Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-12


& bring about his own arrest through
Kendall, the owner of the island.
Luckily the visiting officer proves
to be his cousin and he has no diff
6cufty in clearing himself His
story, however, gets little credcnce
and independent investigation seems
to disprove it. Later the British
government begins to suspect that
there is really spy on the island
and Merton is induced to return to
the island in the guise of an alcoholic
named Hobhouse; who becomes n pa
tient of DR.. Kendall, a relative of
the owner.
And Here IL Continues.
But this time he was conscious of
sudden thrill of certainty that Miss
Kendall had been covertly studying
him, and that now Though her eyes
turned away instantly she had some
new food for thought. Instantly he
asked for another cup of tea and
blinked at her benignantly as their eyes
met. Did he actually read in hers con
firmation of his first instructive feeling,
or was it only too quick imagination?
Mr.. Hobhouse wondered very seriously.
Thereafter for some little time, as he
talked with her father he was acutcly
aware that both she and the doctor were
very silent. and when now and then he
glanced at her, she seemed to be think
ing rather than listening.
q And then, just as he was beginning
to grow a trile uneasy, this phase
seemed to pass away and the next time
he looked at her she met his place with
faint smile. In fact, she had smiled
several times before the doctor and
his patient took their departure. and
as they shook hands at the end Thomas
. Sylvester was agreeably conscious of
the kindest look she had ever favored
him with. And finally when her father
hoped they might see their new ac-
quaintance soon again, she joined him
In hoping. both with her words, and
(it seemed to HIM her eyes.
During the first part of their walk
home, Mr.. Hobhouse was very silent.
Going back over their call, while every
thing was fresh in his memory, he had
to confess that his prejudices against
Mr.. Kendall were ready to vanish al
In fact the grim, ironic Mr. Kendall
conversing with the suspicious stranger
was an entirely different person from
the friendly Mr.. Kendall who conversed
with the innocent looking Thomas Syl-
vester HObhouse. On the face of it this /,
was obviously to be explained by his .
suspicious of the stranger. But of
what did he suspect him? Of being
German spy. as he professed: Or of
being what he was? That was the
whole point, and it seemed to me that ,
getting him arrested and removed was
equally consistent with either aIterna-
tive.
But what of his daughter. that slim,
dangerously dainty piece of mystery:
Were her two changes of attitude in
the course of this afternoon mere mir
ages seen by an eye disordered by sus-
: picion? That might be, but Mr.. Hob
house was prepared to stake his davy
that they were real. And what then
did they imply? Surely not that she
suspected the truth. He could not
read them into that. That she was
simply a coquette and for want of more
/.
O'Brien) was prepared to have little
Irritation with his successor? This was
somehow or other, not a very agreeable
solution, but l began to suspect it
might be the true one. In any case she .
was a puzzling factor. and the best
course of action seemed to me to be
to avoid her society in the meanwhilr. /
and to keep my eyes wide open for
possible trouble. | hardly thought there
would be trouble, but it were well to
be on the lookout
This being decided. the amiabe Mr..
Hobhouse started conversation with the
doctor, and gradually by gentle and
circuitous methods led the talk. via the
war in general, to the part in the war
played by these islands. and to any
interesting events that might have hap
pened in them. He was heading in his
devious way for the visit of the sus-
picious stranger, but at this point the
doctor brought him in of his own accord.
1--WE had one most extraordinary
thing happen in this place" said he.
Nobody has got to the bottom of it
yet"
Really" cried Mr.. Hobhouse. How
very interesting. What was it?''
We'll ~ said the doctor. lone morn
Ing when I had that fellow O'Brien
staying with me. young man walked
into my house under the impression
so he said-that it was my cousins.
Whether he told the truth or not I've
often wondered since. He had no cap,
was buttoned uD in an OilSkin coat
Though l may say it was fine morn
ing) and talked with distinct foreign
accent, / could swear it was German,
but O'Brien, who cOntradicted every
thing, stuck to it it was Russian. A
lot he knew about Russian lie was
only In the house about five minutes,
for when he discovered his mistake
or what he said was his mistake-he
went off. And that is all saw of him
personally"
"But did he go to Mr.. Rendall's
them"
The doctor nodded.
''He turned up there and spent two
or three nights in the house. The chap
had the impudence of the devil. He
said he had been landed from one of
our own cruisers and didn't want to be !
recognized as an officer, so would they
be kind enough to lend him Ii coat and |
let him lock his uniform coat up in a |
drawer He was in his oilskin all this .
time, you must remember. A day or