The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-16
CHAPTER XVI (continusd.I

strong one, our request $50 reason.
able. tba. think tIat we had never
realized the pos ibuity Of a refusal
"May I ask you thie2' Madame
said DO YOU expect that VIC snail
continue our / suppose wo may
call n guardianghlp-of of Iaohol In
the face Of your present attitude
II hope so, for the present our
visitor admitted softly
Notwithstanding" Madame con.
tinucd. 'our absolute ignorance Of
everything connected with her, our
lack Of any sort OF claim or title TO
the charge Of her, and tho iucrcaa.
ing number OF people who stlll per.
sist in trying to take her from
us2"
Mr.. Grooten shrugged his shoul-
dera
You omit 10 mention the factor7
In the situation which may De said
10 be on your side he muImurcd.
Il should be Interested to know
what those are" I remarked
Certainly Tho first and most
powerful Of all Is, of course, pos.
session"
Madame nodded.
"And after thntP
"The fact that not one OF the
three people who have appealed to
you for the charge OF the child e.
In position 10 N.e the only real
force which exists IN this land
mean the law" Grootcn continued
This kept us silent again for a
moment Madame, I could see, was
getting a little ruffled
"You pelt us with enigmas. sir"
he said "You answer our questions
only by propoundng fresh conun.
drums One thing, at least, YOU
may feel Disposed 10 tell us. What
Is your own relntionship 10 Isobel?"
"None," Mr.. Grooten answered.
"Your interest them"
Mr.. Grooten remained silent, He
sat Is his chair very still and very
silent. Yet I'm his eyes tnore shono
for a moment something which
seemed to bring into the little room
the shadow of great things. Ma
bane and | both felt Il. We had tho
sense OF having been left behind
The little man In his chair seemed
10 have been lifted out of our reach
into the mightier world of passion
and suffering nnd seif.conquest.
Il loved her mother" he said
softly. 81 was the man whom her
mother loved"
There was n silence between us
then. We had no moro to say. We
were at that moment his boundon
slaves. But by some evil chance,
after heightened pawse, he con.
tinued--
81. alas. could do little for tho
child. Yet when heard that harm
was threatened to her through that
scamp Delahaye. | crossed tho
ocean at an hours notice saved
her from him. He deserved his
fate, but | am no murderer by pro.
fession, and the shock unnetved
me for time. Then
Hush" Madame cried.
I sprang to the door. II had been
thrust about a foot open. From
outside came the sound of angry
voices, followed by moments 81.
lence. Then a quick, shrill cry OF
triumph.
Let me in oh, you shall not
stop me now. | am going to see
the man who boasts of being my
husbands murderer!"
II was the voice of Lady Della.
have. she was already upon the
threshold. sprang to the table
and saw her coming. Already she
was behind the screen, stealing into
the room, her head thrust forward
her lips parted, a peculiar glitter
in her eyes. For a moment stood
rigid. The sight of her fascinated
me-there was something SO wholly
animal.like In the stealthy triumph
of her tiptoe approach. ! recovered
myself Just IN time. One more
step. n turn of her head. and she
would have seen Grooton. My
finger pressed down the catch OF
the lamp, and sudden darkness
filled the room.
She stopped short Her fierce
Iittle cry of anger told me exactly
where she was. stepped forward
and caught her wrists firmly. Then
/ faced where | know Grooton was
sitting. could see the red end
OF his cigarette still In his mouth
Leave the room at once" ! said
"You can push the screen ON one
N - -, ... 1,tIthty, , ,.,rI ,.