The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-11-22
CHAPTER Ix-continued.

to marry him. There is talk Of the
doctors daughter, a common little
thing"
When she had gone, ElinOr, little
faint and dizzy. went out on the ter
race. She realized that the barrier be-
tween Ward and herself was not only
Of his faith against her unbelief. There
was the insurmountable gulf between
his world and her world. She did not
fit into his life. Into his arm, perhaps; /;
into his life-never.
Walter would try to get the money
She must get word to him somehow,
for If the Bryant pearl was recovered
and BorOday given his freedom, mon
ey would not be an immediate neces-
sity.
She paced the terrace and tried to
think 1t out. For Talbot to go back
to the city, an hour; for the delivery of
the special delivery, another hour.
Then the police would have to come
out by train or motor. With the best
Of luck, It would be four O'Clock before
the pearl could be recovered.
There were a dozen possibilities;
the chief might be out of town; the
pearl might be recovered from the
box without his assistance. In that
case he would not hold to his agree
ment with Boroday.
She tried to head Walter off, but she
could not locate him. At none Of his
various haunts could she find him by
telephone; he was not at the DagOs;
at the taxicab office he was said to
be laid off for the day. AS the white
clouds of the afternoon turned to
fame in the sunset, Elinor's face grew
set and hard.
I'm not blind. I'll get him for
this"
That was what he had said. He
would go after the money that night,
and there was murder in his heart
Old Henriette, watching Elinors set
face, grew fretful. She squealed If
a door slammed; brought food that
Elinor could not eat, and finally. divin-
ing a crisis, tried stealthily by tele-
phone to locate Talbot or Lethbridge
and failed.
You'd better eat a bite or two,"
she entreated.
Ellnor's nerves, too, were on edge.
II don't want it." she said
Just little soupP
'If you bring that tray here again
! shall throw it out of the window"
Henriette was Cheered. Elinor,
whitelipped and speechless, was alarm
ing. ElinOr in one of her rare RACES
was reaSSuring.
BY seven o'clock Elinor knew what
she must do; go to Ward, tell him
what she feared, and how she knew.
She was not craven, but her very soul
was sick She sought about for some
way to evade the issue or to postpone
1t, and finally she struck on one. On
plain note paper she scrawled little
note in a feigned hand:
"An attempt will be made tonight to
secure the fund raised at the morning
service. Be advised and give it to
someone else to keep overnight"
But she realized before she had fin
ished it the uselessness of such an at
tempt. Ward would not transfer a
danger.
The night had fallen. A line Of cars
from the country club was carrying
town people and villagers home to the
late dinners of the golf season. Groups
of girls and men in summer garments,
chatting gayly, passed under the wall
Of her garden. Down in the valley
struggling lines of evening church
goers moved deCOrously toward the
churches. A ragged child stood in the
road below her garden and wept.
Elinor ran down to him, and took him
up in her arms. When she had soothed
him she felt Quleter. She went into
the house and put on her hat There
was no message from Talbot, no word
of Huff.
Evening service was over when she
reached Saint Jude's. The last strag'
gler had gone, and Ward was not in
sight. She avoided the street lights
She felt quite sure that Walter was
in the vicinity, his keen eyes missing
nothing.
He had put his hand on her before
she knew he was near.
"Worshiping again" he jeered.
81 have not been in the church,
Her quick mind was scheming desper
ately ahead. II have been alone this
evening. When you did not come
L"
He swung her around.
"You were looking for me?"
"I thought you might be here. YoI
said last night"
The memory Of the night before
stung him. He released her wrist.
"Walter, l am afraid I tried t.
make you understand last night, bu
you wouldn't listen. If he were reused
he might be dangerous. Don't tax,
chances; don't think, because he is {
churchman-"
She was talking against time. Sh
had her plan now.
II can take care Of myself" salt
HUFF sullenly. But he kept his plac
beside her as she started back. He
solicitude was for him, then. Sh
cared, after all. But It wouldn't do t
unbend too much. Elinor had treate
him with high hand. His very pulls
ached with her nearness, but he di
not touch her.
He left her without even a hand
clasp.
"You might wish me luck"
Il wish you safety" she replied. d
stood down In the road, and watche
her shadowy figure threading its wa