Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-03
@o@By Frederic Reddale

outran his fears, and might have stag
gered stronger mind than his. In his
excitement he hardly noticed the az
fectionate beginning, which at another
time would have filled him with delight.
my Dearest Rossiter: Rejoice with
us-my brother Richard has returned
alive and we'll He arrived in England
two days ago, and reached US late last
night We were completely taken by
surprise, as you may imagine. Richard
has gone to Gatewood: can you guess
why7 Next to myself. of course, Mar
in England. 1 am SO glad, can scarce
" write coherently or legibly-.but I
know you will understand. Sir Arthur
and he have made up their quarrel.
Now, I have a favor to ask: May I
or we-bHng Richard with US this
evening? He has promised to, como IL
you will ask him. although, as'he says,
he is not very At But do so want
you to meet and be friends. You re-
member what you said the other day
I can imagine there will be plenty OF
things for you both to talk about.
Send me line to say Yes and be-
lieve me.
Ever yours affectionately.
STELLA.
'P. 81 forgot to say that Rick says
he is very rich man, and he has
shaved off that horrid Boards"
y
alone restrained Kane from some in
sane expression of emotion.
Richard Dysart alive and in England!
Then he had not killed him. after all!
The thought brought with 1t at first a
happy revulsion of feeling. He was not
a murderer!
But Dysart was none the less his vic
tim, and he none the less a Would-be
assassin and an actual robber. Why,
the whole fabric of his fortune rested
those
thoughts opened up such a horrid vista
of new troubles and perplexities that
he shrank from them in terror. Yet so
quickly and mechanically does the hu-
man brain work, that scarcely a min
ute had elapsed since the perusal Of
Stella's note before he had pulled him.
self together and drew paper and pen
toward him to indite his reply. He
decent. middle-aged fellow
There must have been great times at
Denecroft last night?"
Never see such goings on, sir, since
master Richard, he walks In as cool
and cam as If he'd only been away a
month. But he have growed! And that
rich. My! N.Y." shaking his head as
one utterly unable to do justice to the
subject.
Il Judge Master Richard, as you call
him, is an old favorite Of yours" said
Kane with smile.
The man chuckled proudly.
ut was me as taught i'm 'ow to ssit a
'orse and old a gun and cast a fly afore
e was twelve, sir. Twas a sorry day
when e went away, and there's a
many'll be happier for lis 'ome-coming"
II have no doubt of that" was Kane's
reply. Then he set himself to answer
Stella's appeal. Those few minutes
pause while old Carthew was speaking
had sufficed for Kane to decide upon his
answer, and this is what he wrote:
my Dearest-Your happiness is mine,
and do rejoice with you and yours. I
shall reserve my congratulations for
your brother until our introduce
ton tonight-for, of course, he will be
welcome. Pray explain to him why I
sent no formal invitation: nevertheless,
the best robe and the highest seat at
the feast shall be his.
"Devotedly yours.
"ROSSITER KANE"
When Carthew was dismissed with
his answer Kane found himself alone
once more and proceeded to confront
this new dilemma.
Was there ever more grotesque and
puzzling or terrifying situation. The
man whom he had shot, robbed and left
for dead at the other end of the world
had returned to life and was that very
night coming to dance under the roof
of his assailant!
Kane laughed aloud at the bitter
irony of the thing. OF course, he stood
to be denounced on sight before all his
guests as an assassin and a thief! A