"It was mutual!" declared my grandfather. "I never

believed your story at all,-you were too perfect in the

part!"

"Well, I didn't greatly mind the valet business; it

helped to hide my identity; and I did like the humor

and whims of Mr. Glenarm. The housekeeping, after

we came out here, wasn't so pleasant"-he looked at his

hands ruefully-"but this joke of Mr. Glenarm's making

a will and then going to Egypt to see what would

happen,-that was too good to miss. And when the

Advertisement..

heir arrived I found new opportunities of practising

amateur theatricals; and Pickering's efforts to enlist

me in his scheme for finding the money and making me

rich gave me still greater opportunities. There were

times when I was strongly tempted to blurt the whole

thing; I got tired of being suspected, and of playing

ghost in the wall; and if Mr. Glenarm hadn't got here

just as he did I should have stopped the fight and

proclaimed the truth. I hope," he said, turning to

me, "you have no hard feelings, sir." And he threw

into the "sir" just a touch of irony that made us all

roar.

"I'm certainly glad I'm not dead," declared my grandfather,

staring at Bates. "Life is more fun than I ever

thought possible. Bless my soul!" he said, "if it isn't a

shame that Bates can never cook another omelette for

me!"

We sent Bates back with my grandfather from the

boat-house, and Stoddard, Larry and I started across the

ice; the light coating of snow made walking comparatively

easy. We strode on silently, Stoddard leading.

Their plan was to take an accommodation train at the

first station beyond Annandale, leave it at a town forty

miles away, and then hurry east to an obscure place in

the mountains of Virginia, where a religious order

maintained a house. There Stoddard promised Larry

asylum and no questions asked.

We left the lake and struck inland over a rough country

road to the station, where Stoddard purchased tickets

only a few minutes before the train whistled.

We stood on the lonely platform, hands joined to

hands, and I know not what thoughts in our minds and

hearts.

"We've met and we've said good-by in many odd corners

of this strange old world," said Larry, "and God

knows when we shall meet again."

"But you must stay in America-there must be no

sea between us!" I declared.

"Donovan's sins don't seem heinous to me! It's simply

that they've got to find a scapegoat,"-and Stoddard's

voice was all sympathy and kindness. "It will

blow over in time, and Donovan will become an enlightened

and peaceable American citizen."

There was a constraint upon us all at this moment of

parting-so many things had happened that day-and

when men have shared danger together they are bound

by ties that death only can break. Larry's effort at

cheer struck a little hollowly upon us.




Most Popular