Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-04


pfeped--the word is used advisedly-
into the smaller room, and-the thing
tRnt she discovered was so amazing, so
a&tounding, so paralyzing in its effect
upen her that for an interval she stood
perfectly still, without moving, barely
brenthing; indeed, it seemed to her rs
III her heart had stopped beating.
There had been no sound of her ap-
pfosch. although she had not intended
IL to be silent or stealthy. She had
ascepded the stairs swiftly, passed
through the open doorway into the den
csossed it to the curtains. parted them
land had come upon that supplying
ktiowledge-that hideously unthinkable
ptonstrosity-a cheat at a gentleman :
game of cards. 4 chcat-a swindIer .
fer the man could be nothing elSe-and
he was one of her accepted guests.
VERY gently. indeed she permitted
the curtains to fall together. she
moved backward. away from them'
exerting the utmost car" to aN"lu th'
slightest sound that might bctraH her
presence, She retreatcd TO the u"o'
way and halted at the threshold. rom
there after moment, she called aloud
using the given name OF one oi NV
niayers-her intimate friend. ana l'lhS
hams. -, .,ro
you men still playing cardS-NP"'''nH
tbe al arnoon for the others oN Ho"'
selfishnrss: ,., G,.o
.Tbep while at least three "i the nN'
.hsnondnd she crossed to the cur'a'nN
.d Jrc,v them wide open.
gTo,r Clancy was already on his l'e''
s"Au through. Lady Kate ne an
,,,ncod with the easy formaIltN OF IN
a,d and intimate friend. 'l.urkH thihE.
~ ia have been n bankrupt III
IN stonped shamefaccdly. and Erlhn'"'
9Sothcriue shook finger Mt MN
half playfully, yet rrProNl"tSI.i .r.
tending not to notice the per'r''H "r
,mrent evidences of high play '""' a.,
, OH about her. in the expressions VI n .t'
faces of the five men, ana "i""
table. -,.., me r,ic
qa,n haven't yOu:' she ASKED" """
n,ainly did not expect an answer
- turned to the man who's" OarN
had becn directly toward her Wh'n Sn'
ID rtad tbc curtains the first time """
said smilingly-even lnGchuo"S'H
..you are almost stranger. wv
Mailman so. of course. you could h"'
have known that I strongly object 10
,smbliur. particularly among my guests
at inquest. But the others al. VI
them. did knOw-so, l VIII SuSs'S'
She turned a smiling face toward 'h'
others. permitting her glance 10 rest
unon each one of them for an lhN'a
~ ,imc-.'that the winner, or WIN
r.rs make restitution to the losers vi
.oJrse Won will all agree to that. TO
,,laosa me- However. | did not come
bcre TO chide you. l want you l" '"'''
down to the veranda at once r'a''H
soon as the winners have made goo"
To the losers. And. please. no more
gambling -, Ill.,. ,o,r
She lett them then still smiling. leaV-
ipS behind her the impression that She
hssl no idea that they might not "peS
her suggestion, which had III i"'''
amounted to a mandate.
~ -Four of the erstwhile players made
M comment whatever after katherlh"
bsd gone. The fifth-COnrad Bclkap'
So caIled-smiled coldly, a slow. nan
speering smile that was not pleasant 10
see. and which might have been IN
rratiating. submissive to circumstance,
or insulting, according as one wished
td take it,
."Of course" he said, Struggling ms
shoulders significantly, If you gentle
men wish to take advantage OF Mrs
Harvard's dictum and-er--recclve back
what you have lost, l will obey her.
AID return
ii.Don't be an ass, Belknap. Clancy
INTERRUPTED sharply. Come on. all OF
YOU. We're wanted below and out on
tile lawn. We will write our checks for
you little later, Belknap; and If, in
tile meantime, Mrs. II. should ask queS-
tipns. which she is not likely to do,
it can truthfully be said that not a
dollar in money has changed hands.
Get me? Now, lets join the others
downstairs
The five descended the stairs together.
and separated as they came out upon
the yeranda. Belknap dropped upon
vacant chair beside Betty Clancy, Tom :
wife. who was chatting with the small
group of ladies' around her and pains
takingly manipulating silk floss, needle
bodkin, and embroidery frame with
abundant skill at the same time. Archer.
Sears. and Demming wandered with ap-
parent aimlessness toward tn" tennis
courts while they began to talk earnestly
together; and Tom, after hesitating at
the top of the steps to light fresh
cigar, felt n soft arm slipped beneath
his own. and heard KatherinP's voice
rkmark, SO that the others might hear
her:
.Walk al ound TO the kennels with
ME. Tom l want to show you---'
When they had turned bend in the
path, and were lost to view from the
yfranda, Katherine asked abruptly:
+ ! .sTom, just who is Conrad Bclknap:"
Search me" Clancy replied. "YOu
ought to know better than !. DOcsn t
Hing know him? Where is Bing, any
how"
"He was detained in town and will
be out later; about or 6 o'clock. he
said, over the telephone. No; Bing
i dpesn't know Mr. Belknap. Neither of
us ever saw him or heard his name
before yesterday. The Archers brought
him with them yesterday afternoon.
s.fHe is staying at their house-quite
uhexpectedly, Belle told me, when she
tAlephoned to ask if she could bring him
klDng. / thought perhaps you might