The evening world. Newspaper, September 7, 1915, Page 17

The Evening Worid Daily Mag PLOT TELL LET CLOLLE IIE The Avengers ee COE The Adventures of a Mian Who _ Fought Peril tn the Dark By Headon Hill oe eT ow Ow ete 8 me) that must whieper it—» real. eTNore © oemne ly Niel Lukye. Kise me Be ree ot cxldly, Mee that. Ak, thal ts bet- en le Het ter | know now that you have fer- aaa RL wiven me, true heart that you are.” boy Ho it that Lesiie Army! frau Boon hee ” Soret west siories have Ht, “for him ade een, I And as presently, left to hunseif, he al of oot smoking & final eimaretic belore wal the dying embers he found some measure of justification, The eine CHAPTER WV. wel hes whee Mase week bare © wlinvet) 4d him, were not hie eine, t « of the man whose a he Peril. 2 Addl ” T does not refer to me. ; ° 66 Saeed bane, Neoel CHAPTER V. that it was not neces- The Sister of Mercy. @ary for me to assure LANGSIDE one of the quays you of that, Marion,” in the Bouthampton Docks eaid Leslie, Hut his tone hardly Iny the Malla, the princely carried conviction, for he was haunt- team yacht which was one ed by @ dread that the girl would + Masion’s: ak. seaekad awake out of her swoon and claim Pea sluggish bane Of vas m as the man who hed wronged aah irom and deserted her, He guessed onmion pour the colored funnels told that steam was that the accusing paper wan meant 1) C04 that she was ready for see as for Nigel Lukyn, but in th soon as her fair owner nd her bus- any protests he might make tO band should come on board the irl that he was not that pers According ty a wire received by ath Marion, Sie Captain Crawford, the commander, BOR Ot Ot aay oe sce Mr. and Mrs, Armytage were to be was too deeply interested, af her cy oted by a train due at the Docks bonom and Mashing €¥® station ut 6 o'clock, having been dex to want to keep up what ir way (nroume London she believed was the fiction of his nhead by some important business aasumed name and identity for the “VWs now only four, and Aunt purpose of deceiving this walf of 1b Jane, who had travelled from town night. eurior A ioe cay ee bis rig her- 4, self comfortable before the ope The ordeal was evidently at hand, fi Cryin the white and gold for with short gaspa for bi th the Joon. A. well-furnished tea table girl opened her eyes and gazed Up stood at her elbow, and balf a dozen into his face, dazed and un 3 y papers, ch in terms : ine GuPeE oiced b re or less p surprise the ‘Then a oe vane Ta. ghanlce * fact of her niece's marriage to a ‘ory of recognition, and, Mr. Armytage,” lay her kneo, herself free of his sustaining arm, the ditoFial (RIDA Whe. claasly. Vane stranger staggered to her feet, still that it bad not bgen fed with further staring at him, flercely, hungrily. dotaile, and with hone at all Uli after »ve Marion, @ superb figure in her shin~ (OE Te of the journala made ing Jewels and low-cut dinner dress, yelied allusion to" 4 previous en- * gtood watching the pair, scorn and gagement, necessarily broken oft something stronger growing in the under unfortunate circumstances,” p 5 oat of the ere. conte! sourl of her clenched lips, ‘Then, not [Ut moe. piety te eeete ea {ng that the unknown could scarcely gut their paragraphs with hackneyed stand, womanly sympathy prevailed, wee to Marion’s beauty and : wealth, ond Marion hastened to give ber ‘Aunt Sane who, was imnued mh q os nover off Lestie'’s 4 fine contempt for society journalism ta tne in halt tinished tho glass chuckled as she perused the notices. and set it down wearily on the table, “They are all savage because they've But the stimulant had cleared her Missed serving up a red-hot wen- brain, and the terror and recognition sation,” she said to herself, ‘What in her pleading, trustful eyes gave Would they not give if they could read place to an expression of shumefaced between the lines of their own meagre crea cane PRESIDENT SECRETARY FE AND A CHECK Book iN EVERY CELL SIGN 4 LEASE For. LIFE AND (LL REDE CoRATE \F You CAN'T AFFORD TO LUNE HERE _ CO SOMEWHERE SING SING RENTING AGENCY uilt, She mvddenly looked like a news the starling f that the bride- funted thing, not knowing which way groom is Nigel Lukyn after she would turn, Strange that nothing seems to have "Oh, what have I don sho reached the press about his escap moaned. “This is not—not the gentie- from the asylum, If tt had, some of map 1 believed him to be, and wrote these ink-slingers would probably that paper for, Ob, but I have mado have ferretted