Evening star., 1927-09-22
}tBTHE BLACK JOKER
NYg BY

thoughtful Of you, but 7 shall have no
difficulty. 1t will be your first visit TO
America"
"Oh. no" He drained his cup and
placed it on the foot OF the steamer
chair. II did not think it was quite
as apparent as all that that l am
British subject
You did not wish 1t to he?" Miss
Dcane countered quickly with a faint
smile. Forgive me if ! seem inqulsi'
tive One meets so many people tray
cling who appear delightfully."- mysterl'
ous''
a. laughed again, but his gray eyes
had uecomc like points of steel.
"vell played. Miss Dcano' | am
properly rebukcd but there's no mys-
terry about me. | assure you! I'm
Canadian. but connected with the Lon
don branch of my firm. and | travel
for it almost continuously. You re
right. though; one does meet mysterl-
GUS people occasionally and not always
desirable ones. What book have you
been amusing yourself With
He had reached out his hnad for the
novel, and Julia Deane suddenly re-
membpred-shp had been instructed to
read it in strict privacy and then
throw it ovcrboard' Without quite un-
compelled her to secrecy. she swiftly
drew the rug up to conceal 1t and prot
fercd instead the volume of poetry.
You read Italian"
He shook his head az he glanced al
it, but her quick eyes noted the almost
imperceptible motion of his lips as he
mutely followed a line and then closed
the book and returned it her.
I'm not linguist. unfortunately.
You like Italy,"
II like some of its poetry" Miss
Deane's wonderment was growing.
Could this Young man too. have mis-
taken her for some one else, the same
person whom Mrs. Carlin thought her
to be? lie was interested in her, after
all. not in that other woman! She must
set away by herself and think this out,
yet it would not do To appear To he
afraid to run away. Aloud she added,
You think that silly. to like poetry?
by no means, i like detective sto-
ries better but | suppose charming
young person like yourself could take
no interest in crime?"
'Crime?" Miss Deane echoed the
word incredulously, but little thrill
ran through her, queer sort OF fore
bodng. Il never thought about 1t ana
I'm sure / shouldn't know a criminal
II i saw one. i nave never IF"b i"
story OF that sort. But l must go be-
low now and rest till dinner"
Mr.. Marriott rose instantly.
so stupid of me to keep YOU talk
ing while YOU are still convalescent.
| shall see you at dinner"
lie assisted her to rise and escorted
her to the compa niOnWay, but once be-
hind the locked door of her stateroom
she dropped down upon the low extra
berth beneath the open portfolio with
a little catch in her breath.
Why did these two strangers, who
obviously did not approve Of each
other, show such an interest in her
affairs? There had been an odd sort
of meaning in his tone when he spoke
Of 'crime'-was he possible crimi-
nal. or Mrs. Carlin, or did they both
AXE her to be one?
How could that woman know she
had run away from the convent re-
bellious at having her exile extended
another whole year, when she had
already learned all that the sisters
could teach her? 1t had seemed such
a simple matter to steal away from
the convent, take the rafting old stage
coach to he nearest town. then by rail
to the seaport where the beautiful,
safe steamer waited to bear her to
America and the dear. lonely daddy
she adored lie would be astonished
and dreadfully worried. perhaps. If the
mother superior cabled him Of her dis
appearance, but surely he would for
give her dsobedience when she threw
her arms about his neck and told him
that she just couldn't endure to be
away from him any longer.
She hadn't even had to take the
stage coach when those kind Ameri-
can tourists had picked her up, not
stones throw from the convent, and
taken her in their car all the way TO
Marselle. Nothing had given her
the slightest uneasiness except the