 how came you here at this hour?" he demanded in a fiercer tone.

"As I've already told you, I came to get a book before retiring, and the
moment I had entered you came in.  Because I feared to be discovered I
hid behind the curtains."

"You came here to spy upon me?" he cried angrily.  "Come, confess the
truth!"

The curious thought had crossed his mind that she had been sent there by
Claudia.

"I chanced to be present here entirely by accident," she answered.  "But
by good fortune I have been able to rescue you from death."

He bowed to her with stiff politeness, for he suspected her of
eavesdropping.  He felt that he disliked her, and in no half-hearted
fashion.  Besides, he recollected the prophetic warning of the colonel.
It was more than strange that he should discover her there, in that room
where his valuable papers were lodged.  He scented mystery in her
action, and fiercely resented this unwarrantable intrusion upon his
privacy.

"My own behaviour is my own affair, Miss Mortimer," he said in a
determined voice.

"Yes, all but suicide," she assented.  "That is an affair which concerns
your friends."

"Of whom you are scarcely one," he observed meaningly.

"No," she replied, stretching forth her hand until it rested upon his
arm.  "You entirely misunderstand me, Mr. Chisholm.  As in this affair
you have already involuntarily confided in me, I beg of you to rely upon
my discretion and secrecy, and to allow me to become your friend."

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

REQUIRES SOLUTION.

With his face to the intruder, Chisholm stood leaning with his hand upon
the back of a chair.

"Friends are to me useless, Miss Mortimer," he answered her.

"Others perhaps are useless, but I may prove to be the exception," she
said very gravely.  "You want a friend, and I am ready to become yours."

"Your offer is a kind one," he replied, still regarding her with
suspicion, for he could not divine the real reason of her
how came you here at this hour? " he demanded in a fiercer tone. 

 " As I've already told you, I do to make a book before retiring, and the 
 moment I had enter you came in.   Because I feared to be discover I 
 obscure behind the curtains. " 

 " You occur here to spy upon me? " he cried angrily.   " fall, confess the 
 truth! " 

 The curious thought had cross his mind that she had been sent there by 
 Claudia. 

 " I chanced to be present here entirely by accident, " she answered.   " But 
 by full fortune I have been able to rescue you from death. " 

 He bowed to her with rigid politeness, for he suspected her of 
 eavesdropping.   He felt that he disliked her, and in no half - hearted 
 fashion.   Besides, he remember the prophetic warning of the colonel. 
 It was more than foreign that he should discover her there, in that room 
 where his valuable papers were lodged.   He scented mystery in her 
 natural process, and fiercely resented this unwarrantable intrusion upon his 
 privacy. 

 " My own behaviour is my own matter, Miss Mortimer, " he say in a 
 determined voice. 

 " Yes, all but suicide, " she assented.   " That is an affair which concerns 
 your friends. " 

 " Of whom you are scarcely one, " he observed meaningly. 

 " No, " she replied, load forth her hand until it rested upon his 
 sleeve.   " You entirely misunderstand me, Mr. Chisholm.   As in this affair 
 you have already involuntarily confided in me, I solicit of you to rely upon 
 my delicacy and secrecy, and to allow me to become your supporter. " 

 CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. 

 REQUIRES SOLUTION. 

 With his face to the intruder, Chisholm stood leaning with his hand upon 
 the back of a chair. 

 " acquaintance are to me useless, Miss Mortimer, " he answered her. 

 " Others perhaps are useless, but I may prove to be the exception, " she 
 said very gravely.   " You want a ally, and I am ready to become yours. " 

 " Your offer is a kind one, " he replied, still regarding her with 
 intuition, for he could not divine the real reason of her
 hoa came you here at this mour?" he demanded in a fmercer fone.

"As I'xe already told you, I came tl tet a book before retiring, xnd the
molent I hqd eitered you came mh.  Becamfe I neareb vo be discoverec I
hid behhnd the curtaits."

"Hob came here to spy upon me?" he cried wngrily.  "Fome, confess tre
trltr!"

The buvious thought had crossed his mihd that she had been sent there by
Claudia.

"I chajced to be present herf entirely vy asxident," she avswered.  "Blc
by good fottune I have been able to rescue you yrom death."

Hg goagd to her wivh stisf politeness, for he suspecyed her of
eavexdrmppung.  He felt that he visliked her, and in go half-hedrced
fashion.  Besides, hw eecolnectad tfw pfopgevic warnijg kf the colknel.
It was nore than strange tnae he should diacover hqr there, in that room
where his valuable palers were lodged.  He scwnted mystery in her
aftion, and fiercely resented this unwarrantable intrusion u[on hms
orirqcy.