out the truths a sad mistake, and may have made — It will be remembered that Marion mischief, 1 fear, 1 only chanced to had told her Aunt nothing about the peo you, sir, at A distance outside ths scheme she had carried out under church where you wer i and Quayne'’s auspices for freeing her and I followed you here lover, but had simply stated that he wrong—quite wrong. You are not the ! ne one nen ai AEN Gnd . Ob, old lady wa " what “hail do? unkind to me, Ob, | the idalla, having been Marion's Marion beamed upon her, with stray companion on ma \K scintillations fgr Leslie. “You shall do to the southern seas. As sho never ‘whatever youclike, my chiki, except suffered from kea-wickness, and the be worried,” she said, “You can sleep Yacht’s appointments = and service here if you choose, and go back to Were those of w nobleman's mangion, wherever you came from in the morn- she always enjoyed the change of the ing, or I will have the brougham out flat in which Marion's metropolitan and send you to the station, Thoro tastes had condemned her to spend Tho girl looked at her aratafully but Wi h tncluded mt ing: ofers and hook ber head, “If you will juat let Which included all the officors ale tne drop out and disappear—as though bith ihe soem Lie kindly old thi had never happened —tt would be “Tt was the captain who, brass Kindest,” she said. “I should die of young cap in hand, now broke in up- oe te Oa a aale ota tie wens 08 ner solitude, Capt Crawford was draco tO 008 e st- ony old servant, a legacy, togethe tion, and I am quite strong enough tO with the yacht, from Martin Fermor, the milHonaire, to bis daughter, and he h fully Justified hia selection. Origi ly an officer in the P, and oO. service, he had reached the grad ft chief mate when a block in Promotion allt,’ Marion could understand her relu tance to remain and did not press her, Nor did she yield to a very natural curtosity and ask her name and clr- cumstances, To pry into the tragic pad caused him to accept the 1 fittie story, upon which the girl's mia* coal owner's salary-doubling offer take shed such a lurid sidelight, to command his floating palace. As geomed like wanton sacrilege, for her might be expected, from the tradi- was evidently a close hu 1 sorroW tions of his old line, his manners were beyond the cure of wordy comfort. | courtly and his seamanship irre- “Go, my all means, if you prefer It," proachable, ‘aid Marion assented kindly, “I suppose — “Ah, Capt, Crawford, come in ing that there is nothing that we can d) have @ cup of tea and help ioe) pas for you? Well, good-night then, and the time il our young people ar- may happier days be in store. rive," sald Aunt Jane cheerily, ahow- The fragile visitor walked to the ing by her clutch at the tea-pot th indow, but turned before passing out it was no empty invitation, fined Trto the garden, “May (od bless you | But the captain politely declined, aera eh Sweet io ve, Wiens Who has come on board and desires { to sea the owner,” he sald, “As she Shls) gente ete Tr knew t st gpenks of Mise Fermor, {presume p that she has not heard of the mar- when eee vig Ll renee riage, Sister Ursuline, she gives as en she W. one, Le are- re- Fae name—connected with | some tully closed and fastened the win Fronch nunnery. Would you Ike to dow, and readjusted the curtains, tak- Prensa ing advantag of th brief respite ‘Humpht After a subscription, wile his back was toward Marion to 4) Pte himacif to confession. That tho “YZ. i qhout the alze of It, T exe Knights of Industry were in deadly poor, though she would not state hur earnest in their feud against Lukyn juginess to me," sald Capt. Crawford, fhe events of the evening had plainly Quine’ “Sat ane’ cadging I'm not town, Ruthless ana implacable, gorry that whe aired me, for sho ts they did not seem to mind how many Xy {yainuating young person, When Innocent people they injured In bag- y told her that there was a member ging thelr quarry, “For him to keeb of the family’ on, beard whe Ineia ed Bn ee telusion that he was LUKyn that 1 should at least apprise you o Would be almost as perilous to Bis her call.” Pn eee the, tes » as to himself, very well, ee the , sR but drive him away with though I can't promise to help her, scorn and contumely. Some means replied Aunt Jane, who, often noted an could be easing her from plmoner for Marion, “And—on i fhateday's mart mntraet, and she ment, Captain—who was that bay would be quit for ever of a husband who brought in my tex things? Tri