Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-01
Cesrsehf. 1918. by d. .Appieton a Co.
Copvri0ht, Public LEDGER Company
READ THIS FIRST

prussic acid probably administered
# in q glass Of cherry brandy. Eve
lyn's mother and stepfather arrive
but are unable to throw any light
on the mystery. Captain La Mon.
& tagne, in love with Evelyn, learns
from Marion Van Ness, Evelyn's
friend, that his letters have been
intercepted. He suspects Burnham,
Eyelvn's stepfather. Burnhams
Snsions since his arrival at nome
nave been suspicious. watching
Evelyn depart from the house he
hurries into his wife's boudoir,
where Mrs. Burnham Is knitting
and declaring the room stuiIy,
throws open the windows CAUSING
the papers on her desk to blow
about the room.
NOW READ THIS
StrTlHERE, Peter, see what you have
= done" Mrs. Burnham's vexation
was betrayed by her heightened color
"And / have just tidied my desk. Be
sure and put every letter back exactly
where it was"
1t took Burnham some minutes to
comply with her request, and she OBJ
served with silent but growing irrita'
ton that her correspondents was not
being piled in neat little packages such
a. she had arranged with minute at.
tention to detail earlier that morning.
"Don't trouble to put the bills up
permost," she said her eyes twinkling.
That will do nicely, Peter; come and
sit down, you look warm" and her
pointed knitting needle indicated the
vacant arm chair, the mate to the
one she was occupying, which, with
her chair and a table, about filled the
octagon-shaped wing Of her boudoir.
Burnham sat down with a short, dis
contented sigh. II can't conceive why
we closed the lodge and came in town
so early" he grumbled, dabbing his
forehead with handkerchief. Wash
ington is unbearable."
s'The nights are not so bad, and II
YOU would keep cool, Peter, you would
not feel the heat SO much" Mrs. Burn
ham took up her knitting. III 1 re-
member correctly it was you who first
suggested our returning this month.
Burnham moved restlessly and
pursed up his lips. well, what could
we do, with Evelyn taking the bit in
her teeth?" he demanded. you can
not detain girl in convent by force,
and she could not remain in this city
,inchaperoned."
.True." Mrs. Burnham contented
herself with the single word ana
knitted on in silence.
ut is a great pity, Lillian" COM
+ planned Burnham, growing restiVe
under the short quick glances with
which his wife favored him, that your
discipline was so lax; in consequence
Evelyn has grown up with the idea
that her wish is law"
"she comes of a headstrong race
acknowledged Mrs. Burnham, with a
half sigh. do not worry, Peter. Eve.
lyn will consider herself madly in
love a dozen times before she actually
finds the man she will marry"
Burnham leaned back in his chair
and thrust his hands in his pockets.
.Rene La Montague is still in town"
he announced.
"Not really?" Mrs. Burnham laid
aside her knitting. II understood he
had been detailed to one of the avia-
ton training camps in the South"
He hasn't gone yet for Maynard
told me that he saw him at the Shore
ham Tuesday night Mrs. Burnham
made no comment and her husband
B added with suppressed vehemence,
Tough luck"
Mrs. Burnham drummed her knit
ting needles up and down on the arm
Of her chair in troubled silence.
II disapprove of international mar
riages," she said finally. II have seen
too many unhappy results; take, for
instance, Marian Van Ness" Her
needles clicked loudly in the still room,
and there was a decided pause before
4 she added: T don't really know the
rights of the case, as Marian was mar
ricd In Europe and passed her brief
matrimonial career away from Wash
ington, but" again Mrs. Burnham
paused, "but agree with the diplo'
Z mat who said, Those whom the Allan
tic has put asunder. let no man join
together.'
.sYou will have a difficult task con
vincing Evelyn of your viewpoint" re
<crted Rurnham "If I don't mistake
the signs you may face an elopement
IL, as I strongly suspect, Evelyn ant
Rene are carrying on clandestine cor
respondence."
Mrs. Burnham stopped to retrieve
her ball of yarn which had rolled te
the floor before she asked, "Where die
you get that idea?"
''F'rom Jones, whose mysterious
manner when I met him carrying q
box Of flowers to Evelyn and deliver
inx q note surreptitiously made m'
suspicious. 1 promptly told him to re
port 10 you hereafter whenever letters
and packages were given him for Eve
.ayn."
& aouite right" Mrs. Burnham spok'
With decision. ''We want no elope
ments: but upon my word. Peter,
could not help but like Rene La Nor
4arne. If It were not for the fac
49,. sL.s. a <oraionar and that h0