Alabaster ;
lamps I
I By 1
K Margaret Turnbull
CoprrUjht, till, r Huimt Tuaaall.
WNUSsrvto
CHAPTER VIII Continued
14
"We'll stop on our way to tho sta
tlon and get Mrs. Pulslfer to come
and look after the house. Good
night, dear, and If you dream of
drowning, Just call Mother."
Mary loolred at her mother, land
ing In the doorway and ready to anap
the light out
"Lot! old thing," ahe called, "go
and get your own beauty sleep. I'll
bare pleasant dreamt,"
When the darkness enfolded her,
however, ahe made dlitlnctly wry
face. Sow much, ahe wondered, waa
the buttneaa necetslty In thla con
templated trip to New York, and how
much wai It her mother'a plan not
to let the next chapter begin with
the grocer'a clerk I
In her own room, Mra. Johnson
disrobed, ber heart beating to the
tune of one monotonous chant, which
ran thus: "Not yet, Claude Dabbs, not
yet shall you know about Mary."
Then ahe planned her next more,
which waa to eliminate Dabba and hla
too engaging nephew from Mary's life
and from her own.
Claude Dabba watted until he knew
there waa no answer and no return
of the money.
Then It WAS Polly.
He turned out the light, but teeing
' that the library waa still occupied,
looked In. Ned waa sitting at the
window, smoking.. He looked np aa
Claude came Into the room, and aald,
"Welir
It lookf aa If It waa Polly. I feel
that It la, crazy aa It may teem to
you. I hope ahe got all I meant, aa
well aa the money."
Ked turned on him, more excited
than Dabba had yet keen him. "The
girl I Cncle Claude, you'll hare to
explain things to ber, won't your
"Tea, but who la the? That'a what
I want to get at," Claude aald. Ills
tone was that of a man hard-driven,
holding on to hla patience by sheer
will power. "It she an adopted
dangbterT Who waa her father, and
how old la ahe? Why do you think I
told you what I did the other night.
If It wasn't that I wanted to know
who the girl lsT
Ned crossed to him, and put hla
band on hla shoulder.
"I give you my word, Claude Dabba,
! dldo't realize It Fm not more In
nocent nor more ttupld than the av
erage, but I alept through the last
part of your story and my mind has
been on other things. I didn't get you
t all. Do yon mean to aay you"
"Tea," and thla time Claude's con
trol snapped. "I want to know
whether she's mine or not"
He wrenched himself away from
Neds hand. 1 don't know that It
will make a blamed bit of difference
to anyone but me, but I'd like to
know."
The morning came and went with
out newt from the White house. 41y
thlt time Ned wat anxious. He had
promised Claude to wait for him until
ha returned from a trip to the expreaa
office.
Immediately on hit return Ned fol
lowed Cauda Into the private office.
"Met Ettie Pulslfer on the wood
road this morning going to the White
house. Hhe't got orders to pack the
trunks, set the house In order, and
lock up. The key and the trunks are
to be sent to New York. Sayt It was
Mrs. Johnston who telephoned. Saya
the girl aald they were only going up
for the day, but the mother never
opened her mouth. What do you
think of Itr
"Looks to me, C. M., at though Mrs.
Johnston wanted to keep Miss John
ston from you," and added mentally,
but did not aay It "or me."
"That's whnt I doped out"
"Did you And out from Mrs. Pul
slfer where the trunks were to got"
"Sure." He took out a small leather
notebook and opened It: "Hotel Plaza,
New York."
"I!y O d. I believe you're right and
It la folly, up to her old tricks. Never
fares anything, but always runs away.
Well, this time two can play thai
game. This time I'm going after her."
Ned, who already had made up his
mind to follow Mary, cost what It
might snd prepared to break from
Peace Valley and Claude Dubbs If
need be, took him up at once with
"That's the way to talk."
"Yeh, I know," Claude admitted,
shrewdly. "It'l the way you think I
ught to have talked and done, twenty
Tears ago. Hut I didn't have the
tioney."
"I've got the money," Ned begun,
out Claude atopied him peremptorily
with:
"So have L Enough for both. Don't
oother about money."
"In that case," began Ned, but never
finished the sentence, for young John
came In to say that Ned was wanted
on the long-distance telephone.
"Switch It In here, then, cnn't you?"
Dabba demanded.