Whose proximity entailed the pursuit face avema familiar, thous oA compro ‘emem| mon the yac by Ne Mader,” was Capt, Crawford's reply. waa met by a radiant vision with out- Pa: 8 Capt, Crawf stretched arms and the love light in Wery likely, you have a en him In her eyes, In a passion of self-aban- 40) . fo L n ‘ donment Marion flung herself upon Ing with a special note from Mra be; her Nps acuaht bis. 44 handy little shaver.” My Serine wy RUPE But Aunt Jane had never heard the cried, clinging to him in fond agit Mant sane hed never bene fh braoe. “To think that 1 doubted ner And had a6 saida aod the it for a single instant. We will bi is Mennaet tha new panity boy with these secret danxera together, you fo connect the new mniny te wie and J, with light hearts, dea KINC® soted na elevator attendant. Neither they are no more meant for you than 2C'O) 6 (eve at vRadger hnd been that poor little girl's charges were. qeegated by Mr, Quayne, at Marion's What a wretch the genuino Leslie fequent and at short notice, to keep Armytage must be to have incurred pan open eve for the Knighis of In- so much hatred, We must get hold of dustry, Marion had not even told her these Yankees and let them know husband that she had recourse to the ’ detective as a result of the murder. ous attempt at Byot Cottage, and that her request had been met by the de- spatch of the precocious youth who jtaft knew ail three eakers, had never encountered one of such barefaced impudence, But Sister Ursuline ignored the re- buff and gathered her unwieldy gar- ments for departure with the alr of f& purpose achieved. ‘all ‘ave the letter, and to yourself, 6, a t’ousand remerciments.” which she lumbered down the saloon toward the door, and just in- side it was met by Badger, resplend- in the brand new page's livery to him from He rspectfully stood aside for ‘umbrous figure to pass, and in so doing incidentally lowered his head. The nun having left the saloo went on to remove Aunt equipage, but having packed the tray he darted to the settee on which Sis- ter Ursuline had sat down and peerod His action caught the had returned with smiles and nods for every one to the saloon, with the principal cabins and stato- rooms, was on the upper deck. lie followed, and behind him came the maid Crispin, and handbags. The door of the sa- loon was adroitly opened by Badgor, who, as Marion passed, contrived to she hastened alone of Quayne’s American necomphces by sight. Marion had unconsciously created a new predicament for Leslie, who would shortly be confronted by the boy who had fetched her presence from the Strand, yet who was believed by her never to have set eyes on her husband. Dismissing the, to her, immaterial subject of the new assistant steward Aunt Jane composed herself ceive the Importunate Sister of Mercy. Hampered by her unwieldy garments, » woman made but slow progress but when she th arrived in the old lady's nelgh- borhood she made up for the delay by the volubility of ner discourse. a flood of broken English, she pleaded “a vare ‘ansome donation” for the Carmelite nuns settled in the Isle of “The reech lady laden with rugs the aticking like a nun—seen the old That's settled then!" Marion ert with a relief that greater than the occasion demanded, t will be time enough to tell Capt. Crawford of our change of route pres. have sailed, must sopd off a telegram to London— to my than of business—about it.” nat a writing table and 4 telegraph form with hastily pencilled words, but this carly sign truck Leslie © from those whom she be- to be seeking her husband life, but mastering her dismay, she passed on with @ nod, as though at communication, She did not wish Leslie to know that had invoked Quayne's ald to pro- st him, and being under the de sion that he was Nigel Lukyn she saw no reason in Badger's presen to give her secret As a matter of fact, Leslie guessed It the moment he set eyes on the boy who had run out from Quayne's of- fice to bring him in, and the course his wife had taken added greatly to his inclination to confess. celebrated detective imported the case once more it was not likely that he would be able to keep u deception for long, even if he wished He glanced apprehensively at Badger to see if he was going to distinguish him from the but the boy's face was a mask of Badger modelled on his master in the art of contro! features and showed no tra of the surprise he felt that the hu band of his divinit “broken down toff” from the Strand traffic, For