The spectator., 1918-09-17
CHAPTER xVI-Continued.

the fire was all out" Any further discussion was cut short by the violent ringing of the telephone bell inside the burning building.
 "Who can be calling up at this time of nightT' wondered Vida, voicing the general curiosity.
 We probably will never know" Bopp gazed dreamily into the fire. l Maybe some one saw the blaze from the mainland and is calling up about it."
 "No," said Lucille, with conviction; tits my mother She has seen the fire from Hu/tingdon's and wants to know if l am safe. We must answer it and tell her that everything is all right"
 No one could go in there" I pro tested ''The fire is raging in the liv- ing room. and the walls may fall any moment"
 But mother will worry"
 What iS she does?" A man under stress of excitement is sometimes un- Intentionally brutal.
 If you men are not brave enough" Lucille declared. with eyes flashing If you're so afraid of getting singed, I'm going in to answer that telephone my self and tell my mother that l am safe"
 You wouldn't be safe if you were talking over that telephone" 1 was ,xasperated. but it was impossible to allow girl in tiinsy negligee to go into that furnace. Since you put 1t that way, I'll go.'
 I groped my way to the instrument, jammed the receiver to my ear and shouted, Hello"
 Sorry to waken you. old chap" said a male voice apologetically, but l sim ply must speak to Miss Dunmore."
 You go to Halifaxr I requested loudly, and. dropping the receiver, made . wild dash for the door. from which I emerged with my clothing on fire in only one or two spots.
 '"rhank your Lucille was very sweet in bestowing her gratitude. Was she very much worriedT'
 Ut wasn't your mother" l said shortly. Tt was MT. Blaney."
  . waiting for an answer, "I must speak to him.
 I gently restrained her.
 "Blaney?" queried Lucille blankly; then, turning to me, Your brother?"
 No relation" returned.
 Hes my fiance," Vida explained. Just the darlingest old Blaney that
  Fair View We were to have been married today. or yesterday, rather"
 "Oh.' Lucille retired to her inner consciousness to think.
 told Vida that Blaney knew she was safe, as he had called up several times during the day.
 "Where was I?"
 You were always out somewhere with Mir. Clair" I explained.
 "Yod didn't tell Ned that, did you?"
 "Why, yes. guess l did. Whyf"
 Hes so jealous" sighed Vida. Ut makes him furious when l talk to oth- CT men. of course after we're mar ried I'll train him differently, but now have to be careful"
 Our attention was distracted from the burning building by the arrival of Bill Johnson. who walked unannounced into the circle of light. The noise of the Merry Widow arriving had appar- ently been lost in the cracking of the James.
 Well" inquired, were Mrs. Green and MT. Clair all right?"
 "I shall not know it." Bill replied phlegmatically. "I can't, by Yimminy, find 'em."
 Cant find them? Nonsense! Did you go up to the house?"
 Yes, sare. And I look in all the rooms. No one shall be in each"
 ''They can't have left. Mrs. Green said she wouldn't"
 What's up now2" Bopp inquired.
 Mrs. Green has disappeared once more."
 "Eloped with Lipton s. Clair?'
 Impossible! You haven't seen him since he left here"
 What else could have happenedT "I can't imagine. It's . small island. and there would be no sense in sup posing that she was hiding anywhere outside of the house. Besides. they both knew that the boat was coming | back soon to get them"
 Mrs. Green is so elusive" Bopp l criticized. that I should think that when once you located her you would ! have kept your eye on her" ''If l had" I reminded him, you would probably all be burnt to cin- ders now. There must be some plausi- ble reason for Mrs Greens disappear ance. Suppose we don't tell her daugh- ter right away until we try to find out what has happened It would only cause her additional worry" That was agreed upon.
 At any rate" Bopp said, i've can all go over to the mainland in the Mer- ry Widow and get breakfast"
 "No," declared Bill, shaking his head. Merry Widow she shant run. She broke her waive spring. Maybe 1t | tal al da An fx ha