Evening star., 1927-04-29
CONTINUED from Yesterdays starr
NINETEENTH INSTALLMENT.
CHAPTER xxx.

less fraud. I was acting as his secre'
4arv at the time and | detected nm IN
+ba acr of forging a document which
transferred property to him OF an old
man who was his patient. dldh |
know then why he did it, but he IN
sisted that I should marry him rlght
av9v. | was terrified until he had
nronised me that, if ] agreed, he
would let me live by myself some
where. Like a fool. the chance of
gaining liberty at the expense of such
a BONDAGE was so alluring that /
agreed. and we were married before
the registrar. The same day | moved
into the rooms which | have occupied
off and on ever since.
'gIe doesn't love you?"
She shook her head.
"He made that clear on the day of
our wedding. and he has taunted me
many times since that l trapped him
into the marriage. The truth was
that he feared a criminal prosecu-
ton would follow the discovery of the
forgery. and he married me to keep
my mouth shut, knowing that wife
NAV not give evidence against her
husband
Give Lowbrdge sat motionless, his
eyes fixed upon her face.
81 never guessed - he said, simply.
"Of course l can divorce him and
I should do that if''-she shrugged
her. shouIders-"if there were any eX
cuse. But, Give. he has given me
nothing: his life is austere; he has
never been really cruel to me-not
cruel enough to secure a divorce in
England. I'm just shelved until he
dies"
THE old devil" he whispered.
tnTbe wicked old deyflr'
A soft knock on the panel of the
door. He turned with a start as Ben
son came in carrying a silver tray.
William Holbrock is below, sir.
He passed the informa ton casually.
in the way of we'll bred servant.
Here? What does he want?" said
Give in surprise. Ask him up, Ben
son. and put another cup for him."
Bill looked white and drawn. and
though the bandage about his head
had been reduced to minimum proper
tions she saw at glance that the in
jury had been more serious than was
reported.
You been in the wars. too. Hol-
brooke asked Give good-humoredly.
Somewhat" was the laconic reply.
''How do you do, Miss Stone? / didn't
expect to find you here
Her lips twitched at the Miss
Stone"
"You ought to be in hospital"
Il really ought to be in an insane
asylum said Holbrook as he sat
down. Have you seen your respected
relative?"
"He hasn't deigned to call upon
me-" she said, ''and 1 am not very
Rorry.''
Bill grunted something.
1.-THE doctor is-Strange," he said
aloud. and she felt that he was
showing admirable restraint.
Give was wondering what was the
object of the reporters call until Bill
Holbrook caught his eve, then, TAX
ing advantage of Betty's discreet re-
tirement to admire the window boxes.
he walked out of the room and Bill
followed.
II want to put a question to you,
Lord Lowbridge. Do you know any
thing about the Sons of Ragousa?"
Give looked at him in astonish-
ment.
"I know something, yes, as much
as most people know. 1t is a friendly
society, is it not?" >
Hardly thata:ssasaid Bill grimly.
"But you are aware that Latin holds
very high position in the order?'
NO, that is news to me-" said the
other frankly. I'm fact, it is so in
credible that / take leave to
doubt"
Its a fact" interrupted Bill. HE
Is the head of the 23d degree
THE news is surprising, and vet
not surprising" said Lowbridge after
a pause. His eccentricities are pro-
verbal. Was it to tell me this that
you called?"
Partly" said Bill, land partly to
ask you whether you saw anything
of him the night Miss Carew disap-
peared?"
Lowbridge shook his head.
He could not possibly have had
anything to do with the abduction, -
at midnight and asked me to go
round to his place TO see him about
an impoverished property of mine in
which he is interested. OF course
did not 60"
He was establishing an alibi?"
suggested Holbrook, and Give shook
his head.
Il hardly think so. It was not re-
markable in him to call me up at
that hour, for the doctor has no idea
of time. AS you are probably aware,
he does not sleep like a normal man,
but has those queer ten-minute inter
satisfy all his needs. l saw him TIE
following day; he called here on the
same matter. and I'll swear that he
was in town that same night, for l
went to his place and stayed with him.
for the greater part of an hour"
He hesitated. Il ought to tell YOU
that his great scheme for transferring
my land had the elements of trickery
in It that annoyed me most intensely
I only discovered it last night. You
probably noticed, when you came to
Camden road, that l was rather
heated? The man has no conscience
and no scruples. He puzzles me
sometimes; at other times he fills me
with despair. For under his eccen-
tricties there is something about him
that like, and 1 shall not, of course,
forget our earlier association. when
he gave me his time and his genius to
educate me. But what do you mean
about the Sons of Ragousa? That
seems a fairly inoffensive association.
Do you think they We're concerned in
the kidnapping Of Miss Carew?"
Il don't think so, / am certain"
said Bill vigorously. "Laffin may not
have been a. member Of the party, but
III swear he directed operations"
Give came back alone, to Betty
Carew's surprise.
Where is the tireiess Mr.. Hol.
brooke" she asked.
Gone. He's on Lafin's track and
Is obsessed with the idea that the old
man was responsible for your kid
naping and, upon my word, he's al.
most convinced me. Betty, do you
remember-can you concentrate your
mind upon the as hours you disap-
peared? Can you recall any single in
cident which would help us to get at
the truth?'
Yes. ] think / can" she said
quietly. The incidents are beginning
10 sort themselves out, and while l
recognize that most of them are alb
surd and fantastical, the chapel and