the extstence of a “double” not known to Badger, Leite thing of the unimp@rtant , underneath it, of the old lady, whe perusal of her t are you doing there, boy?” she inquired, “Thought T ma'am, but 1 was mistook, ready answer, and whisk tray Badgor left the saloon in time, on his way to the pantry, to witness the nun's figure receding along the quay in the direction of the dock gates, ‘The boy gazed after her, his brows “Now, what can have been her game, T wonder,” “I'd bet sixpence she tried to shove eomething under that settee, but there Wasn't anything there. May be she spotted me watching her from doorway and thought better of it.” CHAPTER VI. The Lurker on the Quay. T was with a deep sense of Into the saloon to 4 w a black bettie, had stood in the bac ed during the parley with Aunt Jane, ardon, maar, but will efore the yae “How do you like being a nun?” asked Aunt Jane pointedly, after tak- ing stock of the smail portion of hu- man countenance visible in the midst of its cumbrous swathings. was fresh and healthy, but the eyes struck Aunt Jane as not all what should be looked for In a there be time for ine to run back to the Docks Sta. tion?” #aid the maid in a tone of eup- pressed agitation, “I have your things all right, but L left my own bag in the railway carriage, "ti how Tshall be able to do without it.” “Oh, run back by all means,” re- plied Marion without looking up, but had been here, there and everywhere in a ewlft scrutiny of the luxurious interrogation, questioner's face. “Why you ask that?” she with a curiosity that was clearly gen- they settled on with blotting paper. start till my messenger has been to tho office with this.” “TL might save troubl myself, as Tam going pin suggested in the manner of the good aorvant who shares no pains to should be the “Because, my dear Sister, you look had extracted from the little you show of yourself as if you were not quite of the con- was Aunt Jane's som “A pretty ta Lnee say, Dut just @ trifle Marton at thie half turned in her nd looked the matd steadll Crispin bore the serw without wincing or so much as quiver of an eyelash, though It mistresa that teeth were tightly elenched over or Indeed any- what personal reply. business which had orig- Armytage led Marion across the gangway of the Idalia and saw the affectionate re- gard In which she was held by the the magnificent vessel, young queen could not have been ac- corded a greeting more spontancous and respectfully cordial. When Mar- jon introduced him to Crawford and and an equally warm welcome was extended to him, Les- lie's impulse was there and then to proclaim himself an imposter, Singularly enough jt bad been re- served Ull that mom reullzo the material benetits he was kuining by hls personation of Nigel That astute prao- titlener did not make unnovossary confidences, and the only instructions given to the youngster were to re- The visitor hastily crossed herself and staggered back, her bi to the settee ran all round the saloon. slant she seemed about to faint, but in about ten seconds she stuod erect lip, > said Marion, turning to with @ gesture of impatience, “[ intend to send one of the yacht's people with the telegram,” Crispin bowed and left the saloon, showing no sign that “Mra, Molyneux" or either of her male associates on board the yacht or at any port she might touch at had also hinted Americana did put in an appearance it would be us well to watch thelr movements closely, Aunt Jane welcomed bridegroom with whim: ving her in ht for so long. She had be jected to all sorts of annoyan responsibilities, fou t'ink I impostare,” she gurgled, Sher Hf any “One great Uief, that what you tink. Ah, madame, but you are cruel to one who does pct collect money for her- self, but by order of the Superieure. And I had believe that this ship was of a lady so reech and so generous.” is,” replied Aunt Jane, re- lenting at praise of Marion, don't happen to be her, you see f act as her deputy so far as offering you a couple of sovereigns, Lam not authorized to dispense larger sum The Sister raised her hands in pro- * Fam not humble she cried, laughing ntemptuously, “L had thouht to go th a cheque for t'ousan’ pound—one ‘ondred anyhow. The lady 18 vo vare, vare reech, I 'ear.” the officers, en she turned a glance «© toward the door i, Then she cross- the auay and ill of baffled mal she had just 4 ed the gangway on t de her way quick t for him to procuring her in whose charge ntered the first- class waiting-room, Only