The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 11, 1904, Page 1

first install- of the clever. f the sum Adventuress s Oppen- of qui by list. The an plot s rs, form. f pure and ily shoul- strong and ' But the huddied ss of ef- with fear what man« her fingers cf 2 sides of her chair. But - ared and whis- enough to reach ted ber. ¥For she, sat- there e briekly along the Englishman. " He five -yéars of age. with:the utmost cadre, s feet upon the broad the*action were in lescension. He, was d yet—perhaps more volatile a suggestion was it him, not to say heavi- girl, slack- t he 1 ed at the and looked 2 is eye-glasses, 1 after she h again ver his i passed, and fin- He seratched ulder y came s upper li It was a habit of hi talk to him self In the present case it did not matter, as there was no one else with- in earshot. “Dear me!” he. said. “Dear me! I wonder what I ought to do. She is English! I am sure of that. She:is Erelish and zpparently in some dis- tress. I wonder—' He turned slowly round. He was in- clined to b good-natured person, and he had no nervous fears of receiving a snub. 'The girl was pretty, and ap- parently a lady. “She cannot be aware,” he contin- ued, “that :she is making Herself cor spicuous. It would surely be only com- mon politeness to drop her a hinf—a fellow-countrywoman, too. I trustthat ghe will not misunderstand me. I”be- lieve—I believe that I myst risk it.” He: stood before her,” his hat in his hand, hiz head bent, his voice lowered to a_convenient pitch. “I"pbeg your pardon,” he said, *but you #af ‘ear .to be a fellow-country- woman of mine, and ‘» some distress. Can I-be of,any assistance? I can as- sure you that it would give me much pleasure.” - | Her first ipward glance was one of terrified apprehension. - When she saw, however, that this man-was a stranger, and obvigusly harmless, her .expres- sion changed as though by magic. A ~ delicate fiish of coler streamed into her cheeks. . Her eyes fell, and then sought his ag. with timid interest.. Her nat- ural iastin reasserted themselves, She began to act. “¥ou arve very kind,” she said hes tatingly, “but 1 don’t remember dor’t think that I know you, do I? “T am afraid that you do not,” he admitted, with .a smile which he meant to be encouraging. ‘‘You re- mwind me of the story which they tell iinst us over here, you know—of ¢ Englishman who refused to be saved from drowning beca: he was not acquainted with his r Per- mit me to introdquce myself. My name ig .Ferringhall=Sir John - Ferringhali,” _There wds genuine interest in her eyes now, - Sir John saw it;-gnd was flatteréd. <y é * “You are Sir John Ferringhall,” she repeated.- “*Yes, I remember you now, You were pointed out to me at—a few nights ago.” He was 'mot in" the least surprised. A millionaire and: a’ knight,- ‘even though his money has been made in carpets, is used to being a person of interest. “Very likely,” he answered. *“I am fairly well known here. Tumust apolo- gize, 1 suppose, for speaking to you, but your appearance certainly indi- cated that you ‘were. in some sort of trouble and you were becoming—par- don mie—an’ objéct of -comment to ‘o the passers-by.” . - The ‘girl sat up and looked at h!m with a curious twist at the corners of Her mouth—huniorous-or pdthetic, he “May I ask,” he said, quarreled with your siste She sho her head “No, answered quarreled with her point of view whi ferent. I want to London. I cannot that.” you have “I have mnot It is simply our is altogether dif- t away—to go to explain beyond John declared, ou. know bout the matter, but I feel d that yom are right. You have had better advice two Paris is not the place for presume that you Jne”™ eonvix ought to years ago. ung girl 1 and congratulated He was so Anna,” he p you? Iam ooked him quickly. Her jion was tle changed, less rniag. ed. “How do you very “I am really “You must tell me, won't yo you heard things? The tears stood in her eyes. Ste a little - toward b Nothing 1iblicity of -the and the k constitu- eney apting some perfectly respectful unmpistakable evidence of his sympathy. “I am afraid,” he sald gravely, “that .. your sister has-besn a little-indiscree.. It is nothing @t all for you to worry about.” She looked away from him. she safd, in a low despair- that people Would talk.” hed gentl course for you.or to & face with her hands. she faltered. 1 he continued, mt of insight. that T have - piesent ecause of she mur- mured He smiled complacently. “Not at ail. This is simply a chapter . N what I want you T want you to feel that a friend ho has a be of service to you s an elder brother, if you your side. How ook upon him that ‘erringhall, carpet hide-bound Englishman, deliberate, felt Perhaps the sphere had affected him. toward her, laid his haad y uvon hers. For the fitst time e had sat in that chalr lie utterly and entively forgot that he was a new- fledged country magistrate and Par- - candidate for the borough Wells. " he went on, in a lower ar ssured tone, “that T am in earnes much in earmest. You must let me do whatever I can for you. I shall count it & privilege.” “I believe vouw,” she murmured, “I trust -you altdgether. I am golng to take yon entirely at your word. I'want tu leave F to-day. ‘Wil you lend A ney for my ticket to-Lon- : A1l the pleasure in the world,™ he ar ered - heartily. “Le;'mo«:dd. too, that 1 am thankful fos'your de- cision. You have somewhere to"go to in