Evening star., 1923-07-05

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She shook her head.
mot seriously" she answered. He
was quite well-off, besides what his
people allowed him. I was going
to have IA wonderful settlement as
soon as our engagement was an
nounced. However. to go on with
what I was telling you. the very
night before-it happened-he came
In to see me. looking like nothing
on earth. He cried like a baby. be-
haved like a lunatic. and called him
self all manner OF names. He had
had a great deal too much to drink.
and gathered that he had seen some
thing horrible. 1t was then he asked
me to dine with him the next night.
and told me that he was going to
friends. Something in connection
with them seemed to have given him
a terrible fright"
Francis nodded. He had the tact
to abandon his curiosity at this pre-
else point.
The old story" he declared. bad
company and rotten habits. ] sup
pose some one got to know that the
young man usually carried great
deal of money about with him.
"1t was so foolish of him." she as
sented eagerly: Il warned him about
IL so often. The police won't listen
to 1t but l am absolutely certain that
he was robbed. I noticed when he
paid the bill that he had a great
wad of bank notes which were never
discovered afterwards"
Francis rose to his feet.
What are you doing tonight" he
inquired.
Nothing" she acknowledged
eagerly.
Then let's dine somewhere and see
the show at the Frivolity." he sug-
gested.
"You dear man" she assented with
enthusiasm. The one thing I wanted
to do, and the one person I wanted
to do 1t with"
CHAPTER XII.
It was after leaving Miss Daisy
Hyslop's fiat that the event to which
Francis Ledsam had been looking for
ward more than anything else in the
world. happened. 1t came about en-
tirely by chance. There were no taxis
in the Strand. Francis himself had
finished work for the day, and. feel
of bridge, he strolled homeward
along the Mall. At the corner Of
Green Park. he came face to face
with the woman who for the last few
months had scarcely been out OF his
thoughts. Even In that first moment
he realized to his pain that she would
have avoided him IL she could. They
met. however. where the path mar
rowed, and he left her no chance to
avoid him. That curious impulse of
conventionality which opens con-
versation always with cut and dried
banaIities, saved them perhaps from
a certain amount of embarrassment.
Without any conscious suggestion,
they found themselves walking side
by side.
Il have been wanting to see you
very much indeed" he said Il even
went so far as to wonder whether I
dared call"
why should you?" she asked
Our acquaintance began and ended
in tragedy There is sea arcely any
purpose in carrying 1t further
He looked at her for a moment be-
fore replying. She was wearing
black. but scarcely the black of a wo-
ly beautiful. redolent. in all the de-
tails of her toilette. OF that almost
negative perfection which he had
learned to expect from her. She sug-
gested to him still that same sense
OF aloofness from the actualities OF
life.
"I prefer not to believe that II Is
ended he protested. Have you so
many friends that you have no room
for one who has never consciously
done you any harm?"
She looked at him with some faint
curiosity in her immobile features.
Harm? No. On the contrary.
suppose I ought TO thank you for
your evidence at the inquest"
Some part of II was the truth" he
replied.
Il suppose So" she admitted drily.
you told It very cleverly"
He looked her in the eyes.
My profession helped me to be a
good witness" he said. "As for the
gist of my evidence. that was be-
tween my conscience and myself"
Your conscience?" she repeated
Are there really men who possess
such things?"
'I hope you will discover that for
Tell me your plans. Where are you
living?"
For the present with my father on
Curzon street"
With Sir Timothy Brast?'
She assented.
ferently
Very slightly" Francis replied
1--WE talked together. some nights ago.
at Soto's restaurant. ] am afraid
did not make a very favorable i'm
preston upon him. l gathered. too,
that he has somewhat eccentric
Il do not see a great deal of my
father" she said. I'VE met a few
months ago, for the first time since
my marriage, and things have been
rst He oien resy sesrsely eYs Ysus: pn,s m m
an appearance at Curzon s,Teat. I
dare say you have heard THAI ne
makes a hobby Of an amazing coun
try house which he has down the
river"
The Walled House7" he ventured.
Il see you have heard OF It All
London. they tell me, gossips about
the entertainments there"
Are they really so wonderful?" he
asked.
II have never been to one" she re-
piled. "As a matter Of fact, 1 have
spent scarcely any time In England
since my marriage. My husband, as
I remember he told you. was fond Of
travelling"
notwithstanding the warm spring
air he was conscious of a certain
chilliness. Her level. Indifferent tone
seemed to him almost abnormally
callous. A horrible realization flashed
fer q moment in his brain. She was
sIteaking of the man whom she had
killed!
"Your father overheard a remark Of
mine" Francis told her. II was at
Sotos with friend-Andrew VIII
more, the novelist--and to tell you
the truth we were speaking Of the
shock I experienced when 1 realized
that had been devoting every effort
of which I Was capable. to saving the
life of-sha1l we say a criminal?
Your father heard me say, in rather
a flamboyant manner, perhaps, that in
future ] declared war against ell
crime and all criminals"
She smiled very family, a smile
which had in 1t no single element OF
JOY or humor.
II can quite understand my father
Intervening" she said. He poses as
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