Nod reached for the receiver. Aa
he did so, Claude, with hla usual doll
cacy, left the room.
Mary Johnston waa on the wire.
Ned, thrilled, heard her -voice toll
ing htm thut Mrs. rulstfor lmd the
key of the house and waa to close
It but would he tee that little Phoebe
Bayer received the borrowed gur
menta bark safely? Would he also
tell Phoebe that ahe waa sending her
some books aa little remembrance ?
As for Mr. Carter himself, she would
never, never forget all he had done
for her, and the waa so sorry she
could not aee him again. They were
sailing In few days.
"Sailing? Where?"
"I'm not quite sure, but think Eng
land first Mother decided suddenly."
"But you can't go yet I beg par
don, Mlsa Johnston, but I wanted to
see you. I'd something to aay. I"
"Yea, yea, Mr. Carter. I'll be so
such obliged If you'll tell PlaiH'be,
and here It Mother, she'll be to
grateful, too."
"Rut Mlsa Johnston Mary "
"Goodby, Mr. Carter."
At the other end of the line tht re
ceiver waa bung up.
Claude came In and found Ned with
his hand still on the telephone re
ceiver, his fare a study In perplexity.
What's up?"
"They're going abroad, and soon.
We've got to start things, right now.
How soon can you get ready V
"Ned!" Claude gasped. "Abroad!
I hadn't really planned anything like
that! Why, by Jlmlny, Ned, I've
never traveled farther than New
York."
"Time you did. Look here, Claude
Dabba, are you going to alt here In
Peace Valley and let everything slide
aa you did before, or are you going
to flod out the truth about Mary?" .
"If that girl's mine, I mean to
know It"
Thlt waa to exactly Ned's state of
mind that he found himself glaring
at C M.. aa at a rival, and with diffi
culty refrained from retorting, "So
do L" Fortunately hla brain told
him that thla waa no time to tell
Mary's possible father. If Indeed that
wat Claude's proud position, hit hon
orable Intentions.
"Then you'd better come out Into
the world with me, and pursue Mrs.
Polly Johnston."
"I'm coming," Claude told him.
"You go to New York tomorrow, Ned.
and If we can't get the same steamer.
In Her Room Mra, Johnson Disrobed.
well take the next 111 fix things
here while you And out Polly's plana.
I'll join you In New York."
"Ill go tonight"
"All right snd Dl Join you tomor
row, and and the beat on the ship,
Ned. You're my guest."
"I have money."
"Yeh, but you're coming with me,
and we're going to need plenty, es
pecially If you're" Claude stopped
abruptly and finished rather lamely,
"traveling with me."
Ned wondered what was on his
mind. He wat amazed at thlt Claude
Dabba. , .
Claude gave him clue almost Im
mediately. "Are yon Carter or
'Rangely' thlt trip?"
Ned slid to hit feet and fared him,
but Claude stopped him before he
could apeak.
"You aee, Ned, Mist Selden tele
phoned the station day or ao ago
and tent a telegram to your father.
It tald that hla ton wat living here
under the name of 'Carter.' Quest the
girl didn't realize she waa on party
wire and what thut means In the
country."
Ned stopped him. "You mean to
say you knew?"
"Sure, I've known ever since you
met the girl. She volunteered the In
formation." "And you never asked me a tingle
question V
"Why should I? Ain't we friends?
I know you'd tell me when you were
good and ready."
Ned drew nearer and put out hit
hand. "Thanks. Do you want to
know why?"
Claude smiled and shook hit head
as he took Ned't hand. "I guess not
You see, I d know Loren Kangeley,
and of all the old well, never mind
and excuse me, Ned, for he's your
father, and of course that's one thing
to his credit. All I mean to suy It
If there't two eldet to any question
tnd Loren Ktingeley'e on one, let me
get on the other."
"You know my father!"
"Only Just In a business way
Thlt heled N-d very little. What
could the great Loren Rnngeley have
to do with a country grocer? Sus
picions begun to cross hla mind. P
fore he could stop himself, he said'
"I say, I'nclo Claude, what are you
holding nut on me?"
To hla surprise, Claude Dabbs
looked positively confused. "You're
dead right, Ned, I haven't been entire
ly open with you either, but that can
wait. All you have to tell me Is
whether you'll be 'Carter' or 'Kange
ley' on thla trip."
Ned hesitated. "I'd rather be 'Car
ter,' but we're apt to meet people who
know me at Itangeley, ao Carter's
off."
