Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-04

ments. Laurita and were married In
the English Settlement Church at San
Paulo. It was ridiculous whirn of
hers. but in fortunate moment / con-
sented. The child was baptized there.
The English law Is very fair. If / in
sist. until she is 81. she must come to
me. Stop! There is another idea which
presents itself. Seventeen is your ia
vorite age, Solomon. How would you
like to be my son-in -law?"
IF the child is as beautiful as her
mother was" Solomon Graunt replied.
with an unpleasant brightness of the
eyes, Il shall not refuse"
There was a long silence. Victor
Porle was lost in what seemed to be
pleasant reverie.
There Is Just one thing" he said at
last. To sit at a mans gates and fill
him with fear is good. 1t is good to
keep the doomed waiting for his punish
ment. never knowing when it may fall.
But the cat. after 1t has played with
the mouse. kills In the end When the
safe time comes. Solomon, / think that
he will die with my hand on his throat"
Obeying That Impulse.
1t was Just an impulse for which at
the time he did not take the trouble to
account, even TO himself, which induced
Martin Barnes, the Eastern Counties
representative OF the firm of Shrives g.
Welshman. OF Bermoncsey, to leave the
commercial room. the atmosphere of
which suddenly irritated him, to re-
fuse an invitationsto accompany rival
traveller to a picture show and to wan
der out alone into the streets of the
old Cathedral town where he was
spending two or three days In pursuit
of his business. His impulse proceeded
simply from the fact that he was wea-y
of the flamboyant peregrinationS IN
which the evenings of his days of travel
were usually spent, of the company of
his night-by-night associates, with
whom he never felt entirely in sym
nathy: of the fiirtations of an hour.
harmless enough but cloying. continu-
ally offered in the more crowded places.
1t was so he came to Ash Hill.
He sauntered down the cobbled way
certainly with no Idea of finding any,
where In its murky recesses either for
tune or even anything unusual. High
and majestic above the red tiled roofs
of the dwelling houses on his right, the
Cathedral spire arose. imminent andlin
the gloom. gigantic. The character OF
the street puzzled him. On one side
type enough. on the other, the side
nearest the Cathedral. after passing
struggling. silent warehouse and an
entry which led Cathedralwards, he had
come to building which, with its
long, level line of windows, It's impress
sive, yet secluded air, seemed singular
ly placed In so retired neighborhood,
From the middle of the street he
stepped OH 70 the pavement to examine
more closely the nail~studded door,
wondering at its massiyeness ite fine
carving and curious about the great
coat-of-arms surmounting 1t. Whilst he
stood there his foot almost advanced OH
to the fiawlessly clean white step. the
door which he was studying was abb
ruptly opened from inside, and the
most unmsitakable butler who ever
donned the livery OF his class looked in
quiringly out into the darkness. Mar
tin Barnes was distinctly taken aback,
the more so because he was conscious
that he was being scratinized with an
interest, almost an eagerneSs for which
he could conceive no explanation. He
himself felt like a suddenly convicted
trespasser.
Il didn't ring or anything" he ex-
planned. Il was just ad71triIsg the
door"
will you step inside, please?" the
butler invited.
The young man stared at him.
why should II" he demanded. II
don't know any one here. / was only
admiring the door"
The butler opened II an inch or two
wider. Before him now Martin looked
into vista Of white-fiagged hall, nn~
expcctedly spacious, walls hung with
somberly framed oil paintings a great
oak staircase and beyond, a stained
glass window
MY orders we're 10 admit YOU" the
man replied patiently.
Martin Barnes hesitated, Perhaps at
that moment there was kindled IN his
imagination some spark OF that love 81
adventure Of which he certainly gave
evidence In later life. lie stepped into
the hall and waited whilst the heavy
door was closed behind him
win you come This way, gif?"
with the sober digniled gait OF hia
class, the butler led the way down the
hall threw open the door Of a room
on the left, and stood on one side to
allow Martin 10 enter. IN single
! phrase le placed the visitor
THE young man, my lord he an
| nounced,
The Mysterious HOUSE.
| The door closed behind him, and
Martin gasped II was room. such as
he had never seen before "A dining
room paneled from walnseOting 10 cell
/ ing In ancient black oak. for the most
psrt unfelieved but with here and
there en oil painting let In, surmonnt-
ed by shaded electric light. At a
| round table four men had apparently
been dining, There were decaufers III
wine ana wonderful glass standing