CHAPTER .XVIII? Continued.
?14?
"Dear child," he said, "If I could
toll back the years, If from all my
deeds of sin, as the world knows sin,
I could cancel one, there Is nothing
in the world would make me happier
, than to ask you to come with me as
? my cherished companion to Just what
ever part of the world you cared for.
But I have been playing pitch and
toss wltn fortune all my life, since Jhe
great trouble came. which changed me
so much. Even at this moment, the
coin is in the air which may decide
my fate."
"You mean?" she ventured. (
"I mean," he continued, "that after
the event of which we spoke last
- night, nothing in life has been more
than an incident, and I have^ striven
; to find distraction by means' which
none ot you ? not even you, Lady Cyn
thia, with ail your breadth of outlook
and all your craving after new things
?would Justify." ?
0 "Nothing that you may have done
troubles me In the least,"! she assured
him. "I do wish that you .could put
It all out of your mind and let me help
you to make a fresh start."
"I may put the thing itself out of
ray mind," he answered sadly, "but
the consequences remain."
"There is a consequence which
threateq^?" she asked.
He was silent for a moment. When,
C he spoke again, he had recovered all
his courage. ,
"There Is the coin in the air of which
I spoke," he replied. "Let us forget
It for a moment. Of the mino^ things.
I will make you my Judge. Ledsam
and Margaret are coming to my party
" tomorrow night. You, too, shall be my
guest. Such secrets as lie on the other
side of that wall shall be yours. After
that, if I survive your judgment of
them,, and If the coin which I have
thrown Into the air comes down to the
tune I call ? after that ? I will remind
you of something which happened last
night ? of something which, If , I live
for many years, I shall never forget."
She leaned towards him. Her eyes
" were heavy with longing. Her arms,
sweet and white in the dusky twilight,
, stole hesitatingly out. f
"Last night was so long ago. Won't
you take ? a later memory?"
Once again she lay in his arms,
still and content.
As they crossed the lawn, an hour
or so later, they were confronted by
Hedges ? who hastened, in fact, to
meet them.
"You are being asked for on the
telephone, sir," he announced. "It is
a trunk call. I have switched' it
through to the study."
t "Any name?" Sir Timothy asked in-*
1 differently.
The man hesitated. His eyes sought
his master's respectfully but charged
with meaning.
"The person refuses to give his
Dame, sir, but I fancied that I recog
nized his voice. I think it would be
as well for you to speak, sir."
Lady Cynthia sank into a chair.
"You shall go and answer your tele
phone call," she said, "and leave
Hedges !o serve nve with one of these
strange drinks. I believe I ^see some
of tny favorite orcangeade."
( Sir Timothy, made his way info th^
house and into the low, oak-beamed
study frith Its.) dark furniture and lat
"Last Night Was 80 Long Ago. Wont
You Take a Later Memory?"
?
tlced windows. The telephone bell
^ began to ring again as he entered. He
took up tbe receiver.
.O "Sir Timothy?" a rather hoarse,
strained voice asked.
' "I am speaking," Sir Timothy re
plied. .' Who is It?"
The man at the other end spoke as
though he were out of breath. Never
? theless, what he said was disftincfr
enough. .
"I am John Walter."
"Well 7"
"I am Just ringing you up," the voice
went on, "to give you what's called a
?porting chance. There's a bout from
Southampton midday tomorrow. If
, you're wise, you'll catch it. Or better
?till, get off on ycur own yacht. They
carry aVlreless now, these big steam
er#. t?on't give a criminal much of
a chance, does It?"
"1 am to understand, then," Sir Tim
E PhilHps Oppenheim j
Copyright fcy Little, Brcwn uU Cmmpamf ,
othy said calmly, "that you bave laid
your Information?" , .
"I've parted with It and serve yon
right," was the bitter reply. Tm not
saying that you're not a brave man,
Sir Timothy, but there's such a thing
as being foolhardy, and that's what
you are. I wasn't asking you for half
your fortune, nor even a dab of it, but
If your life wasn't worth a few hun
dred pounds ? you, with all that money
? well, It wasn't worth saving. So
now you know. I've spent nlnepence
to give you a chance to hop It, be
cause 1 met a gent who has been good
to me. I've had a good dinner and I
feel merciful. So there you are."
"Do I gather," Sir Timothy asked,
In a perfectly level tone, "that the
deed is already done?"
