The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1921-02-10
CHAPTER V-Continued.
ia
By
MEREDITH
NICHOLSON


this memorandum:
THE young woman representing her
self as Mrs. Bashford and now estab-
lshed in my uncle's house Is one or
all Of the following persons:
81. Uncle Bash's widow.
"2. An lmpostOr.
"3 A spy of some sort, pursued by
secret agents.
d Violet Dewing, an actress.
20. The most interesting and the
loveliest and most charming girl in
the world"
The following day nothing Of impor-
tance happened, though Alice and Mrs.
Furnsworth again spent the morning
in the woodland, presumably studying
Searles play. My thoughts galloped
through my head in a definite formula:
If she is not my aunt" "If she Is
,ln impostor-" "If she is a spy playing
a deep game in the seclusion of Bar
ton" "If she is the actress Searles
is seeking" At any rate, l 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 l smothered an impulse
to tell Alice and Mrs. FarnswOrth |
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 selfshness in not taking me
along, Alice Immediately suggested a
tramp later in the afternoon.
"Tll 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 fairies" ,"
she laughed when I went for her; "and
you mustn't look at the addresses ~
She suggested that we walk to the
village, as she liked to post her letters
! herself. We went through the woods
where l had seen her the day before.
Constance and l were here this
| morning" she said when we reached
the big boulder. Let me see; l think
III 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; "if 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 1t fell, turning over and over
and lay straight on edge against a
weed.
mo decisionl" / cried. It's an ex.
act perpendicular"
She knelt beside 1t, pondering. 81
think 1t leans just a trifle to the ad,
dress side," she announced. "There-
fore you may return it to your pocket
and 1t goes into the post Office"
"These letters would probably an
swer u lot of questions for me if ]
dared run away with them" l sug
gested
The thought does you no credit, SIR
You promised not to meddle, but just
to let things take their course, ant
l must say that you are constantly
improving. At times you grow suspi
cious-yes, you know you dO-but
take it all in all, you do very we'll"
At the post office she dropped al
the letters but one into the chute. II
really did fall a little to the address
sideT she questioned.
gave my judgment that the letter
stood straight on edge, inclining Meth
er way.
IF my life hung in the balance,
should certainly not act where fate
had been so timid."
Suppose" said Alice muslngly, "
were to tell you that If | mall thi!
letter the effect will be to detain m,
in America for some time; if | don
send 1t, l shall have to write anothe
that will mean that | shall go yer,
soon. If / stay on at Barton insteaC
Of going home TO take up my littl,
part again for England I'm the war, I
will be an act Of sefishness-jus
some more Of my fOolishness, more o
the make-believe life that COnstanc,