, 1924-03-12
N~NNNN~A

lection which he had learned to expect
from her. She suggested to him sim
that same sense of a%loofness from the
actualities of life.
81 prefer not to believe that 1t 10
ended" he protested. "Have you 40
many friends that you have no room
for one who has never consciously
done you any harmT"
She looked at him with some faint
curiosity in her imn,obile features.
Harm? No! On the contrary. ]
suppose l ought to thank you for yonr
evidence at the inquest"
Some part of 1t was the TRUTH" he
replied.
"I suppose so." she admitted dryly.
you told 1t very %cleverly.
He looked her in the eyes.
MY profession helped me to be Q
good Witness" he said. "As for the gist
Of my evidence, that was between my
conscience and myself"
your cOnscience?" she r~eneated.
Are there really men who possess
such things?"
lDpt NOu Will IlSNoNtl that ~
yourself some day." he answered.
"Tell me your plans. Where are yon
living?"
For the present with my father In
Curzon street"
with Sir Timothy Brast?"
She assented.
"You know him ?" she asked indiffei
emily.
Every slightly" Francis replied. 1--WE
talked together, ONE nights ago, al
Soto's restaurant. l am afraid that J
did not make a very favorable impress
sion upon him. l gathered. too, that
he has somewhat eccentric tastes"
II do not see a great deal of my IA
ther," she said. 1--WE met, a few months
ago. for the first time since my mar
rage. and things have been a little
difficult between us-just at first. He
really scarcely ever puts in an appear.
ance at Curzon street. I dare say you
have heard that he makes a hobby OF
an amazing country house which he
has down the river"
The Walled House7" he ventured.
She nodded.
81 see you have heard Of It. All Lon.
don. they tell me, gossips about the en-
tertainments there"
Are they really so wonderful?" he
asked.
II have never been to one" she re-
piled. AS a matter of fact. ] have
spent scarcely any time In England
since my marriage. My husband was
FOND Of travelling"
Notwithstanding the warm spring
air he was conscious Of a certain chilli
ness. Her level. Indifferent tone
seemed to him almost abnormally cal
lous. A horrible realization flashed Coz
a m In his brain. She was
speaking Of the man whom she had
killed.
your father overheard n remark OF
mine" Francis told her. 81 was at
Soto's with a friend-Andrew wilmore.
the novelist-and to tell you the truth
we were speaking of the shock I x
perienced when ] realized that ] had
been devoting every effort of which /
was capable to saving the life of
shall we say a criminal? -FOUR father
heard me say. in rather a fiamboyant
manner, perhaps. that in future ! de-
clared war against all crime and all
criminals"
She smiled very family, n smile
which had in 1t no single element OF
JOY or humor.
Il can quite understand my father
Intervening" she said. "He poses as
being rather a patron OF artlstlcaliy-
perpetrated crime. Sue is his ~favorite
author. and I believe that he has ex.
ceedlngly grim ideas rs to duelIng and
fighting generally. He was in prison
once for six months at New Orleans
for killing a man who insulted my
mother. Nothing In the world would
ever have convinced him that he had
not done n perfectly legitimate thing
Il am expecting t find him quite an
Interesting study. when I know him
better" Francis pronounced. "My
only fear is that he viii count me an
u~nfrlendly person and refusa IN have