Evening star., 1927-10-05
Continued from Yesterdays starr
CHAPTER XV.
MIR. PadmOre's Advice.

VANET was awakened on Thurs
day morning by a trim little
maid bearing a tray.
~ Mrs. Madison always has
breakfast in her room and she
Snaight you would like it, miss. y
Tho girl smiled. I'm Mary. Mrs
Madison said ] was to lay out sport
clothes, If YOU are going TO play
tennis"
Thanks, Mary" Janet shook her
head. II won't play this morning"
Then Mrs. Madison would be glad
10 see You in her room, if you care
to stop for a minute on the way
downstairs" Mary announced. She s
Just around the turn in the. hall"
Still smiling she withdrew. and
Janet lay slipping her chocolate and
thinking over that strange scene in
the garden the night before. Why
had Duncan Burt returned? What
was the subject of his earnest con-
versation with Ba sill Ferrars, and why
had Mr.. padmore eavesdropped upon
them?
The first two had returned 10 the
house a quarter of an hour after they
issued from it. but their watcher had
not reappeared and she had gone TO
bed at last, assuming that he must
have re.entered by some other door.
Was there friction of some sort. dis
trust perhaps, between her fathers
people?
She was still pondering these ques-
tions when she finished dressing. but
they were speedily banished from her
thoughts when she felt under her
pillow for the little watch which had
proved a talisman, indeed, for her.
It was gone. Janet was sure she had
placed it there the night before and
she swept the coverings aside in
frantic but futile search.
Surely she could not have lost it.
The ribbon band had been frail and
it's texture weakened from lying so
long unused in her treasure box at
the convent, and during the past few
Gavs it had seen hard wear, but she
mad been conscious of it every minute,
almost, and she would have known
the instant it slipped from her wrist.
In conservation she hurried along
the hall and knocked at the first door
around the turning.
Come in," Mrs. Madison's voice
called. and the girl entered to find
her sitting up in bed with delicate
orchid peignoir about her shoulders
and lace cap Just revealing glimpses
of her silvery hair. Good mornin2-
Oul what IS II, JdHet' " "o'e ""S
happened!"
"Ny watch Janet exclaimed trem-
ulously. MY watch that daddy gave
me, 1t is gomez
mot gone, my dear" Mrs. Madison
smiled as she drew out the drawer OF
her bedstapd and took out the watch
on a fresh. blue ribbon. You drop
ped it on the terrace last night, and
who do you think found it? Mr.. Burt!
He returned about eleven with a mes
sage for Mr.. Ferrars and almost step.
ped on the watch. See! It's going
again, He wound and set it for you,
snd says there is really nothing the
matter with it."
The girl took it joyfully.
And you've put il on a new ribbon
for me"' Impulsively she bent and
kissed the sweet, old face. Il can't
thank you-and Mr.. Burt! You don't
know what it means to me-hecause
daddy gave it to me. OF course"
She added the last hastily, but Mrs.
Madison was finishing her tea. There
had been nothing odd about Burt's
return then, after all! But he had
set the watch for her. he who alone
of all she had met at Daneholm knew
the message of the fixed hands. 1t
was sheer accident his having found
1t, but was this an intimation to her
that in an afterthought he decided
1t would be unwise for her to display
it there with the hands pointing to
seven?