The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-01-11
CHAPTER xIy-cortinued.

was an 0mtnOuS bulge In his right coat
pocket which betrayed the presence of
the revolver. What John Peters was,
as q matter Of fact, carrying in his
right coat-pocket was bag of mixed
chocolates which he had purchased In
Windlehufst. But Billie's eyes, though
bright. had no X-ray quality. Her
simple creed was that, II John Peters
bulged at any point, that bulge must
be caused by pistol. She screamed,
and backed against the wall. Her
whole acquaintance with John Peters
had been one constant backing against
walls.
Don't shoot!" she cried, as Mr.. Pc
tiers absent-mindedly dipped his hand
into the pocket of his coat. "Oh, please
don't shoot I"
"What the deuce do you meanT' said
Mr.. Bennett, irritably.
He hated to have people gibbering
around him in the, morning.
@Wilhelmina, this man says that you
told him you loved him."
YES. did, and do. Really, really,
Mr.. Peters, dor
suffering cats!"
Mr.. Bennett clutched at the back OF
a chair.
"But you've only met him oncel" he
added almost pleadingly.
"You don't understand. father,
DEAR" said Billie desperately. "rll ex-
plain the whole thing later. when :"
''Father!" calculated John Peters
feebly. did you say .father?"
"Of course said father"
~This Is my daughter, Mr.. Peters,
my daughterl l mean. your daugh-
ter! Are-are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. Do you think
don't know my own daughtera''
"But she called me Mr.. Peters r.
We'll. it's your name, isn't it?r
"But, II shelf this young lady Is
your daughter. how did she know my
nameY"
The point seemed to strike Mr. Ben.
nett. He turned tp Billie.
That's true. Tell me, Wilhelmina
when did you and Mr.. Peters meet?"
why, in--in Sir Mallaby Marlowe's
Office, the morning you came there and
found me when'1 was-talking TO SAM"
Mr.. Peters uttered a subdued gar
Cling sound. He was tinding this scene
oppressive to a not very robust intel
1ect.
HE Mr.. Samuel-told me your
name. Miss. Milliken," he said duly.
4 Billie stared at him.
'Mr. Marlowe told you my name was
Miss Milliken?" she~ repeated.
"He told me that yon were the sister
of the Miss Milliken who acts as ste
nographer for the guy'-for Sir MALTA
by, and sent me In to show you my re-
I vofver. because he said you were inter
ested and wanted to see it,
Billie uttered an exclamation. So did
Mr.. Bennett, who hated mysteries.
what revolver? Which revolvera
What's all this about revolver? Have
you revolver?'
why. yes, Mr.. Bennett. 1t is packed
now in my trunk, but usually I carry it
about with me everywhere in order to
take little practice at the Rupert
street range. / bought it when Sir
Mallaby- told me he was sending me to
America, because thought ought to
be prepared-because Of the Under
world. you know"
A cold CLEAN had come into BilIie's
eyes. Her face was pale and hard. If
Sam Marlow'e- at that moment CAROL
ling blithely his bedroom at the Blue
Boar in Windlehurst, washing his
hands preparatory to descending to the
coffee room for a bit of cold lunch
could have seen her, the song would
have frozen on his lips. Which, one
might mention. as showing that there
is always a bright side, would have
been much appreciated by the travel
ing gentleman in the adjoining room,
who had had a wild night with some
other travelling gentlemen, and was
then nursing rather severe headache.
separated from Sans penetrating BARI
tone only by the thickness of wooden
wall. a
Billie knew am And, terrible though
eAtN Ae4St - 80 uih Ah0AStAnSAt vi thC kHdlC
. sex, when a woman knows all, there is
Invariably trouble ahead for some man.
There was trouble ahead for Sam
Marlowe. Billie, now in possession of
the facts, had examined them and
come to the conclusion that Sam had
played practical joke on her. and she
was a girl who strongly disapproved of
practical humor at her expense.
>'F'hek morning 7 md you at Sir NAL
iaDy's Office. Mr. Pete )" she said in a
frosty vpice. mr. Mar Dwe had just fin
ished telling ME a Ior and convincing
story othe effect tl.s you were madly
in love With a Miss lliken, who had
Tilted va d tina this had driven
you OFF y lead, ahd that you spent
yonr time ing abb pit with pistol.
trying to sh$t every red-haired wom-
an you saw. because lyou thought they
were Miss lTilliken. Naturally, when
yuu came in,and called me Miss Mill
ken, and BIRD Ned b revolver, was