Evening star., 1923-10-19
THE DOUBLE CHANCE
Fascinating Wrongly accused
BY J. S. FLETCHER ,
Author of "Ra,ner,SIade AnaIsanaation,"

at last opened his eyes with muir
INJURED Who's there?"
He seemed as If meditating a rising
movement. The cashier laid a gentle
hand on his shoulder.
Don't try to rise" he said, sooth-
ingly. You've only just awakened.
| Lie still a minute or two"
The man turned his eyes on him
with something like frown, and
then let his head drop back.
"Ah, yes" he said. in n half-weary,
half-irritable tone. II remember
now. This confounded broken leg
doctor. aren't you: No. no-you're
. the other one. the one who's been
! kind. I'm much obliged to you,sir--
you're very good
Not at all--not at ALL" said Stead.
I'm glad to find you so much bet
some grapes for your acceptance.
Let me break some off for you, they'll
cool your mouth"
PhiIlipa Acts.
The sick man eyed him wondering
ly as he gave him some grapes one
by one, and at last he passed his
hand over his forehead with 4 half
impatient gesture. You're verx
kind" he said again. IT'S queer
that I can't-of course. I know that
I've got a broken leg, and broken
ribs, and that I'm among strangers
and being very Well and kindly
looked after--but ] cant remember
how got here. How did | get here,
and where am ?"
The doctor has given strict or
ders," said stead. that you are on
no account to talk, or to be talked
to. on that subject. You are To rest
and he nursed, and you Will be all
right"
rpto ..o,,. E,.xu.. .o..a .,o..Ioz.,.-
with the bed clothes. Il expect I've
injured my head somehow" he NUT
tured. "Otherwise I'm all right"
"Oh. you're all right" said the
cashier, reassuringly.
The last thing 1 remember" said
asleep, the last thing 1 remea-
ber-"
He paused. and Stead made. no
comment, although he was listening
keenly for what the other might say.
But the man laughed gently. as if
amused at his own discontinue.
It's queer" he said. but / can't
remember what is the last thing that
| remember. Anyway, I've got
smashed up some how. Those are
very good grapes. Thank you"
Just then the nurse came into the
room, and. after a word or two with
her, Stead quietly took his departure.
He said good night to Mrs. Hardacre.
and went out into the now dark
night. And Perrett, who had kept
a patient watch behind a convenient
bush. once more dogged the cashiers
footsteps.
This time Stead went straight home.
He lived not far away from the cot
tages he had just left. In an old
house which stood near a disused
tails, and for that night Perret saw him
no more.
once at home. Stead went to his
private room and ate the simple sup
per set out for him. And that over,
after some striding about the room,
he Went TO a safe set in the deep
wall. and. unlocking it with p COM
bination key, took from 1t a brown
paper parcel, from which ne drew an
object that would have seemed of no
significance to any one but him, but
which he knew to contain the real
clue to the Mannersley mystery.
That object ~as--a mans deer
stalker hat.
When Marshall Stead left Phillipa
Mannersley in the morning room at
the castle ne left perhaps the un-
happiest young woman in England
behind him. For fully a quarter of
an hour Phillipa remained where she
stood by the table, drumming upon
1t ceaselessly with her fingers and
staring at the vacant space where
the cashier had stood.
She could not realize what had hap
pened. She had never liked Stead,
but she had never actually disliked
him. She knew that her father liked
and trusted him, and that had been
enough for her. But she had always
had an uneasy feeling, an instinct.
that there was something behind
Stead's smooth and quiet manner
Now that he had revealed himself to
her, she knew him not only for a
schemer, but for a villain.
CONTINUED in Tomorrow's Star)