Evening star., 1925-08-31

Not precisely that. Where are
you dining?"
with you, anywhere. / was going
up to the Lotos Club. Stoneham gen
orally drops in there"
I'm tired" Hodson confessed. I'D
like to hear some music and look at
some pretty women. III go round
and have a bath and change and call
for you in half an hour. Wen get
corner table at Sherry's. / think, as
we've saving empires, we can afford
some terrapin and bottle of
champagne.
You're serious about that trip to
England-because l must have my
fellow pack?"
"Serious My God. I am" was the
emphatic answer. You'll be the
chief spoke in the wheel for the next
ten days. You won't miss anything
here. either. I'm gathering up some
wonderful threads, but l am doing 1t
silently. I'll come round in half an
hour. I'm on your floor.
A fit of restlessness seized Grant.
He gave his servant the necessary
orders. interviewed the travel man.
ager in the hotel and secured the best
accommodation pos b e on the
steamer. Then he permitted himself
TO think deliberately, opened up the
closed chambers in his mind, well
coined reflection and memory. He
would see Susan. lie would find out
what her silence really meant, what
she thought or believed about him.
in a sense. it was all very hopeless.
He had been forced into an accursed
position. He scarcely knew even now
how to appraise it. And vet the big
thing remained unaltered and still
seemed to tower over everything else
t-he loved Susan. There was not
grain of affection in his heart for any
body else. She was his only possible
companion. Was he so much less fit
for her than any other of the young
men by whom she was surrounded?
He tried to judge himself and his po-
Sition fairly. The trouble was that
II could never be represented to any
one else in the same manner. He re-
membered and brooded with gloomy
inSistence over that slight vein of
prudery in Susan. something alto
gether unconnected with the mar
row ways or any unduly censorious
attitude toward life, which sell
dom in fact expressed itself in
speech but was more a part of her
self. a sort of instructive and super
cilious shrinking from the small
licenses of a world which she never
judged in words. Perhaps he had
fallen forever in her esteem; perhaps
the one sin recorded against him
would have cost him already what he
had sometimes fancied that he had
won. Now that he was going to see
her so soon. he wondered how he had
been content to wait to know the
truth. Next Thursday he would he
in London. 1t was the height of the
sea son and she would certainly be
there. Next Thursday or Friday they
might meet. He told himself that he
would know in the first ten seconds
whether his disaster had been ire
deemable.
The two men dined at Sherry's in
retired corner. They dined, as
Grant complained. like profiteers and
gourmands. Hodson ordered caviare
and lobster Newburg. terrapin, saddle
of lamb, asparagus and champagne.
"A disgraceful meal" Grant de-
clared, as he slipped his cocktail. DO
you really think we shall get through
it?"
"Of course we SHALL" Hodson
laughed. ITO tell you the truth I've
scarcely eaten anything for two days.
They were a tough lot on the trains
to Washington and back. 1 can man
age better in the Cities
What do you mean?' his COM
panion asked, curiously.
We'll. the same powers that muir
dered that poor girl and translated it
into suicide were out for me-" Hod-
son explained. IF they had known
that it was you who started me off 4,
l expect you'd be in the same position.
My own little crowd are pretty useful.
though. And Poynter's men are
wonderful. There are two of them at
the next table. They look all right,
don't they?"
They look just like two successful
business men talking over DEAL"
Grant observed.
well. they aren't" Hodson assured
him. They're two of Poynter's
shrewdest detectives. They've got
guns in their pockets and their job is
10 see that no one tries TO steal n
march on me for the lounge One of
my men is down in the kitchen.
dared not eat anything on the train,
for they were in with the chef there.
1--WE been shot at twice in the last
twenty-four hours. They nearly got
me, too. It's a great storm that's
gathering, Grant"
Exactly why are you sending me
to England"
Listen" was the earnest reply.
This is official 1t comes from the
White House You know who owns