London, I hope? o nodded. There is my aunt,” she sald. ““Ths could not tell which. As though acef- quite sure whether, after all. he had you will consider r our friene.” used to live at Eyndmore. dentally “she. swept her skirts frcm.a been wise. He would have risen agaln She looked at b with futterir = take me in until T.can 'make ehajr close drawn to her own. Sir' but for, the significance of the action. eyelids—sweeil It was come plans. Tt will be horriblydull, John hesitated. She was marvelously “‘Dear,.me!” she ‘said.. “Then some an- umexpected stroke of fortune. and she is a very trying person. But pretty, but he was not quite sure— of vour family hjstory,is known to me, John was not used to such glances anything is better than this” Yel-—that it was advisable for him t0 One of your aunts died, I believe, and -he'liked them. He took out his watch. she murmured, “'so Even to my own sit with her in so public a place. His ificlinations prompted him most de- the other removéd to Londom.” The girl nodded. “It is so difficult,” “Let me see”” he sald. “Your Dest impossible to expiai will be via Boulogne and ‘Folke- cidedly to take‘the vacant chair. Pru- “She.is living. there now,” she re- brother—if I had one—I could mot tell Looic Ui's”Cclock from the Gaye du dence reminded him that he was & marked. . everything. and you, although you are ey ‘wwhat about your lUZEREs?™ county magistrate 2nd ParliamentaryY Youy father is. dead, 100, I be- so-kind, you are almost a Stranger, ~ .y .ould get a few of my things, at cendidate’ for- a sémewhat difficult jjeve,”." he' continued, #*and = your aren't you?’ any ratow ohe sald. “My sister issure berough, where his principal SuD- mothar. : RNG o md protedien Sorion mrast A%, T . porters were dissenters of strict pr:n- “Two arg . ago,” she . answered. not think of as one. Try and con- — wyrery yeell,” .he.said. - “It Is just 6 ciples, who took a zealous intérest in “They. djed within a;few.menths of 'sider me vour older brother, or an old giick ‘now. Sppposing you - fetch his moral «character. Prudence re- cpe Ao .3 [ ey family Triend, whicheyer you like the and it you wdll allow minded Wim -also——as an afterthought [« s " . ot 1 & y ¥ ~what Yyou- can, you : R L Ah e hings which ansitald-ofin. i tls Raveery shd fudeed. be v, Host e T Will see you off. . It would mive She thanked himn with one of her shy little glancés.“ More than ever Sir John wds glad that he had sat down. i “It'is very, ivery difficult,”.she con- tinued. lookjng . steadfastly at. the ground. “Only—I havé come face 'to 1 avith _.something terrible, .an marki und ity 2T emjber. hear- man in this city. of temptations: aré fi:' %éth&;‘ fl}.hquf it.r I, helteve: that, always: belleved. “Sir John. tempor- tre mok ‘renort was that you and ized; and the girl raised her eyes oncé: your sister had conmie to Paris to study more to-his.’ S <k ‘' patnting’” “You. are. the;Sir John Ferringhdll ~She assented “Feritly. who has' bought the Lyndmore estate; “We have a me great pleuu‘:t l!flryvu." | would dine with me somewhere A She looked at him wistfully, but with some unwilling doubt- in her wrinkled forehead. It.was eex(;:eundtly done, es- cially” as. she loved good dinmers. P ou” kind to”think’ of it,” ate you npt?” she remarked. ‘MY .mured; 'in.the.Fue de.St. Plérre.” - wholy-unekpected trouble. I want to - 'Y OU &r¢ very - . r 21 g 3 5 = ] - he said, “but—don’t. you" think per- fathier’s = sisters used once ‘to. dive >Sir John Jgoked at her sideways. Her leive Paris to-day—this very day. I ;ab hat T had better naer™ in the'old-manor house. I<belle have had it :pulled”down, have not?"™ 2 “The Misses Pellissier!” claimed. - “Then your name—-' “My name is Pelllssier. My father was Colonel Pellissier. He haa appointment _in ‘Jersey, after he left the “?t’ 8ir John did ~‘mot h ° He sat down. my_ word, want to leave it forever.” . He locked at her very gravely. “But your sister?" he asked. ‘“What of her?” > & The-‘girl ~shuddered—at least were not a shudder it*was a very good imitation. .‘She_kept her eyes fixed on the ground. She spoke slowly. Sh . was thinking out. her way all, the time. “I wish to leave my sister., We can- not.agree. It is not possible for us to eyes were fixed upon the-ground, the pink lcolor, corming and going in her Cheeks was very delicate and. girlish. After all, this could; never be the black: sheep.” He had been, quite right to sit down. ‘Tt was astonighing How seidom, an. {{ was that hisinstincts betrayed him. Ou know,. He breathed a little 'sigh of satisfac- 8 ' i tlop.” ¢ S v § so very old.. o esitate any . “Come,” he . continued, *“the world “That sounds. quite absurd,”, she 2 am‘%{q a very 'small plgce. We are answered. - “Yet it is my last evening. laimed, a‘ot‘ itogether strangers,.’a we? "L live together any longer.”I want to and I think—if you are sure that # el t] havé “you ey el tances ¢, get nwayt fromithis hateful city and i would Ifke to have me—that T will risi m'&fi% my ulvlca.l‘ I ca.n_zt'o forget.” o . ;:." y not and, if necessary, my help. I beg that" “We will go to & very quist place™ He smiled indulgently. - %, i “My,dear child,” he samd, * ith me you need have no apprehe: w1 am it it almost . old. enough to+b y your- father. She looked at him ‘with uplifted eye- brows—a look of whimsical’ incredulity. ir John felt that after all 45%was not he’ ex< Sir John began to see d‘lyli:ht