, 1923-01-26

stepped up TO her.
Miss Gargrave. you arc in trouble,
I wonder II l can he OF any ASSIST
ance?"
Startled by tho sound OF his voice
the girl looked IN. and for one fleet
ing moment lie rad a vision OF the
beautiful face. taar-staiuod. and OF
tho blu eyes full of trouble. Then
she broke out impuIssYely.
Yes" she cricd Il will trust you,
| will toll you all! Perhaps you can
help u,c. At least you can give me ad.
VICE.
Then lc; us walk no said quick
". You will freeze II o sit there
long"
lie offered her his hand. and as hc
took II. there eyes met. and in Brack-
nrl's there flashed a new light. As
he turncd n fell into. step at her
SIDE his heart was beating tumultu-
ously. and his blood was running as
II hcatci with a generous wine.
You wonder why I was sitting on
the hank. crying" asked the girl.
Yes" he replied frankly though
| already have an idea"
You huvr"" the girls be
truvcd surprise.
Yes he answered. and produced
tNc note. lie saw hat she rccog-
nizcG Il and he continues You see.
I found tNis last n'~ht-not far from
tre olacc where EoQna Dick WIS ly-
ing. Duty compelled me 10 read It.
Was tho writer OF 1t Konna Dick?'
Yes" was tho reply.
B~racknelI's eyes were fixed upon
the ~halfcrascd Tell me-"
he sad. what is Konha Dicks
namC7"
"I am afraid 1t will bc something
Of a surprise to you" said the gtrl.
TT is Brackncllr'
"Ah-' slid the corporal "Richard
Ascham Hrnckncll, % coursn?
yes" answered Joy, and Sir
James is hts father. As you arc his
cousin"
Tho corporal walked on a fcw PAGES
without speaking. Joy spoke again.
you did not know until o saw
that notc?'
81 had not the slightest idea I
knew that Koona Dick was an Eng
lishman-that was air.
II you had known you would not
have undertaken to take him pris-
oner?"
MY cousin or any other man -
or woman I have no choice in the
matter, Duty after all, is the great
est word in \ language"
Joy considered him thOuEhfuily.
HIS lean face was stern. and there
was a hard light in his u~nwavcring
grey eyes
II was clear TO her that he meant
lust what he sad. and that he would
do whatever duty dictated, without
fear or favour.
TEL mo" he asked boldly. what
was Dick Bracknell to you? This
letter suggests intimacy"
you arc right" the girl answered
quickly. "Hc was my hushandr'
Good Godr'
As that expression OF extreme
amazemcnt broke from him. Cor
poraI Bracknell halted, abruptly look
ing at the beautiful girl by his side
with l~urredulous eyes.
And you went to meet him -
last niEht?" he said in a shaking
voice.
81 have not said So" answered the
girl quickly. "You have c n
note. but you must not surmisc-"
81 saw you." broke in the corporal
quickly.
'You saw me?' It was Joy Gar
graves turn to The astonishcd and it
seemed To him that ear was shining
in her eyes.
You were coming out OF the path
-.-I Won had n TltlR
in your hand There was a strange
look on your face. Then at the end
OF that path found Koona DtckF'
"Dead7" asked the girl sharply.
He seemed 30 to NOR was the
roply. Indeed, I was quite sure that
there was not life left in him. or l
should not have left him lying there
in the NOW"
"If he were dead. where ia he
now?" -.
Some one must have removed"
Corporal Brackneil stopped sud
denly.
II was clear to Joy that some new
thought had just occurred to him.
You do not think hat I went
back7" she cried. You cannot think
that I am responsible for the disap-
~pCarancc7"
ct is n natural thought" he an
swcredr. though / am loathe to be-
lieve it,
"Ohr' cried the girl quickly. you
do not realize that I would give all
I have to know that the body OF the
men who was my husband was still
where YOU first saw it. 1t is h un'
certainty Of tho act which roubles
me. and not his death"
Not his deathF'
Nor was tho almost appealing re-
pIv. THE certainty OF that would be
like a ~deliverance."
For a little time Corporal Brack,
nell stared at her, too much maze
for speech. She spoke again In a
hard voice.
'You seem surprised" she said:
you know your cousin fairly well?
Yes" he answered.
Then you cannot suppose that l
loved him, oven though he was my
husband. No girl could love Dick
Bracknoll when she knew him for
whnt he was and any woman, mar
rled as I was. would almost rejoice
to know that - TINT she was re-
Leased"
"You do not know what o arc
snyIng" protested tho corporal quick
10 ''Ynu cannot renlizs what inpll-