Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-17


| fastened with the most marvellous locks,
| the walls are so spiked that no one In
| their senses would ever dream OF try
| ing to climb them, and they tell me
that there are watchmen promenading
! every night. What's it all mean, any
/ hove"
| Both girls were suddenly grave
What it means neither Laurita nor
have any idea" Blanche admitted
/ Its worse than you could possibly
! imagine, too Even the servants are
| not allowed out without pass. and the
| tradeSpeople arc only allowed TO Cali
within certain hours
DO YOU think that Lord Ardrington
is afraid Of burglars" Martin sug-
gested.
II don't think so. There are some
| treasures in the house, Of course, but
not the sort of treasures that burglars
could carry away with them
Il will tell YOU what l think, Laurlta
announced first looking around cau-
tiously, and dropping her voice almost
to a whisper 4 think that there is
some enemy Of whom my stepfather
| had great fear"
That doesn't sound like him." Mar
/ tin observed.
| Il will tell you why | think so, Lau-
Z
! was here for two days on one of my
| school holidays My father was going
! through his letters after breakfast, and
he found one which upset him terribly
/ was close to him and / was fright
ened. He gave a little cry as though
he had been stabbed, and for long
time afterWard he sat looking straight
ahead of him, but really seeing Moth
ing. Within "a hours all this started,
Before he used TO go to London some
times. He even came to visit me at
boarding school, Since that morning,
except when he went to Norwich for
his operation. he has never left this
place. / am sure that he is afraid OF
some one, and he feels safer here than
anywhere else ="
You don't know whether the letter
came from abroad or not, / suppose?
Blanche inquired"
TT came from New York" Laurita
answered Il know because the en-
velope blew away and | picked 1t up.
Upon the back of the flap were two
names. and I think it said Wholesale
Fruit Merchants The second name
was something like 'Gaunt'"
Would it be 'Ciraunt?'" Martin
asked quickly
THAT is exactly what it was. Tell
HE where you got the NAME iiOuls
Martin hesitated
Il only know" he confided that
there is a person of that name hang
ing round here now trying to see Lord
Ardrington
They were all silent for a moment.
There seemed suddenly a new signif1-
canoe in the high spiked vail. the
locked gates, the ceaseless watch,
There was some definite cause for it,
then. after all
L think" Blanche decided, that
you ought TO tell my uncle"
II will tell him tonight after dinner. -
Martin agreed This man Graunt
wants to see him all right. and APP
parently he wants to see him without
sending word beforehand. He offered
the money for my pass when 1t arrived
this afternoon"
Tell me what sort of man he is?''
Laurita begged curiously.
There are two OF them he con-
fided Il can't tell what there is about
them but l never met two men / dis
liked so much in my life, Graunt is a
short bald headed little man. rather
fat. very carefully dressed, with odd
colored eyes and a horrible mouth.
The man with him looks almost like a
foreigner--a thin. dark. hatchet-taced
man. who speaks very carefully. almost
like schoolmaSter
Blanche asked.
"On the roadside between Newmarket
and Thetford" Martin explained Il
found them there. seated on a fallen
tree without speck Of dust upon their
clothes or even a walking stick, They
looked as though they'd dropped from
an aeroplane. Afterward they told me
that they had been the victims of one
Of your uncle's practical Jokes"
Blanche nodded.
Uncle has done that three or four
times" she said ito people who've
bothered him TO see over the house. |
don't suppose he knew who these two
were. though.
I,aurita appeared troubled. For a
moment her childishness seemed TO
have left her.
The man who looked like for
eigner." she murmured. Il wonder
where he came from.
He wasn't very communicative"
Il am afraid that that very charm
ing uncle OF mine" Lady Blanche
sighed. lived a somewhat adventurous
life in his younger days
Did he live abroad" Martin asked,
More or less. He was IS years old
when he came into the title and
scarcely any one even knew him. He
went out to the Argentine after the
war and practically disappeared there.
A bell rang from its tower on the
western front of the house--a strident
yet sonorouS message.
Three quarters OF an hour before
dinner" Blanche remarked, rising.
Come along. Laurita. We must hand
our guest over to Mrs, Holmes.
Even that bell" she added. with little
shiver. as they strolled across the lawn.
has been dragged into the service.
Uncle has an electric communication
with tin case OF FIRE he explained.
Martin sighed.
II think that fear like that in the
heart of a brave man must be ter
rible thing" ne reflected
so far" Lord Ardrington declared.
as he tasted critically his first glass OF
BORT. Il must confess that you are
rather disappointment to me, Mr.
Martin Barnes"
I'm what way?" Martin demanded
There is very little about you to
study. You behave Just like nine out
Of ten other young men would behave
A degree less polished, perhaps, some
sli1ht lack of assurance. which, IN
these DAYS, Is rather an advantage
otherwise you don't seem To have much
TO learn externally.
I'm getting the best Of the bargain
then" Martin observed. There's lots
about all you people here entirely diff
ferent from anything l have been ac-
customed to-~lots that l should be glad
to initiate only of course, ! know
never could. But there Is one thing II
you'll let me speak about IT, he went
on, after a moments hesitation, which
can't and never should be able TO
understand
He repienished his glass and passed
the decanter
Il think / know what you are going
TO say" he remarked,
IT is, perhaps. impertinent of me to
ask questions" Martin admitted but
one can't help being curious what
on earth does it all mean-~these locked