three peo; were enjoying It# comparative see sion—a« lady in a smart tailor gown and a couple of well-xroomed gentle- They ceased their conversation at the maid's entrance and beckoned her eagerly to thelr corner, “It's a good Job I prepared an ex- for coming ashore,” Cr gan in low you a bit of real ne destination.” he Roumler laughe “But I got that mysel noon out of t expensive ca It was Criapin'’s turn to look super- 1 that the Idalia with which abe hoped to have finished forever that there was a man to seo to things: “You dear old grumbler, Marion, kissing her, entertaining a nun, I hear. proseletine you or to collect f bag from a porte and in his emotions had hitherto been tho passionate love, al- most amounting to worship, whieh he had conceived for the woman at his hallowed + by holiest of ties, and he knew as surely as that the sun would rise on reciprocated. brass-capped officers scraping bluejacket. steamer—all the moneyed it brought home to him tyat by what the world would cali « trick he had lumped from the amenities of the Rowton House into the status of & “You have heen “Subscriptions: Jane, and she broke Into a vehoment denunciation of the aj ricious demands, concluding with St: ter Ursuline's Intention to and send it to “Sho asked you where the yacht was ‘and you told her, I suppos after a moment's pau @ importunate lady wil have to wait a long time for an answer, for we are not going to Gib- have changed south, We might iscay In an angry mood at this time of year, and [ thinks it would be much jollier and safer to stick to English waters. cruise from port to port, making our 8 we go along, and see—Exmouth as You don't mind, dear, do these grinning, tl pilcant’s uva- be on board couple of hours, As you are a person of such large ideas you had better Kk," said Aunt Jane with a frigid emphasis, “But that is not of the most con- wa—the yacht's “Ab, well, th old party with the Yet to cry shame on himself waa to cry shame on Marion, choked down the that would have ridicule even greater than his own write and put my case to her if you will kKindty give address where this beautiful ship is to stop." You can write to Mrs. Armytage at Gibraltar if you like, to the Mediterranean, and shall prob- raitar at all mind about goin; find the Bay of for, as whe announ was not going to the Mediterranean, would cruise round the English coast, making Exmou plunged her We are going » her first port “Miss Middleton is waiting for you under shelter, Crawford an- made the change after Misa ut your coming Crispin added niece isn't a fool, any more than she is a niggard, and I expect you'll have to whistle for a three figure check,” Jane, who, accustomed as Was to the assaults of charity own sunahi and she preferred to remain in the n. “And there's anc knows more than you think, and I can put my finger on her source of in- “Dear Aunt Jane, that is the right " replied Marion, and Place for he Tuesday. September 7, 1915 ~ 2 a CASHIER apire tion toy the 1 one of them.” | Merthe Roumie’s smooth brow wae uchered ine frown. “You are right, jehe aaid The boy ly undoublediy (ne shadow, Me was watching me when-when I was trying to lew souvenir of my Visit on board to- bowever If we could die is employing bim it would be a atop in advance “tl cam put you on to that,” inter- “- been which she pring aah no to be to the boy's master, is eure to be gent with It to the office, If you look sharp there may be time enough yet to stop him and make him show you the form. ite pone too Well fighted on the quay, where the yacht lies.” Herthe loumjer'a beautiful white dowith aanap. “The very thie project is k sibly brutal alia under your departinent, Out with you, and waylay the boy, As for you, Miss Crispin, the laborer ts worthy of her hire, ‘Here is a twenty-pound * for you-an an earnest of the reward you will reap When wo @ finished our work,” ‘ou would tell me what fully, as she pocketed the n don't hold with people having #0 many pretty drosses and things aa my minstross, but I shouldn't like to be mixed up in anything anything se- rious, I've served you weil with in- formation since you first apoke to me at the Mansions,” “since | fret squared you at Grandi- son Mansions to keep me posted in Bertho Mins Crispi, we pay our tools well wo don't talk to them, You ha: tor get back to the yacht, and if neo Mtr. Frayne engaged in exercis: a gentle pressure on the boy you better look the other way, You will probably reach Exmouth to-morrow, and