Evening star., 1926-05-23

that is better than my getting an at
tack of sniff1es. Well, crying
won't help. Cut it out and state your
case. Aistair is a beast. He always
was. But you're not afraid of him.
are you?"
BY this time they were locked in
side Eileer's suite. The night had
come in rather cold, so an electric
stove was agreeable for bare feet
and bare shoulders alike.
I'm all right, now" smiled Eileen
mistily. II lost my nerve for mo-
ment, but Alistair was almost brutal,
and I have just been having a trying
time with Uncle Hector. You see,
Betty, have discovered that no mat
ter how John may have erred in the
past, we are treating him shamefully
now. Sit down there, dear, and listen.
You must be told some day. Why not
tonight"
If some skilled astrologer could
have cast Alistair Panton's nativity"
about that time he would surely have
found a particularly baleful planet in
the ascendant. Eileen, whose polite
hauteur was beginning to thaw in
public into quiet Difference. had sud
denly treated him as though his very
nearness were abhorrent. 1t needed
feminine temperament to warn him
of the change. When they spoke to-
gether while the others were at the
bridge table she stood out boldly for
the fulfillment of his promise in re-
gard to the letter, but in all else she
was weakening perceptibly. He had
never intended to withhold Johns re-
ply altogether His reluctance was
feigned, we'll calculated move to win
her respect by striving to spare her
feelings when she read that violent
rather amicably. he in full command
Of the situation, she seeming to
concur.
1t was a wholly different Eileen
whom he met in the corridor. Had
some viper wandered in from the
moor and she had stepped on it un-
aware she could not have recoiled
with greater loathing. What, then,
had happened meanwhile?
Contrary to her belief. or suspicion
rather. he neither knew that John
had written to Lord Oban nor had he
overheard any of the conversation be-
tween Eileen and his uncle. He had
seen her go upstairs and followed,
meaning really to have a chat and
lead her on to discuss the stupidity of
their present relations. Then he
caught the murmur of voices, and,
greatly to his surprise and annoy
ance, had ascertained her where
abouts. He would gladly have lis
tened, but the floor boards Of an old
house are apt to creak under a heavy
weight, and the Lansings had ap-
peared at the wrong moment, drawing
him back quickly on thievish feet and
OBTAINING him by some chatter about
the weather prospects Of the morrow.
His cold fury against Eileen. how
ever. did not conquer his judgment
now. Betty's advice was sound
though she could not have begun
to imagine why he wanted SO ur-
gently to get in touch with his
uncle. He made for the smoking
room, mixed a whisky and soda. and
wrote some letters, giving marked
care to the preparation of the draft
of one and copying it when approved
He did not drop this letter into the
post box in the hall. which would be
cleared early next day. Disposing OF
the others in the orthodox way, he
pocketed it, together with the draft
Then he went to bed, meeting a light
shod night watchman on the stairs.
'All the birds roasted. Dougal?" ht
inquired cheerfully, since he cult
waited cordial relations with every one
employed in the house and on thu
estate.