Evening star., 1928-01-29
Miss Brown of X.Y.O.
By E. Phillips Oppcnheim.
Copyright bv 4 Phillips oppenheim
By E. Phillips Oppenhein.
Copyright 1897 b, Phillips oppenhcim

studied their faces and kept silent.
Our principles" he concluded. with
| forced moderation. "are at least world
| principles. The time will come, and be
| fore long, when you will see the folly
OF attempting to localize a movement
| toward freedom which should be uni.
verSal"
Abel Deane Knocked out the ashes
from his pipe. produced pouch and
refilled 1t with leisurely fingers.
Bretskopf, who had spoken little
during the meeting. leaned across the
table; in his right hand he gripped a
| tumblerful OF wine: with his left he
punctuated his words. with short, I'M
pressive gestures. In the corner Of his
mouth was a black cigar.
Let il be remembered. Deane," he
said. that at this meeting. although
we are in a minority. Malakoff. kras.
set and | declared that you have done
| Ill to listen to this talk OF commits.
sons. Our plan OF campaign was SIM
pier and better. You should have i'm.
posed your will. You have lost the
chance of a century"
Macpherson interviewed for the first
time in the debate.
II am in entire disagreement with
our friend Bretskopf," he announced
coldly.
You know your own business best,
l suppose" Malakoff remarked sulks
lily.
Abel Deane rose TO his feet.
The meeting is over" he announc-
ed You and 1. Macpherson. are for
Downing street"
The days that followed were the
most exciting that Miss Brown had
ever known. She took to coming to
Whitehall an hour earlier in the morn
ing and leaving later at night, but
whenever she came and whenever she
left there was an increasing quantity
of work to be done. No outside help
was possible.
The subject matter of some OF the
reports and correspondence with
which she had to deal was with scarce
ly an exception initiated and marked
For Miss Brown only" She moved
her desk and typewriter and intrench-
ed herself in a distant corner OF the
room. from which place she. sometimes
watched with unseeing eyes the few
favored callers whom Dessiter admit.
ted into his stronghold.
Marabels was there at least three or
four times during the day, always with
an uncanny gift of selecting the in.
formation he desired with lightning
like precision from mass Of material.
Often he stood by Miss Browns side
while with swift fingers she turned
over the papers and produced from its
properly indeXed place the report OF
the particulars he desired. Always he
remained with the expression OF
sphinx, scarcely ever speaking. ringed
in by sort OF aloofness which match
ed Miss Browns own reserve.
At such times their eyes never met.
He scarcely ever even addressed a di.
rect remark to her, yet sometimes
when he was at the other end OF the
room, talking in a low tone to Des.
sitter. she would fancy that he was
watching her. and. looking up. would
find that. without any sort OF express
sion, his eyes were fixed upon her.
Once when he was confiding to Des.
sitter an event of great Importance, he
lowered his voice. Dessiter. glancing
up, followed the direction Of his eyes.
MY secretary is deaf and dumb"
he observed.
Marabels continued in his usual
tone:
Il have an appointment with Abel
Deane tonight, Dessiter. l want all
your intimate reports OF Malakoff.
Bretskopf and Krasset."
They're pretty reading" Dessiter
observed, as he crossed the room to-
ward Miss Browns desk.
''If Abel Deane's the man / think
he is" Marabels said. hell agree TO
having them out Of the country within
a week"
Dessiter lit the inevitable cigarette.
Miss Brown had been busy among
the files in the safe. She produced
little pile OF documents. typed a neat
tabulation for the outside. and secured
them with a rubber band Marabels