The Washington times., 1922-04-16

the touch OF numlu spring oehhnty
puts forth a crown of leaves, pale
and glittering. He was so familiar
to her. and in sense so dear; he
offered something definite in a
world OF mist. She nearly said.
"oh, have your will with me and
don't let me think" But the steel
iness within her once again for
Dade that she should bend. So she
shook her head and said, mo,
Stephen, it's no good. I'D feel de-
graded. There. don't say any more
about 1t. Let's talk Of something
else. What are you going to do
this Winter? Are you going to the
Riviera?"
Britford sighed and accepted her
mood; little by little the evening
passed pleasantly. II was not till
eleven o'clock that he began to be
oppressed by the drama in which
that night he must take part. He
had planned to go away at eleven,
but after the clock struck, when he
realized that this was the begin
ming of an incredible adventure, he
was afraid. He was not weaken
ing, exactly, but he did not know
what the consequences would be,
he was the sort OF man who liked
to know exactly what he was in for.
While he talked he had visions
of the coming night. There would
be a scene. Well, it was too late
to stop 1t, but he dared not begin
He could not believe that he had
originated the thing that was 70
happen. He stayed, If only to put
II of little. After all, there was
no hurry. SO the conversation
went on, but 1t dragged because OF
the preoccupation Britford had
upon his mind.
1t was only at twenty past eleven.
when Mrs. Caldecot very slightly
yawned that Britford jumped up,
resolutely now, and said he must
60. Mrs. Caldecot saw him down
to the hall, the servants having
long before gone to bed. She helped
him on with his overcoat, said she
would be free for the opera. He
agreed vaguely and the door closed
behind him.
Stephen Britford stood for a mo-
ment, his ear almost against the
door. Yes, it was as usual, she'd
forgotten to pull down the latch.
He listened for a moment, not so
much because he thought she
would come back, but II seemed to
him that II he wasted little time
he would be protected a.ainst the
beginning of this necessary adven-
ture. After all. he could still stop
1t. One didn't do things like the
one he had planned; but as he went
down the steps hC knew that one
did, and that he would. He had
nothing to do for some hours, ani
this troubled him.
He wondered why he had set the
hour so late. What was the point
OF ii? What the deuce was he go
ing TO do till half past three? He
might go home. Indeed. he turned
toward the east, but as he wen.
he realized very we'll that with this
preoccupation upon him he could
not sit quietly by a fire reading
the "reminiscences Of Sir Henry
Hawkins. He needed movement,
activity. AS he reached Park Lane
he thought OF walking round the
park. That would take him an
hnVtr and half nNN "A
sidered the idea he disliked IT,
Any idea was repulsive to him
any object. He was afraid; he
wanted things to happen for him;
he didn't mind being the god in
the machine, but he did not want
to be the god in the car. He
thought, Lucky she didn't put the
latch down. they'd have had to
pick the lock, and that's risky"
He smiled at himself as he re-
viewed the plan. Yes, IT was all
clear; II couldn't fail. He would
meet Caldecot at half past three,
receive the suitcase containing his
pajamas, receive also the latchkey.
He would go to Mrs. Caldecot's
house, ret himself in, quietly go up
to the spare room, get into his
pajamas. Oh, he mustn't forget to
leave the latchkey in the lock. Bad
slip that. Then, at four o'clock
exactly, Caldecot would arrive with
the two enquiry agents, enter the
house, and catch him coming out
of Mrs. Caldecot's room.
The legal mind, applying itself
to frenzied device, saw that there
was no flaw in this II was natural
that Caldecot should have latch
key to his own house. The ser
wants knew that he, Britiord, had
dined with Mrs. Caldecot, and they
did not know that she had let him
out. 1t was quite simple; Caldecot
would divorce her. He would be
the correspondent Ruin? Yes, Of
course, but why not7 What was the
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