Evening star., 1925-06-14
THE KISS OF YOUTH
Again Trail the Arch. Criminal

sheet of the vicarage note paper and
in the third person-'The Rev. Mase-
ley, etc. 1 should think these coun-
try clergymen in quiet places would
sometimes go nearly out of their
minds without hobby"
Daniel nodded little grimly.
THE Rev. Maseley's hobby" he re-
marked. appears to be rather an un-
usual one"
l. through a long illness and still
fingers between life and death. Gerald
Cakes. for whom the police Of Somer-
set and the myrmidons of Scotland
Yard were scouril q the country, lay
on a pallet bed within a few hundred
Yards of his home in a long, bare
apartment, built as an annex to the
vicarage. BY his side stood Londe,
feeling the young mans pulse.
quite satisfactory" he pronounced
after a moments silence. Il must
congratulate you, my friend. You
have a marvellous constitution. You
are one of my least troublesome sub
jects.
Exactly what does that mean?"
the Young man inquired weakly.
'It means that you have conStitu-
ton like a piece Of machinery" Londe
explained. II know exactly by your
symptoms how much Of my treatment
you require
The Young man stared at him wear
lily for a moment.
Are YOU a madman?" he asked at
last. Il suppose you must be, al
though / can't see how you are able
to escape detection"
r IL toI e,spt- ftx-
although. alas, / must plead guilty
TO one slight weakness. Except for
that, think I can safely say that
am one of the cleverest men in this
country"
"One slight Weakness the young
man repeated wonderingly.
Precisely" Londe assented. "A
weakness which, with your help and
the help of some books / am expect
ing tomorrow, 1 hope to be able TO
cure permanently"
MY help" Gerald Oakes muttered.
What use am l. lying here, to any
body? If 1 could but raise my
ARM"
Yes" said Londe. II expect you
would be dangerous"
"I'd like to get you by the throat
and strangle the life out of you" was
the shuddering reply.
You are unreasonable, Londe as
Sured him earnestly. MANY man
who caught young fellow like you
kissing his wife would have been far
more violent than 1 have been"
Gerald Oakes moved in his place
uneasily.
1T was an impulse" he muttered.
Your wears wife" Londe went on
sternly And, according to your
h.
spoken to her, except at your own
dining table"
II shouldn't have spoken to her at
ALL" the young man explained, but
she was frightened at the report of
my gun l didn't see her coming and
I shot rabbit in the path. After
ward l walked home with her. She
asked me in. While we were in the
drawing room"
Precisely" Londe interrupted sar-
castically Spare me the narrowing
details. Then YOU looked up, and
there was in the doorway"
Londe- smiled.
Il might have killed you at once"
he observed GAS a matter of fact,
am not going to kill YOU at all. You
are really an exceedingly fortunate
young man"
Londe glanced at his watch and
picked up his hat.
1T is time 1 paid my afternoon call
upon your mother" he announced.
You will be glad to know that | go
to the hall every day to talk to her
and keep her cheerful. She is bearing
up wonderfully, considering-won
fully. She has made one mistake.
however, which has annoyed me very
Cla cd in, holn
Scotland Yard
THE young man lay on his couch
and watched the somberly clad fig
ure swing down the garden path. He
was terrified at the confusion of
thought into which he had fallen. He
could not remember how long he had
lain in this hateful apartment.
Everything seemed unsteady and
obscure since the one dramatic mo-
ment when he had drawn away from
the lips of that strange, bewildering
woman, thrilled, yet filled with an in
stinctive apprehension, and had looked
up to find her husband standing in
the doorway. Londe's attitude was
one of panied and dignified surprise.
The young man had begun to stam-
mer out his faltering apologies to the
grave, advancing figure. Then he had
that he was going to he
shot There was something black in
Londe's suddenly outstretched hand
a faint jet of vapor, a giving away. of
heart and senses, strange falling
away of consciousness.
The door was quietly opened. The
woman came in. Notwithstanding his
weakness the young mans heart be-
gan to beat more quickly. She made
a little gesture of silence and came
toward him.
Il am so sorry" she whispered.