"It's already done and done thor
oughly," was the uncompromising an
swer. "I'm not ringing up to ask you
to change your mind. If you jvere to
offer me five thousand now, or ten, ?*
couldn't stop the bally thing. You've
a sporting chance of getting away if
you start at once. That's all there is
to It."
"You have nothing more to say?"
"Nothing! Only I wish to God I'd
never stepped into that Mayfalr agen
cy. I wish I'd never gone to Mrs.
Hildltch's as a temporary butler. I
wish I'd never seen any one of you I
That's all. You can go to h ? 1 which
way you like, only, If you take my
advice, you'll go by the way of South
America. The scaffold Isn't every
man's fancy." v.
There was a burr of the Instrument
and then silence. Sir Timothy care
fully replaced the receiver, paused on
his way out of the room to smell a
great bowl of J a vender, and passed
back Into the garden.
"More applicants for Invitations?"
Lady Cynthia Inquired lazily.
Her host smiled.
"Not exactly ! Although," he added, |
"as a matter of fact my party would
have been perhaps a little more com
plete with the presence of the person
to whom I have been speaking."
Lady Cynthia pointed to the strean\
down which the punt was slowly drift
ing. The moon had gone behind a
cloud, and Francis' figure, as he stood
there, was undefined and ghostly. A
thought seemed to flash into her mind.
She leaned forward.
"Once," she said, "he told me that
be was your enemy."
"The term Is a little melodramatic,"
Sir Timothy protested. "We look at
certain things from opposite points of
view. You see, my prospective son-in
law, If ever he becomes that, repre
sents the law? the Law with a capital
?L' ? yvhlch recognizes no human errors
or Weaknesses, and Judges, crime out
of the musty books of the law-givers
of old. He makes of the law a me
chanical thing which can neither bend
nor give, pnd he judges humanity, from
the same standpoint. Yet at heart he
Is a good fellow and I like him."
"And you?"
''My weakness lies the other way,"
he confessed, "and my sympathy Is
With those who do not fear to make
theii* own laws."
She held out her hand, white and
'spectral In the momentary gloom. At
the other end of the lawn, Francis and
Margaret were disembarking from tfie
punt.
"Does it sound too shockingly ob
vious," she murmured, "If I say that
I want to make you my law?"
It would have puzzled anybody, ex
cept, perhaps, Lady Cynthia herself,
to have detected the slightest altera
tion In Sir Timothy's demeanor during
the following day, when he made fit
ful appearances at the Sanctuary, or
at the dinner which was served a lit
tle eurller than usual, before his final
departure for the scene, of the fes
tivities. Once he paused in the act
of helping himself to some dish, and
listened for a moment to the sound
of voices In the hall, and when a taxi
cab drove up he set down his glass
and again betrayed some interest
"The maid with my frock, thank
heavens 1" Lady Cynthia announced,
glancing oat of the window. "My last
anxiety la removed. 1 am looking for
ward now to a wonderful night"
'Too may very easily be disappoint
ed," her host warned her. "My en
tertainments appeal more, as a rale,
to men." 4
"Why don't you be thorough^ orig
inal and Issue no Invitations toymen
at all?" Margaret inquired.
"For the same reason that you
adorn your rooms and the dinner-table
with flowers," he answered. . "One
needs them as a relief. Apart from
that, I am really proud of my dancing
room, and there again, you Bee, your
sex is necessary."
"We are flattered," Margaret de
clared. with a little, bow. "It does
seem queer to think that you should
own what Cynthia's cousin, Davy Hin
ton, once told me was the best floor
in London, and that I have never
danced on It."
"Nor I," Lady Cynthia put In.
"There might have been some excuse
for not asking you, Margaret, but why
an ultra-bohemlan like myself has
had to beg and plead for an Invitation.
I really cannot Imagine." \
"You might find," Sir Timothy said,
"you may even now? that some of my .
men guests are not altogether to your
liking." v
"Quite content to tikejmy risk," Lady
f V . - % ...
Cynthia declared cheerfully. "The
man with the best manners I ever met
?It was at one of Maggie's studio
dances, too ? was a bookmaker. And
a retired prize-fighter brought po?
home once from an Albert Hall dancw
"How did be behave?* FranCls
asked. '? ' m .? . . - ?
??He was wistful but restrained,"
Lady Cynthia replied, "quite the gen
tleman. in fact."i
. "You encourage me to hope for the
best," Sir Timothy said, rising to his
feet "You will excuse me now? 1
have a few final preparations to
make." '
"Are we to be allowed,'1 Margaret
Inquired, "to come across the pafk?"
