Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-03
tCcntinued from Yesterdays starJ
INSTALLMENT XIV.

INSIAlakIMENt AAN.
ms IR COTTERELL," Evelyn'i
~ voice rose and steadied
Sir Cotterell. I'm so sorry.
~ sorry"
He looked at her then
rather vaguely.
what is it, my dear? Colt,
IT know. But II doesn't matter"
Doesn't matter?" This very sharp
" from Sophy.
No" She turned to Cotty. Pear
Palliser told me all about It, yol
know. She said you worried her I'll
she didn't know what she was doing
She told me she'd signed something
She didn't really seem to know VIVA,
she had signed, but she said she's
signed something. However, none o.
that really matters, because I've got
the identity disk"
Sir Henry pushed his chair back
Lady Manning gave little 1aih'
scream. Cotty dropped his pince'nez
and sat cropping for them.
Sir Cotterell slowly withdrew the
hand which had been stretched ou'
to take Pearl Palliser's statement
He took hold of the edge OF the
table and got to his feet. >,
The identity disk Nonsense saiu
SONNY Abtott at the top of her voice.
600 on. EVELYN" said Manning.
81 got IL from Anna Blum"-Eve'
ivn spoke simply and clearly she
had ii all the time. She gave II 10
me. Not the first time / went 10
Cologne, but this time-the other DAY
"A week ago"
THE identity disk?" The words
were lust an unsteady whisper, but
straight; the color came hack into
his Inns and the fire into his glance.
That's final" he said. That's
what I've wanted.
Henry. that's final. Even Cotty
won't say that the disk isn't evidence.
Evelvn-my dear" He ended on
a note Of appeal
EVELYN moved the hand that had
been clenched against her breast. she
brought II down open on the table:
and in the palm was little bag OF
gold brocade.
Manning came up to the table and
took II from her hand. Nobody
moved or spoke while he united the
thread and tipped out packet COW
cred with yellowish linen.
Evelyn put her finger on II Tor a
moment. She said. Wait" with a
across the table 10 Sir Cotterell:
81 haven't looked at it. Anna gave
n to me. But I didn't look at i'll
didn't want to look at il"
Sophy Abbott's angry laugh rang
out:
my dear Evelyn. do you really
expect us TO believe that?"
For an instant Evelyn turned her
eyes upon her They were very
darkIv blue. They looked in Sophy' s
direction, but they did not seem TO
see her. She spoke quite gently.
Yes, Sorhy. I ask you to believe
It." She paused. and added with ex-
treme simplicity, It's true"
Then she turned again to Sir Cot
terrell.
"It's for you. don't want to see
It. / know"
she took her hand from the table.
"T won't stay. No, / don't want any
one to come with me-please." The
$ last word was for Manning, who had
put his hand on her arm.
He let her 60. and she went out
of the room without turning her
head. The door closed behind her.
Lacy Manning began to cry softly.
"Open it," said Sir Henry in his
quiet, courteous voice.
Manning broke the stitches. took
out the paper-covered disk, unwrap'
ped IL.
Sir Cotterell came round the table
and stood at his elbow. When the
last fold Of the paper was gone he
rnatched at the disk and held IL. His
other hand pressed hard on Man
ning's shoulder. The room. the disk,
the printed words. swan together.
at can't see-I can't read h-Man'
ning-Manning."
In a dead silence Manning took the
disk and read the name aloud
Laydon left the manor without any
very clear idea OF where he was 60
ing. His immediate need was to get
away; he could no longer bear TO be
under one roof with Evelyn. A 20.
mile tramp through the night had
brought him no farther than this.
Laydon woods and meadows. the
stream he had hshed az a boy. all this
Spring warmth and burgeoning. were
alike intolerable.
He arrived in London. and drove "a
the hotel at which he and Manning
had stayed. The relief OF losing him
self, Of being a casual stranger In
the midst OF a perfectly Indifferent
crowd. was very great.