Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-06-29
and
ROBERT WELLS
RITCHIE

man. | q tea IN this very room with
him several tines Woodhouse ven
tured. He let his eyes rove as If In
reminiscence Much the same here
as-except, General Crandall, l don't
recall that fireplace" He indicated the
heavy gothic ornament on the opposite
side of the room.
Jane caught her breath under the
surge of secret elation. The resource
of the mar so to turn to advantage a
fact hat she had carelessly given him
in their conversation of q few minutes
back! The girl saw a flicker of sur
prise cross General CrandalTs face.
Lady Crandall broke in:
~.You have a good memory after all,
Captain Woodhouse. That fireplace is
just five years old"
"Um-yes, yes" her husband admit
ted. "Clever piece of work, though.
Likely to deceive anybody by its show
of antiquity"
General Crandan called for a second
slice of lemon In his cup. He was
obviously sparrtng for another open
ing. but was impressed by the show
ing the suspected man was making.
Bishop pushed the inquisition another
step:
did you happen to be present, cap
tain, at the farewell dinner we gave
little Billy Barnes? l think it must
have been In the spring you were
here"
There were many dinners, Major
Bishop" Woodhouse was carefully
selecting his words, and he broke his
sentences with a sip from his cup.
"Seven years is a long time, you know.
We had much else to think about In
Egypt than old dinners elsewhere"
Bishop appeared struck by an In
spiration. He clapped his cup into its
saucer with a sudden bang.
Hang 1t, man, you must have been
here in the days Of Lady Evelyn. Re
member her, don't your"
would l be likely to forgetT' the
captain parted. Out Of the tail Of his
eye he had a flash of Jane Gerson's
white face, of her eyes seeking his
with a palpitant. hunted look. The
message of her eyes brought to him
an instant of grace in sore trial.
General Crandall rose to set his cup
on the tea wagon. With the most
casual air in the world, he addressed
himself to Woodhouse:
when Sir David died many of his
their proper owners disposition, and
Lady Craigen has been-er-delicate
about claiming them. Among them
was the portrait of Lady Craigen her.
self, which still hangs In this room.
Have you recognized it, captain"
Woodhouse, whose mind had been
leaping forward vainly trying to di-
vine the object of the Lady Evelyn
lead, now knew, and the knowledge
left him beyond his He
recognized the moment of his unmask-
Ing. But the mans nerve was steady
even In extremity. He rose and turn
ed to face the rear wall of the library,
against the tapestry Of which hung
four oil portraits In their deep old
frames of heavy gold. Three Of these
were of women A fourth, also the
likeness of a woman, hung over the
fireplace. Chances were a to l against
blind choice.
As Woodhouse slowly lifted his eyes
to the line of portraits he noticed that
Jane had moved to place the broad
tent shade of a floor lamp on its tall
standard of mahogany between herself
and the other two men SO that her face
was ~momentarily screened from them.
She looked quickly at the portrait over
the mantel and away again. Wood
house, knowing himself the object of
two pairs of hostile eyes, made his sur
yey deliberately, with purpose increas-
Ing the tension of the moment. His
eyes ranged the line Of portraits on
the real wall, then turned to that one
over the fireplace.
"Ah, yes; a rather good likeness, eh,
major?" He drawled his Identification
with a disinterested air.
CrandaH's manner underwent instant
change. His former slightly strained
punctiliousness gave way to natural
ness and easy spirits. One would have
said he was advocate for a man on
trial for whom the jury had Just pro-
nounced, mot proved" Scotch verdict,
yes, but one acceptable enough to the
governor of Gibraltar. The desk tele-
phone sounded just then, and General
Crandan answered. After listening
briefly he gave the orders, DRESS
dagsI' and hung up the receiver.
Effects just entering the harbor,'
signal tower reports" he explained to
the others. Miss Gerson, If you are to
step here to the window you'll see
something quite worth while.'
Jane, light hearted almost to the
point of mild hysteria at the notice
able relaxation of strain denoting dan
ger passed, bounded to a double
French window giving on a balcony
and commanding a view or all the pay
fo fho Sponich cbara Gho ova1oimod