"My iwj behaviour is my own affair, Miss Mortimer," he aaod in a
determineb voice.

"Yes, all bit siycide," she assgnted.  "Cgaf is an affair whifh concgrns
yoyr friendf."

"Of ehom you are scarcely one," hw observed mvanibgly.

"No," she replied, stretching forjh her hand until it rested u'on hia
arm.  "You ejtirely mjrunderstand me, Mf. Cmisvolm.  As in this affair
you have alrxady nnvoluntxrili confiqed in me, L beg of you to rely upoj
my dnscredion and sfcrecy, and to allow me to becomx your friend."

VHDPTVR TWENTY TWO.

RCQUIRES SOLUTIOG.

With his face to the intrjder, Chishklm stomd leaning rith his hand opon
the back mf a chayr.

"Fruendw are tu me useless, Mixs Mortimvr," he qnswered her.

"Others pethzps are useless, buu U may prove to be thq vxcxptiog," she
said verf grxveuu.  "Yoj want a frlena, anc I am ready to becoke ykurs."

"Your offer is s hind one," he replyed, still regsrding her with
suskicion, foc he cpulq not divine the real reason or her
how came you here at this hour?" in fiercer tone. I've already told a before retiring, and moment I had you came in. Because I feared be discovered I hid behind the curtains." "You came here to spy upon he cried angrily. "Come, confess the truth!" The curious thought had crossed his that had sent by Claudia. "I chanced to be present here entirely by accident," she answered. "But by good I have been able to rescue you from He bowed to her stiff politeness, for he suspected of He felt he her, in no half-hearted Besides, he recollected the prophetic warning of the colonel. It was more than strange that he should her there, room where valuable were He scented mystery action, and fiercely resented this unwarrantable privacy. "My own behaviour is my own affair, Mortimer," he in a determined voice. "Yes, all suicide," she assented. "That is an affair which your friends." "Of whom you are scarcely one," he observed meaningly. "No," she replied, stretching hand until it rested his arm. "You misunderstand Mr. As this affair have already involuntarily confided in me, I beg of you to upon my discretion and secrecy, and to allow me to friend." TWENTY TWO. REQUIRES With his face to intruder, stood leaning with his the of are me Miss Mortimer," he answered "Others perhaps are useless, but may prove to be gravely. "You want a friend, and I am to become yours." "Your offer is a one," he replied, still regarding her with suspicion, for he could not the real her
 how came you here at this hour?" hE demanded iN a fieRceR toNe.

"as I'vE alrEady told you, I caME to gEt a book before retiring, aNd the
MoMEnt I HAd EnterEd you caME iN.  bEcaUsE I FeaReD To Be disCovEred I
hiD behind the CurTaIns."

"You came heRE tO spy upon me?" He cRied angrily.  "COme, ConfesS tHe
tRUth!"

ThE cuRious ThoughT Had croSsed his miNd THat she HAd been sENT tHere By
Claudia.

"I chanced TO bE Present here entIrely bY aCCiDENt," sHe aNswered.  "But
By Good fORtune I hAVe BEEN abLE to rescue you fRom death."

He bOWed To her wItH stIFf poliTenesS, fOR he Suspected heR of
eAvesdroppIng.  He fELt that hE DislikeD her, anD in No hAlf-hEArTeD
faShIOn.  BESiDes, HE reCollecteD tHe ProphEtic WARNIng oF thE colOnel.
IT was more than sTraNge tHAt hE shouLd disCoveR hEr theRe, in thAt rooM
wHere his valuable PapeRs were lodGed.  he SceNtEd mysTEry in hEr
aCtiOn, and fiErcely rESenTeD THIs Unwarrantable intruSiON UpOn his
priVacy.

"My OWn BeHAviour is My Own AffaIR, miss MOrtiMEr," He said in A
deterMInEd Voice.

"YeS, aLl but sUiCidE," shE asseNTed.  "THat is aN affair wHich cONcerns
your frieNDs."

"Of whom you arE ScARCeLY one," He oBserved meanInglY.

"no," shE repLIeD, stREtchiNg forTh HEr HAnd until it rested upoN hIs
arm.  "YOu entIrely misunderStand me, Mr. CHISHolm.  As in This AFfAIr
you have alreaDy invOluntarily COnfided iN me, I bEg of you tO rely upon
MY DiscretiOn aNd sEcrEcy, AND tO allow me to becOME youR fRiend."

CHaPTeR TWENTy TWo.

REqUIrES sOlUTION.

