Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-15

lenging reply. "You are not the only
great statesman who needs to step of
the treadmill now and them"
There was certain quiet contempt
in Tallente's uplifted eyebrows. The
contrast between the two men, mo-
mentarily isolated on the little platform,
was striking and extreme. Tallente
had the bearing, the voice and the
manner which were his by heritage,
education and natural culture. Miller,
who was the son of postman In a
small Scotch town, an exhibitioner so
| far as regards his education, and a
cerned, had all the aggressive bump
tiousness of the successful man who has
| wit enough to perceive his shortcon-
ings. In his Ill chosen tourist clothes
untidy collar and badly arranged tie,
| he presented contrast to his com
panion, of which he seemed, In O way,
bitterly conscious.
"You are staying near here?" Tai.
lente inquired civilly.
"Over near Lynton. Dartrey has a
cottage there. I came down yester.
day;!" l., ,,.u..eo,s ~,
day before yesterday!'
Miller smiled ill-naturedly.
| was, no duhAtleu, ahu hatteA
myself that I was able to make the
that direction
Tallente permitted a slight note Of
scorn to creep into his tone.
1T was not your eloquence,' he said
"or your arguments, which brought
failure upon me. It was partly you,
lies and partly your tactics"
An unwholesome flush rose in thu
"Lies?" he repeated, a little true
ulently.
Tallente looked him up and down,
The station master was approaching
now, the whistle had blown, their con .
versation was at an end.
| II said lies," Tallente observed,
most advisedly."
The train was already on the move,
and the departing passenger was COM
PEELED to step hurriedly into a carriage.
Tallente, waited upon by the obsequious
station master, strolled across the line
to where his car was waiting. 1t was
not until his arrival there that he real
explanation as to his presence on the
platform Of this tiny wayside station.
"Did you notice the person with
whom I was talking?" he asked the
station master.
"A tall. thin gentleman in knicker-
bockers? Yes. SIR" the man replied.
Part Of your description is correct"
Tallente remarked drily. DO you
know what he was doing here?'
Been down to your house, believe,
sir. He arrived by the early train this
morning. and asked the way to the
Manor"
ITO my house9" Tallents repeated
lit was the manor hs asked for,
SIR" the station master assured his
questioner. Begging your pardon, sir,
ia 1t true that he was Miller, the
Socialist M. Pr?
"What Of it?"
The man coughed as he deposited
the dispatch box which he had been
carrying on the seat Of the waiting
"They think a lot Of him down in
these parts. sir,' he observed, a little
apologetically.
Tallente made no answer to the sta
ton masters last speech and merely
waved his hand n little mechanically
as the car drove off. His mind was
already busy with the problem sug-
gested by Miller's appearance in these
parts. For the first few minutes Of
his drive he was back again in tho
turmoil which he had left. Then with
little shrug Of the shoulders he aban.
doned this new enigma. Its solution
must be close at hand.
Arrived at the edge of the dusty,
white strip Of road along which he had
Travelled over the moors from the sta
ton, Tallente leaned forward and
watched the. unfolding panorama below
with little start of surprise. lie
had passed through acres OF yellowing
gorse, of purple heather and messy turf.
fragrant with the aromatic perfume of
sun baked her6iage. In the distance,
tho moOrland reared itself into strange
promontories. outilung to the sea. On
his right, little farm, with It's cluster
of Outbuldngs, nestled In the bosom
Of the hills. On either side, the fields
still stretched upward like patchwork to
a clear sky, but below, down into the
hollow, blotting out all that might lie
beneath, was . curious sea rolling white
mist, soft and Asscy yet impsnstrabls.