??You would not find it convenient,"
her father assured her. "You had bet
ter order a car, say for ten o clock.
?Don't forget to bring your cards of
Invitation, and find me immediately
you arrive. I wish to direct your pro
ceedings to some extent."
Lady Cynthia strolled across with
him to the postern-gate and stood by
his side after he had opened It. Sev
eral of the animals, gracing In differ
ent parts of the park, pricked up their
ears at the sound. An old mare came
hobbling towards him; a flea-bitten
gray came trotting down the field, his
head in the air, neighing loudly.
"You waste a great deal of tender
ness upon your animal friends, dear
host," she murmured.
At the enfrance to the great gates
of the Walled House, two men in liv
ery were standing. One of them ex
amined with care the red cards of
invitation, and as soon as he was sat
isfied the gates were opened by some
unseen agency. The moment the car
had passed through, they were closed
"Father seems thoroughly medieval
over this business," Margaret re
marked, looking about her with Inter
est. "What a quaint courtyard, too!
It really Is quite Italian."
, "It seemg almost incredible that you
have never been here !" Lady Cynth a
exclaimed. "Curiosity would have
brought me if I had had to climb over
tlie wall 1" M
"It does seem absurd in one way,
Margaret agreed, "but, as a matter of
fact, n>y father's attitude about the
place has always rather set me against
it. I didn't feel that there was any
pleasure to be gained by coming here.
I won't tell you really what I did think
We must keep to our bargain. We
are not to anticipate." * A
At the front entrance, under the cov
ered portico, the white tickets which
they had received In exchange for their
tickets of Invitation, were carefully
collected by another man, who stopped
the car a few yards from the broad,
curving steps. After that, there was
no more suggestion of inhospltality.
The front doors, which were of enor
mous size and height, seemed to have
been removed, and in the great domed
hall beyond Sir Timothy was already
receiving guests. Being without wraps,
the little party made an Immediate en
trance. Sir Timothy, who was talking
to one of the bQSt-known of the for
eign ambassadors, took a step forward
to meet them.
"Welcome," he said, "you, the most
unique party, at least, amongst my
guests. Prince, may I present you to
my (laughter, Mrs. Illldltch? Lady
Cynthia Milton and Mr. Ledsam you
know,- 1 believe."'
Sir Timothy, later, in a moment's
respite from the inflowing stream of
guests, came once more across to
them, e,
"I am going to leave you, my hon
ored guests from the Sanctuary," he
said, with a faint smile, Mto your
selves for a short time. In the room
to your left, supper is being served.
I want you to meet me in a room which
I will show you, at a quarter to
twelve." ? 1 ) >
He led them down one of the corri
dors which opened from the halL Be
fore the first door on the right a man
servant was standing as though on
sentry duty. Sir . Timothy tapped the
panel of the door with" bis forefliiger.
"This la my sanctum," he announced.
MI allow no one in here without spe
cial permission I flhd it useful to
have a place to which one can come
and rest quite quietly sometimes.
Williams here has no other duty ex
cept to guard the entrance. Williams,
you will allow this gentleman and
these two ladies to pass, in at a quar
ter to twelve."
The man looked at them aearchingly.
"Certainly, air," he said. "No one
else?"
"No one, under any pretext"
Sir Timothy hurried back to the hall,
and the others followed him In more
leisurely fashion. They were all three
full oficuriosity. *
"I never dreamed," Margaret de
clared, as she looked around her, "that
I should ever find myself inside this
house. It has always seemed to me
like one great bluebeard's chamber.
If ever my father spoke of it at all, it
was as of a place which he intended
to convert into, a sort of minlafure
Hell."
Sir Timothy leaned back to speak
to them as they passed. .
"You will find a friend over there,
Ledsam," he said.
Wilmore turned around and faced
them. The two men exchanged some
what surprised greetings.
"Na idea that I was coming nntil
this afternoon." Wilmore explained.
"I got my card at five o'clock, wifli a
note from Sir Timothy's secretary. 1
am mckfng mSr bfttos to Imagine what
It can mean." ?
"We're all a little addled," Francis
confessed. "Come and join oar tour of
exploration. Ton know Lady Cynthia.
Let me present you Ao Mrs. Hllditcb."
The Introduction was effected and
they all strolled on together. Marga
ret and Lady Cynthia led the way into
tbe winter-garden, a palace of glass,'
tall palms, banks of exotics, flowering
sbrubs of every description, and a
fountain, with wonderfully carved wa
ter nymphs, brought with its ba?ln
from Italy. Hidden In the foliage, a
small orchestra was playing very soft
ly^ Tbe atmosphere of tbe place was
languorous and delicious.
