The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-07-03
CHAPTER V-Continued.


lished in my uncle's house is one or
all of the following persons:
81. Uncle Basins widow.
y. An impostor.
"3. A spy of some sort, pursued by
secret agents.
~. Violet Dewing, an actress.
SO. The most interesting and the
loveliest and most charming girl in
the world"
The following day nothing of impor-
lance happened, though Alice and Mrs.
Farnsworth again spent the morning
in the woodland, presumably studying
Searles' play. My thoughts galloped
{ If she is not my aunt" IF she is
SGn fmpostor-" eff she is a spy playing
a deep game in the seclusion of Bar
ton" "If she is the actreBs Searles
is seeking" At any rate, I would re-
Spect her wish to play the game
through; the dangers of carrying the
story-book idea to one of half a dozen
possible conclusions were not incon-
siderable, but l was resolved that she
should finish the tale in her own
fashion
If I had expected Searles and his
play to be introduced into the table
talk, was doomed to disappointment.
A dozen times / smothered an impulse
to tell Alice and Mrs. Farnsworth l
had watched them in the woodland
and of Searles' long search FOR the
ideal of his Lady Larkspur," but l
was afraid to risk their displeasure.
They enjoyed walking in the wood,
they said, and when I charged them
with selfishness in not taking me
along, Alice Immediately suggested a
tramp later In the afternoon.
''I'll send you away after luncheon
i have loads of letters to write, but
by four o'clock I'll be keen for the
woods again."
Letters to all my good fairfes,"
she laughed when went for her; land
you mustn't look at the addresses I"
She suggested that we walk to the
village, as she liked to post her letters
herself. We went through the woods
where / had seen her the day before.
Constance and / were here this
morning." she said when we reached
the big boulder. Let me see; 1 think
I'll try a little trick to test the hand
of fate. Give me those letters, please.
If this falls with address up, I'll mail
it." and she chose one and handed me
the others; eff the flap side turns up,
I'll destroy it."
She sent it spinning into the air. A
branch caught and held it an instant,
then it fell, turning over and over,
and lay straight on edge against a
weed.
mo decision!' cried. cts an ex-
act perpendicular"
She knelt beside it, bordering. 81
think it leans just a trifie to the ad-
dress SIDE" she announced. There
fore you may return it to your pocket
and it goes into the post Office"
These letters would probably an
swer a lot of questions for me if I
dared run away with them" I sug-
gested.
THE thought does you no credit, sir.
You promised not to NEEDLE, but just
to let things take their course, and
l must say that you are constantly
improving. At times you grow suspi-
cious- you know you debut,
take it all in all, you do very WELL"
AT the post office she dropped all
the letters but one into the chute. "It
really did fall little to the address
side?" she questioned.
I gave my judgment that the letter
stood straight on edge, tnclining Meth
er way.
! "1f my life hung in sthe balance, 1
should certainly not act where fate
had been so timid."
Suppose" said Alice musingly, ST
were to tell you that if mail this
letter the effect will be to detain me
in America for some time; if 1 don't
send it, I shall have to write another
that will mean that l shall go very
soon. If 1 stay on at Barton instead
of going home to take up my little
part again for England in the war, it
will be an act of selfishness-just
some more of my foolishness, more Of
the make-believe life that Constance
and l have been living here"
II want you to stay" said earnest
fate in this-in everything that affects
your life forever"
She walked quickly to the door, and
= dropped the letter into the chute and
hurried after her.
"You didn't turn round" said as
we started down the street. For all
you know, I've got the letter in my
booklet"
"Oh, I'm not bit frightened! It
would be just as interesting one way
as another"
"But l want you to stay forever"
/ declared as we waited on the curb
for a truck to pass.
1.-THE remark is almost impertinent,"
she answered, when I've known you
only seven days"
They've been wonderful days. It
really makes no difference about let
tiers or your duties elsewhere. Where
you go 1 shall certainly follow; that's
something l should like to have IN
derStOOd here and now"
Lettering along the beach on our
way home, | was guiltily conscious
that I was making love rather ardent
" to a lady who had introduced her
self to me as my uncles widow. The
sensation was, on the whole, very
agreeable.
"Mr. Terrence and Mr. Raynor,"
Antoine announced as we were leav
inc tho 6iDDpr-tah1o