Evening star., 1925-07-13

shall l say you've gomez" Mr.. Joyce
gave him a thin smile.
You can say that you. haven't the
| least idea"
But he knew perfectly that Ong Chi
Seng was well aware that he was
going to the jail in which Mrs.
Crosbie was detained. When she was
brought into the room in which he
waited she held out her thin, dis
tinguished hand, and gave him a
pleasant smile. She was as ever
neatly and simply dressed and her
abundant. pale hair was arranxed
with her usual care.
Il wasn't expecting to see you this
morning" she said graciously.
She might have been in her own
house. and Mr.. Joyce almost expected
to hear her call the boy and tell him
to bring the visitor a gin pahit.
How are your he asked.
I'm in the best OF health thank
you" A flicker of amusement flashed
across her eyes. This is a wonderful
place for a rest cure"
The attendant withdrew, and they
were left alone.
DO SIT down." said Leslie
He took a chair. He did not quite
know how to begin. She was so cool
that It seemed almost impossible TO
say TO her the thing he had como to
say Though she was not pretty,
there was something agreeable in her
appearance. She had elegance, but
1t was the elegance OF good breeding
in which there was nothing Of the
artiftce of society. You had only to
look at her to know what sort OF peo-
pie she had and what kind OF sur
roundings she had lived in. Her
fragility gave her a singular refine
ment. 1t was impossible to associate
her with the smallest idea of gross
ness.
I'm looking forward to seeing Rob.
ert this afternoon" she said, In her
good d-humored, easy voice Ut was q
pleasure to hear her speak, her voice
and her accent were so distinctive of
her CLASSY Poor dear, it's been a
great trial to his nerves. I'm thank
full that it'll be all over in q few days"
It's only five days now"
Il know. Each morning when /
awake I say to myself, One less"
by the way, am I right In think
ing that you had had no communica.
ton whatever with Hammond for sew
eraI weeks before the catastrophe?"
I'm quite positive of that. The
last time we met was at a tennis
party at the MacFarrens. I don't
think 1 said more than two words to
him. They have two courts, you
know. and we didn't happen to be in
The same sets"
And you hadn't written to him7"
ooh, no."
Are you quite certain about THAR"
he said.
'Oh, quite" she answered, with q
little smile. There was nothing /
should write to him for except to ask
him to dine or to play tennis. and
hadn't done either for months
AT one time you'd been on fairly
happen that you had stopped asking
him to anything"
Mrs. Crosbie shrugged her thin
shoulders.
"One gets tired of people. We hadn't
anything very much in common. OF
course, when he was I'll. Robert and
did everything we could for him, but
the last year or two he's been quite
we'll, and he was very popular. He
had a good many calls on his time,
and there didn't seem to be any need
to shower invitations upon him"
Are you quite certain that was
all?"
Mrs. Crosbie hesitated for a moment.
well, may just as well tell you.
It had come to our ears that he was
living with a Chinese woman, and
Robert said he wouldn't have him in
the house. I had seen her myself"
Mr.. Joyce was sitting in a straight
backed armchair, resting his chin on
his hand: his eyes were fixed on
Leslie. Was it his fancy that as she