"Leave us here," Margaret Insisted,
with a little exclamation of content.
"Neither Cynthia nor I want to go any
further. Come back and fetch us in
time for our appointment."
After a time the men rejoined Mar
garet and Cynthia and then came sud
denly face to face with Sir Timothy,
who had escorted a little party of his
guests to Bee the fountain, and was
now returning alone.
"You have been visiting, I am glad
to see," the latter observed. "I trust
that you are amusing yourselves?"
"Excellently, tbank you," Francis
replied.
"And so far," Sir Timothy went on,
with a faint smile, "you find my en
tertainment normal? Tou have no
question yet which you would like to
ask?" ? .
"Only one ? what do you do with
your launch up the river on moonless
nights, Sir Timothy?"
Sir Timothy's momentary silence
was full of. ominous significance.
"Mr. Ledsam," he said, after a brief
pause, "I have given you almost carte
Tht Atmosphere of the Place Wae
Languorous and Delicious.
blanche to explore ray domains here.
Concerning the launch, however, I
think that you had better ask no queer
tlons at present."
"You are using It tonight?" Francis
persisted.
"Will you come and see, ray venture
some guest?" |
"With great pleasure," was the
prompt reply.
Sir Timothy gHanced at his watch.
"That," he said, "hi one of the mat
ters of which we will speak at a quar
ter to twelve* Meanwhile, let me show
you something. It may amuse you as
It has done me."
The three moved back towards one
of the arched openings which led Into
the ballroom.
"Observe, if you please," their host
continued, "the third couple who pass
us. The girl Is wearing green? the
very little that she does wear. Watch
the man, and see If he reminds you of
any one." j.
Francis did as he was bidden. The
girl was a well-known member of the
chorus of one of the principal musical
comedies, and she seemed to be thor
oughly enjoying both the dance and
her partner. The latter appeared to
be of a somewhat ordinary type, sal
low, with rather puffy cheeks, and eyes
almost unnaturally dark. He danced
vigorously and be talked all the time.
Something about him was vatfiely fa
miliar to Francis, bat be failed to
place h)m.
"Notwithstanding all my precau
tions," Sir Timothy continued, "there,
fondly believing himself to be unno-?
tlced, Is an emissary of Scotland Yard.
Really, of all the obvious, the dry
as-dust, hunt-your-crimlnal-by-rule-of
three kind of people I ever met, the
class of detective to which this man
belongs can produce the most blatant
examples."
"What are you going to do about
him?" Francis asked.
Sir Timothy shrugged his shoulders.
"I have not yet made up my mind,"
he said. "I happen to know that he
has been laying his plans for weeks to
get here, frequenting Soto's and other
restaurants, and scraping acquaint
ances with some of my friends. The
duke of Tadchester brought him ? won
a few hundreds from him at baccarat,
I suppose. His grace will never again
find these doors open to him."
Francis' attention had wandered.
He was gazing fixedly at tbe man
whom Sir Timothy had pointed out
'Ton still do not fully recognise our
friend," the latter observed carelessly.
"He calls himself Mannel Lolto, and
be professes to be a Cuban. His real
name I understood, when yon intro
duced us, to be Sbopland."
"Great heavens, so It is !" Francis
.exclaimed.
"Let us leave him to his precarious
pleasures," Sir Timothy suggested 1,
am free for a few moment*./ W* will
wander round together." ?*
They found Lady Cynthia and Wfl
more, and looked in at the supper*
room, where people were waiting now
for tables, a. babel ofsound and gayety.
The grounds and winter-gardens were
crowded, foelr guide led the way to
a large apartment on the other side
of the hall, from which the sound of
music wps proceeding.
"My theater, " be said. "I bonder
what Is going on."
They passed Inside. There was a
small stage with steps leading down
to the floor, easy-cbairs and round
tables everywhere, and waiters serv
ing refreshments. A girl was dancing.
Sir Timothy watched her approvingly
"Nadia Elllstoff," he told them.
"She was In the last Russian ballet,
and she Is waiting now for the rest of
the company to start again at Covent
Garden. You see, It is Metzger who
plays there. They improvise. Rather
a wonderful performance, I think."
They watched her breathlessly, a
spirit in gray tulle, with great black
eyes now and then half closed.
