International., 1925-08-31
CHAPTER XII
Number l6 Lpscombe Road q

IN Norman Slater'S plea That ne
should accompany her to Simon
Trickey's house in Brixton.
Trickey was evidently a drink.sod'
! den reprobate, formidable possibly as
a crafty rascal where money was
| concerned, but not the sort of ruffian
who would use methods of violence.
So it was that Kathleen drove to
| Brixton without escort, to be set
down in front of the garish little villa
in the middle Of the afternoon. Tell
/ ing the taxi-driver to wait. she rang
| the bell and was admitted by the
smart maid without the opposition
| encountered by Wragge on the pre-
vious day. She was shown into a
J tawdry sitting.room to the right Of
the narrow entrance passage, and it
was not until the servant had closes
| the door on her that she awoke +@
| the fact that she had neither bee1
! asked nor given her name.
The. fumes of a strong cigar had
assailed her nostrils on entering the
| house, and she concluded that Mr.,
Trickey had observed her arrival
from the room on the other side Of
! the passage and that he would join
her presently She only hoped that
he would be sober.
But five minutes passed and.
neither drunk nor sober. did Mr..
Simon Trickey or anyone else APP
pear. Another five minutes passed
and the door opened to admit the
tinted lady who had parleyed with
Wragge from the doorstep the pre-.
vious day. Recognition was mutual
and instantaneous.
sally Grimes!" exclaimed Kath'
leen.
Miss Maud Blair" odvanced. a
tentative hand ready, but dropped
when no responsive sign of it being
grasped was shown.
do sit down. Miss Glenister," she
simpered. My husband told me he
was expecting a lady on business,
but who would have dreamed that it
would be your
Bewildered, and with q sense Of
physical nausea she could not ae-
count for. Kathleen sank into a
gaudy. plush.covered chair.
"Mr. Trickey is your husband?"
she gasped.
"Yes. l am quite an old married
woman" was the giggled reply.
Though I daresay they have an.
other tale to tell of me at Beechwood,
| Miss Glenister."
Kathleen ignored the brazen sug-
gestion. Nothing but the local gos-
sip that you were married reached
: me-" she replied coldly. II have not
been much at Beechwood lately"
"But you were there when the
crow flew over the shooting lunch"
the lady of the house insinuated sly
ly.
"That is a matter I cannot discuss
with you," said Kathleen. "1s it
likely to be long before I can see
your husband?"
HE will be in directly. left him
in the dining room with-With man
who's rather difficult to get rid of.
You don't show much interest, Miss
Glenister. in my present circum-
stances. You would be surprised to
hear that am the chief breadwinner
in this humble abode-'Miss Maud
Blair if you please, of the films"
Kathleen had the haziest idea OF
. I what the woman was talking about,
but she made few polite inquiries
, which more than enlightened her as
, to the nature of Miss Blair's" occu'
t patton and the fame she had won
: thereby. And then a sudden intui'
ton told her that her hostess was not
only talking from vanity but to gain
time-and that all the time she was
] listening intently O
Kathleen listened. too, and she was
, almost instantly rewarded by two
) sounds in quick succession. The first
. was the swish of silk petticoat in
the passage and the second was the
, furtive opening and shutting of the
front door. Kathleen was sitting too
far back in the room to obtain full
view Of the person leaving the house,
but she caught a glimpse Of purple
aigrette-a singular ornament II
worn by 1.-The man" with whom. ac
cording to his wife. Mr.. Simon Trick
ey had been engaged on the Other
side of the passage.
ITO Be COntinuedl