The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-29

older than you look, anyway. And you're confoundedly pretty beautiful rather, you've too much in you face to call 1t merely pretty. I've never seen such possibilities of character You're either a deep one or your looks belle you"
 Lockwood heard no word of the lecture, nor did he wish to; he had helped in the writing of it, and all most knew 1t by heart anyway. But he was really intrigued by this mysterious girl, and he determined to get to know her.
 He had been told, of course, of the futile attempts of the other boarders to make friends with her tiveness and in his methods of pro cedure.
 Pinky Payne, too, had told of the interview he had on the bridge His account of the girls beauty and charm had first reused Lockwood's interest, and now he was making a study of the whole situation.
 Idly he counted the buttons again There were 19 across the collar. The vertical rows he could not be sure.
 "Thirteen,@ he unused: "an unlucky number, And the poor child look unlucky There's a sadness in her eyes that must mean something. Yet there's more than sadness-there's a hint of cruelty-a possibility of des- peIate deeds"
 And then Lockwood laughed at himself. To romance thus about a girl to whom he had net said half A dozen sentences in his life! Yet he knew he was not mistaken. All that he had read in Anita Austin's face, he was sure was there. He knew phy- siognomy, and rarely, if ever. was n
 After the lecture was over Miss Austin went home as quickly as pos sible.
 Lockwood would have liked to es cort her, but he had to remain to re- port tC pr. Waring, who might have some orders for him.
 There were none, however. and after short interview with his em- ployer, Gordon Lockwood went home.
 As he went softly upstairs to his room in the Adams house, he passed the door of what he knew to be Miss Austln's room. He fancied he heard stlfled sob come from behind that closed door, and instinctiveIy paused to listen a moment.
 Yes, he was not mistaken. Another sob followed, quickly suppressed, but he could have no doubt the girl was crying.
 For moment Lockwood was tempted to go back and ask Mrs. Adams to come and tap at the girls door
 Then he realized that 1t was not h!s affair. If the girl was in sorrow or if she wanted to cry for any req son, it was not his place to send some one tC intrude upon her. He went to his own room, but he sat up for a long time thinking over the strange young woman in the house
 He remembered that she had paid undertaking attention to the lecture quite evidently following the speaker with attention and interest. He re- membered every detail of her ap- pearance. her pretty dark hair show ing beneath her little velvet toque- the absurd buttons tn the back of her frock.
 That will do, Gordon, old man. he told himself at last. Better let her alone She's a siren all right, but you know nothing about her, and you've no reason to try to learn more.
 hall. Lew of tone, but angry of in-
 She threw 1t awayp' Miss Austin was saying T tell you she threw 1t awayw
 There. there" came Mrs. Adams placatlng voice, what 1T she did? It was only a newspaper scrap. She didn't know it was of any value"
 But l want it! Nora has no busi- ness to throw away my things She had no reason to touch it; it was on the dresser-standing up against the mirror frame. What do you suppose she did with it?"
 Never mind 1t tonight. Tomorrow we will ask her. She's gone to bed"
 "But I'm afraid she destroyed it!"
 Probably she did. Don't take on