White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-11-09
Observation-Disclosures
(Installment No. 26)

She looked at him with sad, com.
passionate eyes. Her voice was firm
as she answered him in the one word
that he had desired. The word was
mol"
A knock at the door startled him.
Come int" he called out, sharply.
He looked up, expecting to see one
of the guests or one of the servants
1t was Moody who entered the room.
Hardyman laid down his pen, and
fixed his eyes sternly on the man
who had dared to interrupt him.
what the devil do you want?" he
asked.
81 have seen Miss Isabel, and spok-
en- with her," Moody replied. "Mr.
Hardyman, 1 believe it is in your
power to set this matter right. For
tho young lady's sake, sir, you must
| not leave England without doing it.
Hardy turned to his foreman. lis
this fellow mad or drunk?" he asked.
Moody proceeded as calmly and as
resolutely as if those words had not
been spoken. Il apologize for my in
trusion, sir. / will trouble you with
no explanations; l will ask one Ques-
ton. Have you memorandum of
the number of that f1ve-hundred-
pound note which you paid away in
France?"
Hardyman lost all control over
himself
4 "You scoundrel!" he cried, '"have
you been prying into my private af-
fairs? Is it your business to know
what did in France?"
"Is it your vengeance on a woman
to refuse to tell her the number Of a
bank-note?" Moody .rejoined, firmly.
That answer forced its way through
Hardyman's anger to Hardyman's
sense of honor. He rose and ad
vanced to Moody. For moment the
two men faced each other in silence.
you're a bold fellow" said Hardy
man, with a sudden change from
anger to irony. "Ill do the lady
Justice. I'll look at my pocket
book"
He put his hand into the breast.
pocket OF his coat; he searched his
other pockets he turneed over the
objects on his writing table. The
book was gone.
Moody watched him with feeling
of despair. ooh, Mr.. Hardyman
don't say you have lost your pocket
book"
He sat down again at his desk
with sullen submission to the new
= disaster. "All I can say is, you're al
liberty to look for it," he replied. q
;. must have dropped it somewhere.
He turned impatiently to the fore
man. "Now, then, what is the mex
check wanted? I shall 90 mad II
wait in this damned place much
longer"
Moody fastened back to the par
= Of the grounds (close to the shrub
= berry, in which Isabel was waiting
= his return.
Z. They had advanced nearly as IA
as the tent, on their way out of tn
- grounds, when they were met by
gentleman walking towards then
from the cottage. He was strange
= to Isabel. Moody Immediately recoe
nized him as Mr.. Felix Sweetsir.
}. "Who is that? Isabel asked.
s Lady Lydiard's nephew, Mr. Fell;
a sweetsir," Moody answered, with
= sudden sternness of tone and a sud
s. den coldness of manner which SUI
g prised Isabel.
8 you don't like him?" she said
n AS she spoke, Felix stopped to Civ
audience to one of the grooms, VIII
. had, apparently, been sent with
message to him. He turned so tina
e his face was visible to Isabel. Mood,
lc pressed her hand significantly as
q rested on his arm.
G. Look we'll at that man." he wills
j. pered. tits time to warn you. MI
d Felix Sweetsir is the worst enem.
D. you have!"
e Isabel heard him in speechless as
constituent He went on in tone
u that trembled with suppressed emo
o. ton.
= "You doubt if Sharon knows tn
:, thief. You doubt If know the THIEF
Isabel, as certainly as the heaven i
above us, there stands the wretcl
J. who stole the bank-note!"
,e She drew her hand out Of his arm
n with a cry OF terror She looked a
it him as If she doubted whether h
e was in his right mind.
e He took her hand, and waited
Is moment, trying to compose himself
II Listen to me-" he said. "At tn
d first consultation l had with Sharon
IL he gave this advice to Mr.. Troy ant
8 to me. He said, Suspect the yer.
n last person on whom suspicion coul'
possibly fall Those words, takel
with the questions he had asked be
e. fore he pronounced his opinion
d struck me with knife. / instantl.
It suspected Lady Lydiard's nephew
3 Wait! From that times to this I hav'
. said nothing of my suspicion to an!
t, living soul l knew in my own hear
e that it took its rise in the inveterat'
n dislike that have always felt TO
. Mr.. sweetsir, and distrusted it &C
d cordingly. But went back to Sharon
4, for all that, and put the case int
' his hands. His investigations In
n formed me that Mr.. Sweetsir owet
. debts of honor Gas gentlemen callet
them), incurred through lost bets, t.