Evening star., 1920-04-04
1E CHRONICLES OF JH
The Girl in the Fur Coat

were no longer being worn. There
was not girl in sight who was so
dressed. Then walking quickly along
Fleet street as far as Mtre court,
l went through to Kings Bench
walk, and was remarded. She must
have waited somewhere after all, and
was now going in the direction Of
the gateway which leads into Tudor
street. There is little of the bold
Lothario about me, and it never oc-
CURED to me that she would resent
my having followed her. That wave
OF her hand had been an invita-
tion to do so; the spring in the March
morning was an excuse for uncon-
ventionality. Hearing me close be-
hind her she stopped and turned.
Are you following me?' she asked.
NO. that isl beg your pardon"
am not sure whether she smiled,
put II she did there was no invitation
to continue the adventure. She was
handsome rather than pretty, and on
closer inspection she appeared to lack
something which she seemed to pos
sess when viewed from my third floor
window. Only distance and the angle
had lent her piquancy. She did not
look like girl in whose blood there
was a tingling for adventure. After
looking at me steadily for a moment
she went toward Tudor street, and |
took out cigarette and tried not to
look like the fool l felt. Two or three
men were crossing Kings Bench walk.
put came to the conclusion that none
OF them had taken any notice of the
encounter.
l walked slowly back into Fleet
street. remembering, now it was too
iate how much more effectively 7
might have answered her question.
Why had she waved to me? Had
been little bolder the encounter
might have ended differently, yet
somehow I was not altogether sorry
1t had not done so. I had been at
tracted by the girl I thought she
was not by the girl herself, and 1t
was the girl of my fancy which kept
the spirit Of adventure alive in me,
making a return to the seclusion of
my chambers impossible at present.
l lunched UP west, at a little Bo-
hemian place in Soho. and drank half
bottle of wine to try and convince
myself that I was grasping enjoy
ment. l do not suppose any girl in a
brown fur coat escaped my scrutiny,
for kind of obsession possessed me
that the girl I had fancied must ma
terialize. I was out for adventure. was
prepared for it, and not a ghost of one
came over my horizon to disturb the
About 4 o'clock / went
to Palm Tree court in a state of dejec-
tion.
] entered the court through the tun-
mel. almost running into q loiterer
there as / did SO. / saw two men at
open windows. and a horrible sus-
picion came to me that the girl of the
morning had been waving to some
one else and that the court gossip had
already proclaimed that 1 had made
as ass of myself. Old Sir John Saun-
ders was on his doorstep, and to
avoid being drawn into conversation
by him pretended ! was in hurry.
entered my room, pushed the door
TO behind me. and then stood staring
into corner The carpet had been
tutHeu DiCk, anu Dlt OF the moor
ing was missing. Some one had been
there during my absence and What
had he been doing? went and looked
into the hole. 1t was some sort of
secret hiding place, made for the pur-
pose, and was empty save for few
scraps Of paper piece OF cloth and
small strip Of leather.
by Jove! Here is adventure after
ALL" i said aloud.
"Mr. Burford Yates, I think"
I swung round. suddenly conscious
Of danger. A man was standing by
the door into my bedroom. and /
recognized something familiar about
him. An instant later l knew he was
the man l had met on the stairs that
morning.
Yes. my name Is Yates, but who
are your
"Screed-Jeremy Screed." was the
answer.
And what the deuce have you been
doing here?" l asked, pointing to the
hole.
my name is not familiar to you?"
he asked. "Astoriishing! The igno-
rance gives you away. You must be
a barrister with nothing to do. Idle
hands and the devil-you know the