Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-18
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Star }
CHAPTER XXXIII.

%O say that Audrey was shocked |.
to describe in mild and made.
quate terms the emotion which
Il her experience had called into
existence. Lying down on the
bed after Dick had gone-she was still
very tired and sleepy-she recalled. with
a rueful smile the ancient Mrs, Grathtt's
warnings against London. What would
that old lady think of her, she wonder
ed. For she did not doubt that the
story of her criminal career had lost
= nothing by repetition. Possibly the farm
had already become notorious as the
some time home of shrewd and ingen-
ious. indeed, romantic. lawbreaker. Per-
haps they would put tablet on the
wall, she unused. half asleep: Here
lived for many years the notorious Au-
drey Bedford"
She awoke from her doze with start.
Her door was ajar: she was certain sne
had closed it--equally certain that It
had been pushed open by somebody OUT
side. Jumping up from the pea, sne
walked out into the corridor. There was
nobody in sight; she must nave oeen
mistaken.
Then she saw on the floor at her
feet a letter. and at the first view OF
the address her breath almost stopped
It was from Malpas!
She tore open the envelope With
trembling fingers. Inside was the I'M
tidy spread of scrawled lines, three
words to the line.
LACY and his satellite are dead. You
will 90 the same way II you betray my
confidence. Meet me without fail to-
night at 9 o'clock at the entrance OF
st. Dunstan's, Outer Circle. If you tell
Shannon it will be the worse for MIN
and you"
She read the letter again and the
hand that held the paper trembled. st.
Dunstan's was a landmark in London,
a home for blind soldiers, on the lone
Hest part of the Outer Circle. Should
she tell Dick? Her first impulse was
to disregard the warning; her second
thought was of his safety.
Putting the letter in her handbag,
she went out to find the floor clerk.
That superior young lady had not seen
any man, old or young, in the corridor,
except, apparently, people who were
well authenticated.
Audrey was so used to mysteries now
that this new terror which had been
sprung upon her was part of the nor
NAL, Who was this mystery man, this
gray shadow, that fitted unseen, COM
ing and going at his will? AS far as
the hotel was concerned, his work was
easy. There were two entrances. each
leading to a different street (there
were two stairways and elevators in
both wings of the building, and 1t
was, as she knew, fairly simple mat
ter to slip up and down without obser-
walton.
She read the letter again and liked
It less. One thing she must not do
and that was ignore the summons. She
must either 60 to the appointment or
else she must tell Dick and risk what
followed. There were many reasons
why Dick Shannon should not be taken
into her confidence at the moment-he
was seeking Malpas, and. though she
could lead him direct to the man. she
could as easily lead him to his death!
Throughout the day her troubled
mind grappled with the problem, to
which was added new discomfort.
From the moment she left the hotel in
the afternoon until her return she had
the feeling that she was under observa-
ton. Somebody was trailing her,
watching her every movement. She
found herself looking round fearfully
and stepping back with suspicion to
stare into the faces of perfectly inno-
cent and unoffending people.
It was characteristic of her that the
memory Of the tragic sight she had wit
messed did not keep her from her ia
vorite walk, though she had to screw
up her courage to go along the foot
path where she had seen the unknown
suicide In her death hour.