Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-01

lie ha0 lntenueu, OIL hHuHS IL
the hall. to clap it on and make make q
clean bolt for freedom and the llght OF
heaven, get back to the Savoy. dress
himself In another suit and once
more himself. go for Rochester. put
umbrella stand. Knights in armor
were guarding 1t, and turnkey, SIX
feet high, in red plush breeches, ana
with calves that would have mace
Victor Jones scream ,ai,. with laushtef
The turnkey. seeing our FRIEND;
stepped to a door, opened 1T, and held
it open for him. Not to enter the
room thus indicated would have been
possible enough. but the compelling
influence of that vast turnkey made
it impossible to Jones.
His volition had fled. he was sub
dued to his surroundings, for the
moment conquered.
He entered breakfast room. light
and pleasantly furnished. where at
a breakfast table and before n silver
tea urn sat a lady OF forty or SO.
thin faced, high nosed. aristocratic
and rather faded.
She was reading letter. and when
she saw the incomer she rose from the
table and gathered some other letters
up. Then she, literally, swept from
the room. She looked at him as she
had never known before the full
meaning of the word "scorn.''
For n wild second he thought that
all had been discovered, that the po-
lice We're now sure to arrive. Then he
knew at once. Nothing had been, dis
covered. the delusion held even for
this woman, that glance was meant
for Rochester not for him, and was
caused by the affair of last night. by
other things, too, maybe. but that
surely. E.
Uncomfortable, angry. nervous, wild
to escape, and then yielding to eau
ton. he took his seat at the table
where place was INDEPENDENTLY for
him.
The woman had left an envelope on
the table, he glanced at it..
The Honble: Venetia Birdbrook,
1OA Carlton House Terrace.
London, S. w.
Victor read the inscription written in
bold female hand. g.,
1t told him where he was. he was in
the breakfast room Of 10A. Carlton
House Terrace, hut it told him moth
Was the IIonble: .venetia Bird
Of. his twin image? This thought
blinded him for moment to the fact
that q flunkey-theN seemed as nu-
elbow with a menu. while another
turnkey, who seemed to have sprung
from the floor. was fddling at the
sideboard which contained cold edi-
forth.
Scrambled eggs" said he. looking
at the card.
'"res or coffee. my lord?'
Coffee"
He broke breakfast roll and helped
himself mechanically to some butter
which was instantly presented to him
by the sidcboard fiddler. and he had
Just taken a mechanical bite OF butt
tered roll. when the door opened ard
had pulled UP his window blind that
morning entered. Mr.. Church, for
Jones had already gathered shat TO be
his name carried little yellow bas-
hand. and in his left n great sheaf.
= the Times. Daily TELEGRAPH, Morning
Post, Daily Mail. Daily Express.
Chronicle and Daily News THESE pa
~ intended for that purpose. The lit
tic letter basket he placed on the ta-
be ut Jones' left elbow.
Then he withdrew, but not without
having spoken couple of murmured
words of correction to the turnkey
near the sideboard who had omitted.
no doubt. some point in the mystic
rious ritual of which he was an AGO.
lyte.
Jones glanced at the toDnost letter
THE EARL or ROCHESTER,.
10A, Carlton House Terrace.
London. S. w.
All! now he knew it. The true name
Of the juggler who had played him
this trick. 1t was plain, too now. that
Rochester had sent him here us Il sub
stitute.
But the confirmation of his idea did
not cast his mind. On the contrary.
it filled him with u vague alarm. The
feeling Of being in trap came upon
him now for the first time. The poke
had lost any semblancc Of color. the
thing was serious. Rochester ought
to have been back to put an end to
the business before this. Had any
thing happened to him? Had he got
jailed?
lie did not touch the letters. With
out raising suspicion. acting as nat
urally as possible the part OF Il peer
Of the realm. he must escape as swift
ly as possible from this nest. of
fiunkeys, and with that object in view
he accepted the scrambled eggs now
presented to him, and the coffee.
When they were finished, he rose
from the table. Then he remembered
the letters. Here was another tiny
tie. He could not leave them unopened
and untouched. on the table without
raising suspicion. lie took them from
the basket and with them in his hand
left the room. the fellow i'll waiting
slipping before to open the door.
The hall was deserted for a wonder.
deserted by all hut the men in armOr