"Heat both of ua aall under our true
colore from now on and Just be our
natural, brutal selves. Well, get un
der way, Ned, and I'll start things
here. Jlmlny! Polly won't leave me
gasping this time, though It never
would have occurred to me to follow
but for you."
Mary Johnston had departed from
Clover Hollow with the expectation
of returning on the afternoon train,
or the next morning at the latest.
They went directly to the Plaia.
where her mother left Mary and took
her own way to the lawyer's ofllce.
At least that was the version Mary
was allowed to believe.
As a matter of fact, Mrs, Johnston
went directly to Loren Rangcley'a
bank, waa ushered at once Into the
president's private office and held a
long consultation. At the end she had
negotiated loan on the land; so
that much of her version waa true.
She had also told Mr. Kangeley that
she wished to get away on the first
steamer to Europe, where she could
live better and cheaper than ahe could
here. It would be better to atay there
until her financial position became se
cure, or at least Improved, and It
would serve to take Mary away from
an undesirable suitor.
Loren Kangeley listened, gravely
sympathetic. Hla quick, cold eyes
noted that Mrs. Johnston hsd lost
none of her charm for blm; that she
wore very well Indeed. The loan he
was making waa amply secured. In
deed, there waa every chance of the
land experiencing t boom. He was
In possession of facta that made this
almost a surety, but he did not tell
her so. It stilted his purpose that
while he waited and made up hla owa
mind, she should not be In a position
to know that financially she was quite
secure.
He agreed with her that It would
be better to go abroad with the girl.
It Is to be noted that even with thla
lead, and the fact that Mrs. Johnston
had been ataylng In the town Dorothy
Selden had wired from, he asked no
questions concerning his son. He
could and did, by the mere summon
ing of a private secretary, secure tor
Mrs. Johnston accommodation on t
steamer.
When do you wish to sail?" Range
ley asked.
"Saturday," aald Mrs. Johnston
coolly. Somehow she did not like his
smiling scrutiny any better this time
than she had the last. It would be
better to escspe before he brought the
battery of hla elderly charms to bear
upon her. I n her present financial
condition It might be difficult to hold
him off successfully. Flight now,
might be ss useful In her esse as In
Mary's. .
Mr. Itangeley was mldlly surprised
at this sudden action, but on the
whole pleased. He meant to go abroad
thla summer himself. Nothing like
promptnesa In action. Mary's suitor
must be Indeed objectionable to cause
Mra. Johnston to take such drastic
measures.
Mra. Johnston left, with the money
and the steamer reservations. At the
last moment Mr. Itangeley told her
that business might compel him to
cross over, possibly within a few daya,
but Polly Johnston refused to bor
row trouble. She took a cab back to
the Plaza to break the newt to Mary.
Mary listened without speaking,
and with wide, homesick eyes. It waa
Incredible! What waa there to bold
Mary In this country?
Mrs. Johnston had Invented the
atory about the aultor to ault her own
purposes, without really visualizing
Ned In the background to give her fib
color. Had she unconsciously told the
truth?
It could not be possible that her
wonderful Mary had any real feeling
about the grocer's clerk. If she had,
then thank the Lord they were g 'lng!
Hut she would let Mary Infer that It
was to escape Loren Itangeley. Ills
name once mentioned, Mary made no
protest
It was only when they were dressed
for dinner, and their guests had been
announced, that Polly ventured to tell
the girl the tailing date wat Satur
ray. Mary arid nothing, but under dark
hrowt her blue eyes looked the ques
tion that her mother knew muat
sooner or later be answered.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
InteetB in Cold Wtather
While the majority of Insects dis
appear during cold weather, some are
known to live and thrive at tempera
tures which kill most of their kind In
few minutes. About 600 different
Insects have been found living on or
In the snow. About twenty-five spe
cies are known to come out on the
snow In Europe and America. Some
of these are so small that they are
never teen except In winter, and they
are ao little known that they have
no popular name. It It not known
how, or on what they lire.
Diicipleg and Apo$tU$
The 12 disciples were the original
apostles. Later thla term waa used
to designate those who promoted the
doctrine of the (Sospel of Jesus Christ,
There, were a great many later apos
tles, the most prominent of whom Wat
the Apostle PauL
OUR comic SECTION
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Oscar Proves His Point!