The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-10-26
CHAPTER XII.
AUTHOR or X" THE rAHN LOWER TEh'ETc. :, 40 oS~>~
COPYRIGHT r
riART RoeEETS RIhEhART L

-11-
It was only an hour or so befors
dawn when Huff got to the hall. There
were no trains between midnight anG
morning. And Talbot's car, which he
might have used had been long de-
layed by his burst tire. He took G
suburban trolley line for perhaps halt
the distance and walked the rest.
At four o'clock in the morning he
pressed the arbor button, and old Hen
riette, grumbling at this second dis
turbance of her rest, reused Elinol
again.
Time was precious. Huff, having
rung the announcing bell, made his
way up through the dew to the house
And so it was that Elinor, opening the
house door, met him face to face. AS
she recoiled from him, he closed the
door.
II have brought you message from
Boroday," he said swiftly. 1--WE been
q fool and scoundrel and-it's about
all up"
Elinor hardly realized what he was
saying. The light of horror had hardly
died out of her eyes. To her, Walter
once her lover, now typi6ed all Of suf.
fering and nearness to death that lay
In old Hilary's room upstairs.
"The first train leaves the city at
six O'clock" he said, trying to keep his
voice steady. "It is hardly likely they
will be out SO soon, but under some
-pretext or other they will search the
house this morning"
"How can l leave the house now?
Upstairs in fathers room"
>=,'I know" he put in hastily. Il know
all about it. Elinor, I am sorry, am
wildly sorry. It's no excuse to say /
was crazy, but was"
'f I go away" Elinor said, with
white lips, show will they manage
about him? The nurse needs so many
things, and IL see that she has then" !"
A flame leaped into the boys eyes.
eff you care for him like that
what are. you going to do about It?
marry him. If he ever found out about
you"
=. = ."He will never marry me. And-he
does know.
The fact that Ward knew the truth
about Elinor and the band brought
back to him their common peril. He
thrust aside, for the time at least, his
directed his energies toward preparing
the house for the inevitable search.
So systematic had old Hilary been
that there were few papers to destroy.
Such of the 1edgers as were incriminat-
ing he burned in the furnace. Elinor's
box of jewels he carried upstairs and
placed on the library table. Such set
tings as had remained from the coun-
try club raid, after the gems had been
taken out, he melted together in old
Hilary's crucible and placed the gold
and platinum nugget in Elinor's box.
He had set the safe to a simple COM
bination and closed it. Except for its
size, and for the protective wiring
buried in its walls. it might have been
elderly gentleman living in the coun-
try to hold his silver spoons.
1t was too late by that time to bury
the box as Boroday had suggested.
Huff did the next best thing. He
buried it carefully in Elinor's garden,
under a clump Of crimson phlox.
Elinor worked hurriedly, but with
hopeless eyes. Her preparations con-
sisted in little more than putting on
. the clothing in which she meant to
travel. In this new life on which she
was entering she wanted little to re-
mind her of the old. A letter to Hen
riette contained enough money to pay
off the servants and the household ac-
counts. In another envelope she fold
ed the deed to the house and note
conveying it to Henriette.
."You can sell It," she wrote. Good
by, dear Henriette. I shall never for
get you, and If ever it is possible, be
sure I shall see you again"
The time came just before dawn,
when she and Walter stood again face
to face in the library.
Huff was going at once. 1t was not
Boroday's plan that any of them
should further incriminate Elinor by
accompanying her to the train. At a
started.
"The nurse going down, probably for
Ice" she explained.
"He is getting better, isn't hep
"Yes, but he still suffers at times"
When the steps had died away, Eli
nor slowly drew off her engagement
ring, and held 1t out to him across the
table. Although he was watching her.
he made no move to take it, and she
laid 1t down between them on the
table.
II don't think we need talk about it,
Walter" she said simply. There, is
nothing to say, Is there?"
81 suppose not" he returned bitterly.
He added: eff only you will try not
to hate me, Elinor."
81 do not hate you. But if he had
died"
Huff came swiftly around the table
and taking both her hands in his, held
them to his throat with q despairfng
gesture.
eff 1 didn't know that it would make
you more unhappy" he said slowly,
"rd kill myself today"
"Walter!"
"T tell you now. 1t won't change
matters any, but perhaps 1t will
change your memory Of me. Ever
since I've known. you I've had one
dream. You were to marry ME and 1
was going to turn straight. 1 could
have done 1t with your help. But
now"
He dropped her hands and turned
away. Elinor watched him wistfully.
The one thing he wanted she could not
give. There could be no compromise
between them. 1t must be all or moth
ing, and she had given her all to some
oDe else.
In the doorway he turned and looked
bock at her With haggard eyes. 1t was