Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-22

Sir Henry lifted the big white hand
on his knee.
Evelyn, my dear. it's much more
complicated business than you
imagine. I think I'd better tell you
the whole thing from the beginning"
'Yes?" said Evelyn. She threw him
rather startled glance. Yes? What
is it?"
well. my dear. found the entry,
as / said. But I found another one
first
Another one?"
II was turning the pages-working
back, you know-you said you weren't
sure of the date-and l found-anoth
er entry"
Uncle Henryw
Eyes. my dear, another entry II
was the name that attracted my at
tention-the mans name. Evelyn.
I'm afraid it'll be a shock-it was
Jack Laydon's name"
Jack"
Evelyn was leaning forward, her
hand on his knee, her eyes were wide.
very dark.
John Murray Laydon-that's right.
isn't 1t? Wasn't his mother a Miss
Murray"
Yes. But Observation-Disclosures
henry, L can't
II know. But there it is--John
Murray Layton. bachelor, to Harriet
May Edwards. widow"
''Edwards-who is Harriet May Ed
wards?"
Sir Henry spoke slowly, letting each
word drop separately into the silence
''Pearl-Harriet-M
"Oh." said Evelyn. 1t was a very
sharp cry of protest. She sprang up
as she uttered it.
Yes" said Sir Henry. there's no
doubt about it,
oh" said Evelyn again more gen.
tly. Then she moved to the hearth
and stood there with her back to him.
please go on. Please tell me every
thing"
Sir Henry looked at her with raised
eyebrows for a moment. Lacy-yes
after all Lacy must have been right.
One never expected Lacy to be right
somehow; but in this case
He gave her a moment, and then
began to speak in his quiet, assured
voice.
"Of course, I didn't realize any of
this at first. / was naturally very
much taken aback. / made a copy of
the entry with the date. and then !
went on looking for the entry about
Jim Field"
What was the date?" said Eve
lyn quickly She held back fold of
vivid emerald green and pushed log
down into the fire with the point of
a golden shoe; it was q hard, almost
a savage little thrust. The log splin-
tered and flared as Sir Henry said:
1.-THE date? March the eth. 1915"
Evelyn bent over the fire. March
the 27th-that was just a week after
she had broken her three days en-
gagement to Jack. A week.
Sir Henry went on after short.
unesay pause
Il went on looking for the other
entry. and I found it. as I told you,
on December the 7th. 1914. I was
at once struck by the similarity of
the brides Christian names. If it had
been Harriet by itself. or May by
itself-but Harriet May in conjunc-
tion-well, 1 could not fail to be
struck by the singularity Jim Field
had married Pearl Harriet May Pal
User in December and Jack Laydon
had married Harriet May Edwards in
March. / had another look at the
March entry, and the woman's hand.
writing settled the matter-large.
emotional writing-letters about three.
quarters of an inch high-quite i'm.
pOSSlDlo 10 InlSIdke 1t IeIC me Wlth-
out the slightest reasonable doubt that
Harriet May Edwards and Pearl Har.
riet May Palliser were the same per
SON."
There was silence. Evelyn stood
quite still. one hand hanging at her
side. the other resting lightly on the
mantlepiece..
"Why?" she said at last. She
turned quickly and came back to her
seat on the pouffe. Uncle Henry.
why?"
''My dear. how can I tell?"
Evelyn was composed and pale. She
propped her chin on her hand and
looked straight in front of her.
'It seems so senseless. mean
il l were going to commit bigamy.
wouldn't go back to the same regis.
try office only four months after
ward-would your"
II don't think I've ever considered
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. But I see
your point. AS a matter of fact. il
occurred to me almost immediately.
l was inclined to think that marriage
with Jim Field might prove to have
been invalid. but on making some dis.
Greet inquiries at the ministry of pen.
sions, I discovered that the lady en-.
joys a pension as the widow of Jim
Field. Now if she married Jack Law.
don, why in heavens name didn't she
take her pension as Mrs. Jack Lay.
DOM"
That's what we've got to find
out" said Evelyn slowly.
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