Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-28

| ~" Viu-IusniOheu purusc, Wibu " re-
turn good for evil.
Jarroman met the detectives shtewd
sase uni1inchinely.
"well, I suppose your motives ar,
no concern Of mime" said Sesroye eng
matlcally. Suppose, / should run
across 2. The airi, what do you want m'
"Just notify me Of her address," re-
Piled JarYomAn. ..And M regard,
Camden, I want every fact you cen un
earth. whether II seems TO have any
direct bearing on the case or not ]
shall be greatly disappointed, he add
ed, ''if you refuse 10 take up the case.
| "Oh. ! win take 1t up." said Scsrovt
indiRerently. This sort Of thing Il
my profession. But 10 come to the
conclusion that there il no reasonabi,
prospect Of success, shall withdraw"
Ciasstas's visitor
High up In the stately house in Cor.
nish terrace WAS q small and severely
businessiike room to which visitors
rarely penetrated. II held a roll .top
desk, a number Of filing cabinets. and,
built into the wall, two large safes.
Theed. fresh from his interview with
Lord Doucester. was ushefed up to this
little sauctum BY q silent footed East .
ern servant. Claudine looked up at
his entry and smiled with Y lapgui,l
friendliness which vanished the moment
they were left alone.
Something unpleasant must have
happened for you to make such an ur
gent matter Of seeing me-" she sai,l
sharply, Its the Jarroman stunt, Of
course?"
Theed refused TO be hurried. "r
sJrhoro 10 nh.n1ptA1v vn ooc,I fn.
alarm" he insisted. 1T is simply that
l have a premonition that Lord Douces.
ter will drop in to see you soon--pos.
sibly tonight. He called on me this
morning"
" Let me see-thc girl, Nadia. was
working for his son. Stranack. wasn't
she?" inquired Clnudine impatiently.
Cant they find another typist, or
"As to that I can't say" returned
Theed with a deliberatiOn which he
knew Claudine must find maddenins.
II should soy that the typewritins
agency probably sent a substitute who
has proved herself quite efficient. No,
Lord Doucester's visit had another mo.
tive.
ut seems that Nadia told Stranack
what had been disclosed to her about
her pnrentasc and that he passed 1t on
to his father"
Which looks" cut in Claudine. "as
IL Stranack were in love with the girl
and was afraid there would be trouble
from his parents IL he married her."
II quite agree,' quite" assented
Theed ponderously. But let us leave
that supposition for the moment. Lord
Gloucester seemed only concerned with
obtaining my assurance that Nadia
really IL what she has been told she is
namely, Henry Jarroman's daugh-
ter"
why should he doubt it?' raped
out Claudine.
Theed waved his fat hands in what
he believed to be foreign gesture.
Exactly what asked myself. dear
lady. Why should he doubt It? There
IL. Of course. a possibility that Nadia
resembles her mother; but 1t would
have to be an amazing likeness to take
Lord DOuccster's memory back over
twenty years. No; If he doubts. It is
because Of some incident Of which
neither he nor the girl have told me
and which could not have forcseen:"
'If he doubts" repeated Claudine
after a moments pause. You're not
sure. them"
mo, l am not sure" answered
Theed. "but l should like to be-"
"Why should you think that Dou-
cester will come to see me?" asked
Claudine.
1T is obvious. surely. The girl has
been declared to be Jnrroman's daugh-
ter; Gloucester knows that you are Jar.
romans wife. He will wonder whether
you. too. accept Nadia as your child.
and after he has wondered little he
will come here and try to find out"
Clnudine nodded.
What exactly do you want me to
do?' she asked.
Theed rose.
TRY to discover what his attitude
is" he said. If he does not believe
Nadia to be your daughter. does he rec.
ognize her as any one else's? II 80,
how has he recognized her, and what is
he going to do about IT,"
Again Claudine nodded.
1T will be difficult" she said, half
to herself.
Il do not mind admitting 1t is be.
yond my power" said Theed. THAT
is why leave1t In your hands"
C1audine, left alone. brooded for a
long moment. Then she locked her desk
and betook herself to her bedroom,
where she rested before the complicated
toilet Of the evening.
Never had she looked 80 arresting as
when that evening she greeted her
guests. Her dress--an inspiration from
Vienna-was the color Of an iris seen
through a mist of gold. Across her
reflected the queer golden glow of her
skin.
"Ah, Mrs. Crayne. how delightful to
see you once morc"' Claudine smiled
and extended her hand. Lord Dou-
cester bent over it, chattered lightly
with her for u moment or two, then
passed into the great room where
MA 'msel.e NJ her cOlorless beyer.
age within reach, sat inscrutablc at the
gaming table. watching. counting, her
eyes pale Sits in her velvet mask.
Claudine Vamps a Lord
Claudine dallied little; then. pick
ing up an enormous fan of purple
feathers. she drifted In the wake of her
most important guest.
You are not playing, Lord Dou.
Doucestcr turned from his contem.
platiOn Of the pile Of banknOtes.
I'm pauper already, dear lady--a
paupcr."
"Oh. ! hope not :" Claudine's mag.
nificent eyes flashed upon him and
away again. She made movement to-
ward secluded corner and he fol.
lowed her.
II do hope not" she repeated as they
established themselves in deep chairs
set we'll back in the shadow OF palms.
IN Sf roI &c