Evening star., 1923-10-20
THE DOUBLE CHANCE

BY J. S. FLETCHER
Aussor Of "Rayner,slads Ansalgama.ion,. etc.


"oh, thank you, thank you--you
are always so WISE" exclaimed Phil
lipa, and darted out of the room as
suddenly as she had entered II. leav-
ing the old vicar to wonder what
was the matter with her. She ran
across to the castle and into the hall.
Il want the, brougham at once,
Dauncey. please" she said. Tell
them to be quick"
was driving down TO the colliery.
Naturally quick-witted and active,
she had determined to lose no time
in doing what she had made her mind
to do. And in the interval of leaving
the vicarage and getting into the
brougham she had decided to tell
Mark Quinton OF all that had passed
on the previous night between Stead
| and herself. She felt that of all the
people about her Quinton was most
TO be trusted.
But Philllpa was not the girl to take
mean advantage. She was going
to break her word to Marshall Stead,
but she was also going to tell Mar
shall Stead what she was about to do
before she did it. She would not
speak behind his back. And so, when
the brougham drew up at the offices
of the colliery, and Phillipa stepped
out. she turned to the counting house.
and. entering the cashiers depart
ment, asked to see the principal.
There was scarcely a clerk in the
counting house who could remember
ever seeing Miss Mannersley there
before, and the young proprietress of
Mannersley Main was received as If
she had been princess. And Mr..
Marshall Stead himself came out, all
business, decorum and politeness and
bowed her. into the private office,
where Phillipa at one glance saw
that they were alone.
"I do not wish to sit down" she
said. ignoring the chair which he
placed for her. What / have to say
will be said in a few words. / have
come to tell you that I unreservedly
take back that promise which / gave
you-last night. l intend to make
known all you told me--and at once"
If a sudden explosion in the work.
ings far beneath them had happened
at that moment, Marshall Stead could
scarcely have been more astounded
than he was. His usual sang-froid
left him; he turned red and white, and
finally sickly gray, his mouth
! opened, and his face twitched.
he stammered.
You extorted my word from me in
| the vilest of fashions," she said with
| blazing eyes. II am advised that !
am under no obligation to you to
| keep 1t. ] am not going to do so.
There is one thing more 1 have to
| say to you: After last night l know
what sort of man you are. l will no
longer have you in my employ. Mr..
! Quinton will pay you "a years salary
I-two-hNe-ten years salary, II nee
! essary, and you VIII go!'
| Stead had recovered himself by that
! time. He allowed a little of his true
| self to peep out.
so you mean your cousin to be
| hanged"' he said, with a sneer of the
l a hot ~
game is up.
Il would rather see my cousin
! hanged. drawn and quartered than
| owe his life TO man like you!" she
/ exclaimed. But / am not afraid,
| for now do not believe your story"
| We will see," he answered, quietly.
You do i'll to turn me into an enemy"
| Philiipa made no reply. But with
! her hand on the door she turned and
| looked at him.
! remember" she said. 'I am mis-
| tress here ! will not have you in
! my employe one hour longer"
Then she swept out. feeling very
| dignified and much Older, through the
| counting house and round to the gen
| eral offices, and there demanded the
manager. And while she waited dur
| ing the moment which elapsed before
Quinton came to her. she realized that
all the weight of the horrible night
had dropped clean away from her.
| If Mark Quinton was astontshed to
see Miss Mannersley at the Offices so
| soon after her fathers death, he was
much more astonished to hear the
| story which she poured out to him.
! 1t had seemed to her that she would
never be able to tell 1t to human
soul, but her indignation against
Stead had reused her to such a pitch
that she told the manager everything
without hesitation
And Quinton, who listened with his
| hands tightly clenched in his trousers
pockets. heartily wishing that he
could kick Stead all around the yard
and then hand him over TO the col
liers, heard her out. and said nothing
to interrupt her.
There is only one thing to do, Miss
| Mannersley," he said when Phillipa
had finished You must tell all this
to the police. But after what has
happened, it will not surprise me il
Stead attempts to clear out. Now ]
| have particular reasons why he
| should not clear out-at least, out OF
Mannersley. The fact of the case is
between ourselves, I am going more
closely into the books of the colliery
than has been done for years, and ]
do not want to lose touch of Mr.
Stead"
You don't mean" began Phil
lipa.
Never mind what I mean just
now" said Quinton, smiling at her In
a reassuring fashion. Just excuse
me a moment while l step into the
| outer office-there's a small matter
must attend to-"
| Left alone, Phillipa, who had nc
mind to look at the illustrated paper