Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-09-17
Secret"
49, By IS
DAVID WHITELAW

Ing preparing the bath, and q
thrill OF anticipation ran through him
AZ he thought OF the refreshing cool
ness of the ltmpid water. That, to-
gether with freAh linen. breakfast
and . cigarette. was all that he need
ed.
At nine o'clock Mr.. Robert Bax-
enter, after tdispatching his cable
gram, entered his Office feeling as fit
as though he had retired to bed at
ten the evening before.
And then for three days he went
on in the even routine OF the work
Of the law. Each evening found him
at the little dingy suburban stage
able&to time his arrival nor precise
~, thus avoiding the weary wait In
the sordid surroundings. and a. taxi
soon ran them out into. streets where
" seemed possible; tc breathe. Each
evening, too, q dainty little supper
would be awaiting them at the flat,
and Robert tried to. and in part suc-
ceeded in, driving the problem Of Mr..
Dartin and the Chauville inheritance
reservedly to- his reunion with Stella
and to taking up again the threads of
his interrupted love affair +.
The girl, too. feeling as though a
weight had been suddenly lifted from
Nher heart, became again the radiant
Creature h had been when the young
solicitor first met her and loved her
at the river party. For her life was
now all sunshine or which there was
no shadow, and 1t seemed as though
her cup OF happiness vas fully
charged.
Her stage career was to her now
. thing of no moment, and her eve
ming work was as ~distasteful as 1t
formerly had been fascinating. Her
contract with ~F1averton had but an
other two months to run, and by its
wording could not well be set aside
without q large momcntary sacrifice;
after its conclusion Stella hoped she
would neve see the inside Of q the
alter aGain-except from the other
Ed of the footlights .
It was on Friday morning that Rob-
ert found the reply to his cablegram
awaiting him when he entered his Of
flee. His Canadian correspondent
stated that he was still pursuing his
inquiries and was writing at length
by h next mail.
The cable stated simply that q gen.
,tleman Of the name Of Baptiste Dar-
tin arrived on the S. s. Touraine from
Havre In February Of last and
had left for London by the Anconia.
which sailed from Qdebec on June 4.
As far as MI LIE Page was aware, he.
was previously unknown in the do
minion He was said at the hotel to
be 2 man OF rather dissolute habits
friends
Robert sat with the slip Of paner
hanging Imply in his hands. From
the wall old Adam Baxenter looked,
Town upon him, and now the other
fancted that he had read reproach.
In the painted ayes. He leftShis chair
and nervously fell to pacing I'M and
down h carpeted room. His sus-
picions too on q more definite shape.
as he read and re-read the message.
,Darun-had not mentioned to him that
he knew Paris: more, Robert seemed
to remember the man had distinctly
said he had never been IN France.
Why, too, should he spend the time
between February and June in Que
bee? He must have had some reason
for putting OF the claiming OF the
inlier1tance.
Whatever game It was that the
owner OF Adderbury Towers was play,
inE. It was certainly not altogether
p straight n Robert thought OF,
bitterly resented the many Ways.
in which Dartin had deceived mn
and he registered q vow In his mind.
then and there. that nothing should.
be allowed to stand IN his way Of
probing the secret ia the bottom.
IT might not altogether be playing,
the game, on his part, to- spy upon
the man whose hospitality ne was
about TO- accept but for Stella.s sake,
and Tor the sake sofafight, he could not
afford I be nice in choosing 1.-The
mao name vrS&kHh .,hSuhH N-Rl.ka NJ 1890