suppose not he returned nittei
He added: 'If only Won viii Try
10 hate me, EiaOr."
u do not hate you. But II he
died"
HUI came swiftly around the ia
aud taking both her hands in his b
them 10 his throat with despair
gesture.
III didn't know that It would mi
YOU more unhappy" he said SLOW
I'D kill myself today"
walter"
IL tell you now. Il won't cha
matters any. but perhaps II