Evening star., 1923-05-10

! appeared the day | eloped with and
married you. Once for all and for
| the last time. did you take il. OF did
you not""
Yes, l did. Mary. I might as we'll
tell YOU the truth at last. 7 meant
to give you a fine honeymoon. and
as soon as I had enough laid by
send and take il out of pawn and re
store II to your family: but. the Lord
! help us. I've never been able to save
anything toward it from that day to
this. Come. we must answer the sum
mons, no matter what may come OF
, it, he announced. getting into his
clothes.
They kissed each other solemnly
then started. hand in hand. for the
/, Divers Inn
Their amazement can better be
imagined than described when they
were informed of the object of their
being summoned so hastily
Little Jil-Bett to marry Mr. jack
echoed Mrs. Nudge. wondering If she
had heard Alright. Well. Well, l
declare. Why couldn't they have
waited until tomorrow" Then all
katar would have given them a
grand send off would have made a
bride-Cake that would he bride
cake the like of which no one around
1t isn't for us to inquire into the
why's and wherefores Of other peo-
pies doings," declared Nudge TIN
glad they are going to be married
that will stop many peoples tongues
from waeGlnS. | can tell YOU
Has anyone dared ossip about
Jil-Bett:" she demanded angrily
People always talk until love af-
1aIrs cid in marriage he said.
Mrs. Nudge could not keep ha elk
her tears az she ella sped the girl in
her arms. whispering She hoped she
would have world OF happiness with
her handsome young husband. in
quiring if he would then remain in
katar or so away. taking her from
them.
She could tell from the puzzled
expression on her face that She had
not given so important matter a
single thought
surely YOU are not going to be
married ar in the gown you have on
said Mrs. Nudge. holding her off at
arms length and noting with dismay
Jil-Bett had on her very oldest frock,
which revealed tear or two.
The girl flushed crimson. Had Jack
noticed it, she wondered.
ou must wear the pretty white
dress ] just finished for you. dearie,
| VIII send Mr.. Nudge for II: he will
return in no time: then. every one
VIII be telling what beautiful bride
you were"
AS usual, Mrs. Mudse's will doroi-
fingered woman. Jil-Bett was quickly
transformed into as fair a picture Of
maldenly beauty as one would care
to behold.
Mr., Jack will be sure to adore
YOU when he sees you in this" de
clared Mrs. Nudge. Her husband was
by no means OF the same opinion: de-
spite the gossip around katar to the
fact that Jack and Jil-Bett were low
ers, watching him narrowly he could
yNrt ct
mans part. Watching him keenly
now. he saw that he looked anything
but the happy. eSpectaut bride groom
to-be.
Nudge felt certain there was some
thing very uncanny about the affair
ever ii was, time would be sure to
disclose.
II was plain to be seen Jil-Bet
loved Jack. and it was equally plain
to be seen he did not love her.
No one noted Jack had sunk into .
seat close beside Daniel Bannocl5. No
one had heard the old mans threat
eninS whisper to him to take his sea
there. facing him. and that any at
tempt on his part to leave the room
place would result in carrying out his
threat.
Jack did not even look up as Jill
Bett entered with the women. or note
that she crossed the room TO her
grandfather's side. placing both of
hear the old man murmur: MY beau
tiful darling. Ny own, lovely little
girl. Your old grandfather will see
that no wrong shall come to you but
that Will be speedily righted. am
Yet to the fore to protect YOU"
Jil-Bett was not needing his words.
so intent was she in watching Jack
from beneath her long, curling lashes.
She wondered why he did not look
up at her, and what he could be cogi-
tating over. his face was SO white.
The twitching Of her grandfather $
hands. as they ciasped her own.
frightened her: she realized he was
laboring under intense excitement:
that his self-control was likely To
give way at any instant and east
him into such another frenzy as the
one which had brought him to that
place in that hour
She noted. too. that not for an in
slant did his fixed gaze leave Jack.
She did not know that his right hand.
thrust down in his pocket. still
clutched the weapon, his finger OH the
trigger.
This situation had not escaped Jack
he knew what it meant. and his un-
ca easiness for Jil-Bett, not for himself,
grew with each passing moment. He
heard the old lapidary's rapid breath
ing: he could hear the strangling
heart throbs which attested to his
condition.. warning to be needed
we'll.
He expected a serious contretemps--
just what he could not foresee-with
a madman to deal with; any kind of
n fatality might be looked for. He
wished Jil-Bett had not been standing
so near him. her hands in his grasp
he did not like the red, smoldering
fire il Bannock's eyes.
ht,c 10
rival of those who had been sent for.
To Jil-Bett the hour that FOLLOWED
seemed like dazed dream-the pres
ence Of Mrs. Nudge, the minister from
the English colony. the group of Won
dering divers. who had been sum
moned from their beds to witness the
ceremony. and the solemn words as
she stood by Jacks side that made
her his wife.
His face was white and his express
sion stern. 1t did not occur to him to
offer the shrinking girl beside him
the slightest caress
Now he will tell Us. what he did
with the ruby and the gold" her
grandfather whispered in her ear.
(To be continued tomorrow.)