the post office there, with the ¥ usual names, will be our means of communication for appointing @ ren- doavous if we with to see you.” With which scant enlightenment Crispin had to be content, and started to make her way back to the yacht, In the meanwhile Marion had long ago Onished writing her telegram, but for reasons of her own—reasons due to a dawning suspicion of her maid— who delayed its despatch till Crispin ould have returned on board, Ho it stateroom, did Badger receive tho form from Marion's own hands, ilo, to whom the question was “It way headed to “Omniscient, n fact, with’ his growing determination to Confess his imposture, the change of plan rather gulted him than other- if Marion decided to have done with him she would not have to wait days before sho was quit of his pres- merely leave hin stranded at the place where he could w his courage Londo' which was Quayne's tole- graphic address, and ran as follows: off scent With the flimsy paper Ught clutched Badger sped along the quay, which was well nigh deserted at that hour, and quickly ne Fayter Frayne him in the shadow of a baggage shed, The truculent little American meant to stand no nonsense, He would have a sight of that telegraph form, even if he had to throttle the boy into al- jenee, He had left the cover of bef shed, and was advancing to meet hi prey, when @ strange thing happened. Hadger had just ppssed the corner of the next shed to that where Frayne had been hiding, when round it there appeared @ tall man wearing a leon overcoat and a deerstalker cap pull low over his eye In half a dozen swift strides the new-comer overtook the boy, and, walking at his side, made it impossible for Frayne to carry out his purpose, There was no course open to the American but to walk past the pair with as uncon- cerned an alr as he could assume, trying in the darkness, but without success, to get a glimpse of the tall man's face. Berthe Roumler or Scorrier Voulos, with thelr readiness of resourc ht hi been equal to the emer- xoney, and finesse would have been substituted for the now impracticable assault, But Frayne could do noth- ing but curse his luck, and, in pass- ing, strive to catch @ fragment of the conversation between man and boy. All that he managed to hear was the exclamation in Bi rs piping treble: “If she sald eo, of course it's all right.” Mut if Frayne had heard the pre- lude to and the sequel of that uncon- vincing remark he would have been considerably astonished, for he had had a clear view of the brilliantly- It yacht from his place of conceal- ment, and he knew that no one but the boy had crossed the gangway on to the quay. “Stop & minute, youngster," the tall man had said on overtaking Badger. i wast to see if there's a mistake in mn Hadger, half wheellng round, and pooring up under the close-drawn deerstalker or thought he did, the "brok tof” whom he had been sent by Marion to fetch into Quayne's office, and at whose wel- come a8 her husband on board the Idalia ho bad Just been present. But he had been given to understand that Mr, Armytage was not to be told of Quayne's reinstatement, and, though he believed the evidence of his eyes, eaution prompted him to ask: “Did the lady send you after me?” “You,” was tho reply in the voice Badger thought he knew, “she said I was to have a look at tt.’ it was then that Badger had made the answer which alone of all this had reached Frayne's ears: “If said so, sir, of course it's all right. And without more ado the boy han ed over the telegraph form, which the tall man carried to the next electric arc and perused with Interest, “Thanks,” he said, handing it back again, “There is no need for correc. tion.” And he turned on hie heel and walked rapidly back, as though re- turning to the yacht, Seeing that Badger was now with- out the temporary protection of a panion, Frayne, a# soon as the ling fixure passed him, started to ‘ace his @teps; but Marion's young messenger, anxious to make up for lost me, began to run at top speed, he Marion brosthi 004 #0 fleet of foot was be that See ot (he dock gates ané out in eel Ut, crowded thureaghiare the Ameren And Badger, rere bad Boon pised Frayne as one of “Mra. Moly neus's” frequent visitors at the Man- just as he had recogniaed the fun as "Mrs. Molyneux” ber- dhe was proud to be ann job bade fair wo ad- he went straight to the saloon to a8- sist bis nominal chief, the head stew ~ ard. Marion was in evening dress, as © she had been when she had came out of her