Evening star., 1923-10-21

to his desk, near WHICH
Phillipa was sitting.
Now, Pogmore, I've just told Miss
Mannersley that you've something to
reIl and she wants to hear it. So
fire away
Black Moses, who, like all miners,
had an admiration for Phillipa which
hordered almost on worship. sum-
moned up all his courage and, after
various preliminary groans and
coughs. expressive of his sense of
gratitude in being allowed to address
such a young divinity, began to hold
:cr,a
Well. ye see. missile, likewise mum,
which I'm no great hand at tellin'
iale, II were tf.is way" he said 'He
see, mum. | live. as Jim there knows,
in that cottage in the old brick field.
and, naturally. as no one else nves
thereabouts, I've come to look on that
here brick field as the chap did what
gIved on the desert island-I disre-
member his name.
And sorietim sS Of an evenin, there
hsihg nousht tC do, and happen not
,arin' about the public house. / take
Il stroll ro md the Old buildins. as is
low tumb down-thcre's II fine bit
- rafting to he done in that brick
ield. only just now | amt got doE;
more's the pity-.an sometimes sits
down and smokes a pipe. here or
here. And that's how this here hap
peend, sire 'he said. turning TO Quin-
Ion. ''Weren't 1t, Jim. as | told you%
Yes. that's it," replied Jim. Now.
then. go IN, Moses. Tell Miss man
ncrsley what did happen"
Yes, and please tell it just your
own way, Moses" said Phiilipa. And
u YOU want Il dog to go after the
rats you shall have one of my fox
terriers"
Thus emboldened and feeling more
1T his ease. Mr.. pogmore proceeded
70 relate how on the previous even
ing. after dark. he CHANGED to over
hear "A conversation between two dis
reputable fellows. Steve Grandidge
md Jack Moorsom. with respect to
4 transaction which they two were
Eaving with Marshall Stead, from
which conversation it appeared that
Messrs. Grandidge and Moorsom We're
30 rebut the evidence of Ginger King.
on lines supplied to them by Mr.
Stead; that during the intervening
space of time they were to keep
sober, and that when things We're
settled they were to receive so much
coin of the realm from Mr.. Stead
who would further pay their passages
10 Canada.
He also heard their evidence care
fully rehearSed, one checking the
other in the matter of times, and so
AN that there is the gospeled
truth, s'eIp me" concluded Black
Moses And if so be as I might
"ome up for that there little dog,
When Jim Britten and Black Moses
had gone the manager looked at Miss
Mannersley, and Miss Mannersley
looked at the manager. And sudden
ly, without n word. Quinton seized
one of the many tubes lying on his
desk.
Find out" he said. IF Mr.. Stead is
IN his room at the counting house"
Within a moment the answer came
back:
Mr.. Stead left the office some time
ago, sir
Quinton laid down the tube and
shook his head.
If Phillipa Mannersley had been
surprised by Marshall Stead's conduct
At the castle, Marshall Stead was in
hnfte1y more surprised by Phillipa
Mannersley's behavior at the count
ing house.
He was, in fact, so much surprised
that when she walked out with her
cheeks af1ame, her fine eyes blazing
and her head in the air, he felt as If
he had been turned to stone and for
The moment stood staring at the
door. through which she had van
ished with eyes which certainly did
not see it or anything. If he had
been man of more perception, If
he had understood the language of
the prize ring, he would have known
that he was completely knocked out.
But the truth was that Marshall
Stead, in spite of all his c1everness,
was neither more nor less than that
worst of all fools-a conceited one.
He was sly, vain and naturally bump
tious. but he had early found out the
advantages of concealing all sorts
of feelings and qualities under a
mask of SmoOthneSS.
He had got round the late Sir Rob-
crt Mannersley by a consistent po-
liteness, Difference and strict atten-
ton to business; he had won the ap-
piause of most people by steady con-
duet and regular attendance at
church. And he had gradually come
to regard himself as so clever as to
he able to deceive everybody.
That he had overshot his bolt in
tackling Miss PhilIipa Mannersley
came AS tender revelation to him.
He knew nothing and never had
known anything, of the world out
side his own narrow limits; he knew
Just as little of women as he knew
of the world.
His mother. the only woman he
ever had really known. was an old
fashioned, easy-going woman, whose
sole idea, from the time he remem-
bered her, was perpetual devotion
u
so befriended her at a time of need.
She was an easily managed. soft
natured woman: when he himself
had grown up he had bulIied her. In
women We're like her.. you had only
10 COW than, to let them see that
YOU held the upper hand, and they
would come up to heel like ours who
fear the whip.
And now to find that this girl
this proud young beauty, whom he
had fondIy believed would agree to
anything simply because he had
threatened her. had dared to ignore
the promise he had forced out of her
and had treated him as if he were
mere dirt. was to him such a shock
rs he had never expected to receive.
He had thought himself secure, SIM
ply because his cheap slyness/ had
placed him in possession of 4 secret
and lie had forced the pace. And
He shook himself together at last
and realized that he had made a mess
of things. And at that he smiled,
evilly.
Never mind" he said. "She shan't
have all her own way"
Then remembering that PhilIipa
had gone to Quinton. and knowing
that Quinton now was in full pos
session of power. he hustled into
activity. Putting on his light over
coat, he hastily filled the inside pock-
cts with certain papers and docu-
ments. He took a check book from
q drawer of his desk and within five
minutes of Phil1ipa's departure from
the room he. too. departed and set
off in the direction of the village
A new set of thoughts and feel
ings had suddenly entered into Steads
imagination. The ineradicable van
ity in him was urging him to show
the proud daughter of a long line of
baronets that whether she could keep
her word or not. he. her summarily
discharged servant. .ould. And with
that end in view he made his way
to the house in which Inspector Cor