"It is 'Wind Before Dawn,' " Lady
Cynthia whispered. "I heard him play
it two days after he composed It, only
there are variations now. She Is the
soul of the south wind."
The curtain went down amidst rap
turous applause. The dancer had left
the stage, floating away Into some
sort of wonderfully-contrived nebulous
background. Within a few moments,
the principal comedian of the day
was telling stories. Sir Timothy led
them away. ,
"But how on earth do you get all
these people?" Lady Cynthia asked.
"It Is arranged for me," Sir Timo
thy replied. "I have an agent who
sees to all. Every man or woman
who Is asked to perform,' has a credit
at Cartler's for a hundred guineas. I
pay no fees. They select some little
keepsake." . V
Margaret laughed softly.
"No wonder they call this place a
sort of Arabian Nights 1" she declared
"Well, there isn't much else for you
to see," Sir Timothy said thoughtfully.
"My gymnasium, which Is one of the
principal features here, is closed Just
now for a special performance, of
which I will speak in a moment. The
concert hall I see they are using for
an overflow dance-room. What you
have seen, with the grounds and the
winter-garden, comprises almost every
thing."
They moved back through the hall
with difficulty. People were now
crowding In. Lady Cynthia laughed
softly.
"Why, It Is like a gala night at the
opera, Sir Timothy i" she exclaimed.
"How dare you pretend that this la
Bohemia!"
"It has never been I who have de
scribed my entertainments," he re
minded her. "They have been called
everything? orgies, debauches ? every
thing you can think of. I have never
ventured myself to describe them."
Their passage was difficult Every
now and then Sir Timothy was com
pelled to shake hands with some of
his newly-arriving guests. At last,
however, they reached the little sit
ting-room. Sir Timothy turned back
to Wllmore, who hesitated.
"You had better come in, too, Mr,
Wllmore. If you will," he invited. "You
were with Ledsam, the first day we
met, and something which I have to
say now may Interest you."
"If I am not intruding," Wllmore
murmured. r
They entered the room, still Jealous
ly guarded. Sir Timothy closed the
door behind them.
CHAPTER XIX
' - r f.
The apartment was one belonging
to the older portion of the house, and
had been, in fact, an annex to the
great library. The walls were oak
paneled, and hung with a collection of
old prints. There were some easy
chairs, a writing-table, and some well
laden bookcases. There were one or
two bronze statutes of gladiators, a
wonderful study of two wrestlers, no
minor ornaments. Sir Timothy plunged
at once Into what he had to say.
MI promised you. Lady Cynthia,
and you, Ledsam," he said, "to divulge
exactly the truth as regards these
much-talked-of entertainments here.
You, Margaret, under present circum
stances, are equally interested. You,
Wllmore, are Ledum's friend, and
you happen to have an interest In
this particular party. Therefore, I
am glad to have yon all here together.
The superficial part of my entertain
ment you have seen. The part which
renders it necessary for ms to keep
closed doors, I shall now explain. I
give prises' here of considerable value
for boxing tests which are conducted
under rules of our own. One is doe
to take place in a very few minutes.
The contests vsry in chsracter, but
I may say that the chief officials of
the National Sporting club are usual
ly to be found here, only, of course,
In an unofficial capacity. The differ
ence between the contests srranged
by me, and others, Is that my men are
here to fight. They Use sometimes an
Illegal weight of glove and they some
times hurt one another. If any two
of the boxing fraternity have a
grudge against one another, and that
often happens, they are permitted here
to fight it out, under the strictest con
trol aa regards fairness, but practical
ly without gloves at all. You heard of
the accident, for Instance, to Norrls?
That happened in my gymnasium.
He was knocked out by Burgln. It
was a wonderful fight
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
everything Comes, Etc.
Everything comes to those who wait
The rich man has ice la summer, tat
the poor man has jnst as much Is
winter.
? \ f '
'U , ? " : V 'uV .. '.As V&. ' ?
Wanted? Youny Men
to enroll now for the spring term.
Charlotte Barber College, Charlotte, N.C
nVhe
(3~@
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The Complaint
Is many parts of Mexico hot springs
and cold springs are found side fcj
side. One can see native women boil
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in a clear cold spring.
A visitor watched this process for
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"I suppose the natives think old
Mother Nature Is pretty genera*
eh?"
"No, senor," replied his hort.
"There Is much grumbling because
she supplies no soap."
Diplomatic Courtier
Once during the time of Suleiman
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nople and the ambassadors from ihe
courts of Europe and Asia ramp to
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The master of ceremonies poured oil
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