room to hand him the telegram. what, in his own hrase, ba omlie dress, with no traces of hasty dress ing, though they had finished (he soup id were half-way through the fen, quick bad Badger been it bie minssion that Leslie could not pows! have changed his things singe le ap- peared to run after him to verify t telegram, Yot the man to whom Badger had conceded that privilege had certalaly not been in the conventional attire of the evening, youthful un- udy had not omitted to cbserve the trousers visible below his overcoat were of tweed—of the those worn by Lasile when he arrived on the yacht, Indeed the trousers, taken in conjung- tion with face and voice, had been an important factor in persuading Bad- ger that be was dealing with Mr, Armytage. Badger decided that it would be beat to say nothing about his powsl- that ble blunder, at any rate for the pres- 9 ent, but to keep hia eyes open for the m to rectify H. ‘The not un- natural impression that he formed was that the man who had accosted him a hitherto quisacent Cee vg irr ot m: resemble Mri CHAPTER VII. Fool’s Paradise. E Tdalia'a voyage having de- generated Into @ coasting 4 trip, as @ result of the nun’s visit and Aunt Jane's gulle- less disclosures, departure was post-* poned till the following morning. It ‘was, therefore, late in the afternoon when the graceful steam yacht’ crossed the bar at the mouth of the Exe and anchored tn the broad es- tuary under the lee of the Haldou Hills, ‘The short passage down Channel on an ideal winter's day had been de- lightful to Marion, for she was in the mood to live entirely In the present, and her belief that the American con- federates had been despatched on & wild goose chase to the Mediterranean set her free from all anxiety, Badger, while preserving silence abo’ man to whom he had shown the tele- graph form, had duly acted on the letter of his instructions and had re~ orted to her his“pursult by Fra jut Marion was not worried by Incident, deeming that the mysterious three would naturally bane about on the look-out for chances till the yacht left Southampton, but that they would then leave for Gibraltar, and that nothing was to be apprehended from them at the Devonshii rt. Leslie also, under the glamor of the honeymoon, was inclined to t vantage of the reprieve rrom the v detta he had inherited with Lukyn’s personality, and to let matters drift» for the present. Every day that he postponed his confession strengthened the bonds between his wife and him- self, and he hugged to himself the given, Yet for to-day and to-mor. 1 coward had his dread of losing Marlon’s love made of him. On one point he saw tf reason why there should be a false position between Marion and himself, and as they strolled on deck together he took steps to remove it, The Idalia was gliding paat the rugged peninsula of Portland at the time, and Leslie » pointed to the grim convict prison perched on tho summit, “I wonder how many poor wretches your friend Quayne has been Instru- , mental in sending there,” he said. Marion halted, aad, laying her seal- skin glove on his arm, looked up Inte his face with mock solemnity, “You are getting far too clever, sald, “You are tntroducing Q name with @ purpose. You pant, to lead me on to talk about m, “I cannot deny the Impeachment,> Leslie admitted, “Ah, T see,” said Marion, recognized Badger, But, no," she cor- rected herself, ‘It can't be that, as you never saw him till last night. Tam always forgetting that you are not the real Leslie Armytage—the poor fellow who ts enacting the sorry part of Nigel DLukyn at Dr. Beaman's lunatic asylum. Why do you want to talk about Quayne, doar?" Leslie's heart fluttered at the halt wistful reference to himself—his real self, “Only,” he answered, “because I think you have taken him on again, and we may as well enjoy the excite- ment of it together." “How did you find it out? asked easly. "It woul hardly take a John Quayne to do it,” Leslie smiled down at her, “One of my relentless enemies is known to be an artful woman, at Broad- least so Quayne told us at stairs, Aunt Jano ts visited by a pre- Posterous nun, whose obvious mission is to discover the destination of the yacht, and hearing that the dear old lady has yielded up the information you tmmediately cancel the Mediter- ranean cruise. What else was one to think but that you fad good reason for suspecting the nun, and how else could you have gained your suspiclom ‘but by Quayne's agency?” (To Be Continued.) “4 ] Be a 7