Evening star., 1935-06-26
CHAPTER XXXvIII.
POISON PEN.

wv began to find my prac-
tice vanishing. Patients
who had been seeing me
every day wrote and said they'd ike
eaother doctor; people met began
to look at me in funny sort or way,
and 7 found myself being cut IN the
street.
"I stood it as long as could and
then I got hold of a. man 1 knew
quite well and asked him what hao
happened. He told me that there was
most scurrilous story going rouno
about me and young American girl
named Trevor who had disappeared.
IT went to the French police, OF
course; they tracked the tale home
to some anonymous letters which had
been sent to my patients. But, though
they did their best, they couldn't trace
the writer. And that wasn't the
worst! was asked to leave the club
MY dear!" Alisons eyes were full
of sympathy. How awful for you!'
mot too nice was it?" he con-
cured. Anyway, soon saw that ]
wasn't getting living any more; !
couldn't even sell my practice Tor a
fifth of the sum I gave. I had TO
clear out, came home here to
England and I put Scotland YARD on
to tracing the letters. But by then
the trail was cold and they failed. An
old friend of mine, Dundas, let me
stop with him and help plt IN re-
turn for my board and I'd one conso-
lation, anyway; was doing gooo Work
again, where it was needed,
He was silent for few SECONDS,
looking straight out before him. Als
clear, light eyes came down Slowly
and rested on her face.
You know, I'm not sorry, now!
mean, that it happened" He was
smiling at her. If 1t haont' 1o DC
out there now!"
Rather a big price to pay!" said
Alison.
Not too big"
''Not?"
mo! Not bit. I didn't know that
any one could be as much in love al
! am with you"
Are you?" She knew it, yet was
pining to hear him say so.
"You know I am. Utterly. .Wher
I thought I'd lost you, yesterday
went nearly crazy"
$50 did L" It was half whisper,
"Directly the door shut I was sorry
wanted to tear after you down the
street"
did you?"
The clock struck the half hour
A very fat man with scoWl ana a
rolled newspaper, waiting Tor nus
lunch, glowered impatiently at the
two who sat at the corner table.
He muttered grumpily, Indecent
I call It'll" and looked at his watch.
A young clerk, looking for free
chair, caught at the back OF one BY
Alison's table, looked down, raised
his eyebrows and went elsewhere
wearing a very wide grin.
Totally unconscious that any one
had even looked at them, Guy and
Alison drifted back into their inter-
rupted conversation.
"You begin to see how it was?"
"I think So" she said. But
don't quite understand where tht
house at Warley came in
"rll tell you that in a minute
More coffee? No? A cigaret? Dont
you? Just as well. We shan't be able
to afford it'll"
Alison turned so bright a pink tha
It clashed with the red ribbon or
her hat.
BE ouiet! Some one'll hear you
Let 'em," said Guy briefly. What
vas I saying? Oh, yes, Warley: II
was like this. I'd given up all hopt
of finding out who'd sent those let
ters, though I felt pretty certain II
nv own mind that it was this woman
told YOU about. I didn't know any
one else who would hate me enough.
"Then one day was putting
through a phone call at that little
restaurant where we went in Soho
it's run by a patient of mine. and
often 90 there-when I saw those two
at the very next table The woman
and the fellow she got mixed up with
in France-the gigolo.'
"What was he like?" Alison broke
In.
"The man? Dark, Spanish-looking-
that's why I asked you the otnel
day"
She asked breathlessly, What was
mis- name?"
Called himself De Gouy-she was
Mrs. Poynter."
Daphne Poynter?"
"Yes. How do you know"
"I'n tell you later" said Alison. &c
on"
well, anyway, they were having
most awful row. One could hear EN-
half across the restaurant. She was
calling him every name under the sur
because he hadn't married her after
her husbands death. He was nasty
bit Of work and he simply sat and
shrugged his shoulders and sneereo
and told her that if she wanted him
she'd better get some money.
HE told her that if she hadn't been
q fool, she'd have known about her
husband having an annuity. She was
obviously dreadfully in love with the
fellow and half off her head and
rather hoped she might say something
that would give me clue. Unfor-
tunately, she looked up and saw me.
"She went about as white as that
menu and shut up as II she'd lost her
tongue and saw the man look round
at me. Then waiter came up and
told me that he'd put through my
call and that Dundas was on the tele-
phone and when I got back they'd
both gone. But for that might have
followed them. That was about six
weeks ago. And heard nothing more
ut all until the other night, the night
that I met you"
about o'clock that evening,
was in the surgery and got a phone
call. I couldn't place the voice al
all, 1t might have been mans or 8
womans, it had a sort of whistline
sound in it as if the person had got
asthma"
Talking through comb" sug.
gested Alison.