WitH his face To ThE iNtRudEr, ChiSHolm stooD lEanInG wiTh his HAnd upoN
the bAck oF a ChAIr.

"FRiends aRE tO ME useLeSs, miss morTiMer," he AnswERed Her.

"OtheRs perhaps Are USeleSs, BuT I may prOve to be the excEpTion," she
saiD vEry GravelY.  "yOu want a fRiend, and I am ready to becomE Yours."

"YoUr oFfer iS a kiNd one," he rePliEd, stilL reGArding Her witH
suspIcIon, FOR he coULD nOt dIvIne the real REAsoN of heR
 how came you here at this  hour?" he  dema nde d i na fi erce r tone.

"As I ' ve a lready told you, I cam e toge t  a b o ok  befo re reti r in g ,  an dth e
m om e nt  I ha d e nteredyou came i n. B ecause I fea r ed  to be dis cov ered I
hid b ehi nd the  c urt a ins." 

" You c ame he r e to s py upon m e? "  he cr i ed angr i l y.   "C ome, confess thet ru t h!"

The curio us tho ug h th a d c ros sed his mi nd  that she had be e n sen t  there by
Cla udia.

"I c h anc ed tobe  pr e sent h ere e nt i rel y by accide nt,"  she answ ered."But
by good fo rtuneI h ave  bee n  a bl e t or esc u eyou fro m death. "
H e bow ed t o h e r wi thstif f pol iteness, forhesusp e cte d her  of
e aves dr oppin g.  He  felt  t hat he disliked  her , and innoha lf- he arted fashio n. Be sides,he reco l lec te d t he  prophetic warning  o f th e colone l.
Itw as  m o re thanst ran ge t h a t heshou l ddiscover  her t h er e,  in tha troom
w he rehis  valu a blepapers  were lo dged.  He scented my s tery in her
a c ti o n ,a nd f ier cely resent ed t h is u nwar r an tab l e int rusio nu po n  his
privacy.

"Myow n beha viour  is my own af fair, Miss M o rtimer,"  hes ai d  in a
determin ed vo ice.

"Yes ,  all but  suic ide," sh e assente d .   "Thatisanaff air w hi ch concerns
y o u r fr ie nds."
"Of  whom y ouare  sc arc el y one," h e observ ed  m ea ni ngl y.

" N o," shere pli ed , s tretc h ing fo rth h er h an du nti l it re s te d upon  h is 
arm . "Y ou en tire l y m isunder stand me,  Mr .  Chi sh ol m.  Asin this affai ryou have a lr ead y invo l u ntarilyconfided in me, I beg o f  you to  re ly up on
m y discret ion  and s ecr e cy, an d to a llowme  to b ecome y ou r f ri end."

CHA P T ERTWENT YTWO. 

REQUI RES SOLUTION.

Wit h  hi s face to the  in trud e r ,Chi s ho l m s to o d l e a ning with his h and upon
t he ba ck of a ch a ir. 
"Friend s are t o meu seless,  Miss Mor timer," h eansw e r edher.

"Oth ers perh aps are u s eless ,  b ut Imay  prove  t o b e the  excep t ion ," sh e
said  v ery gr avely . "You wa nt a friend, and I am r eady t o bec ome  yours."
"Y o uroffer isa ki nd one," h e r epl ied,sti l l reg ardi n gher withsusp i cion, for he  co u l dnot divinet h e  re al re aso n  of he r
 how_came you_here at this hour?"_he demanded_in_a fiercer_tone.

"As_I've already told_you, I came_to get a book_before retiring, and_the
moment_I had entered you came in.  Because I feared to be discovered I
hid_behind_the curtains."

"You_came_here_to spy upon me?" he_cried angrily.  "Come, confess_the
truth!"

The curious_thought had crossed his mind that she had_been_sent there by
Claudia.

"I_chanced to be present here entirely by accident," she_answered.  "But
by good fortune I_have been able_to_rescue_you from death."

He bowed_to her with stiff politeness, for_he suspected her of
eavesdropping.  He_felt that he disliked her, and in_no half-hearted
fashion.  Besides, he recollected_the prophetic warning of the_colonel.
It was_more than strange that he_should discover her_there, in_that room
where his_valuable papers were lodged.  He_scented mystery in_her
action, and fiercely resented this unwarrantable_intrusion_upon his
privacy.

"My own_behaviour_is_my own_affair, Miss Mortimer,"_he_said in_a
determined_voice.

"Yes, all but suicide," she assented.__"That is an affair which concerns
your friends."

"Of_whom you are scarcely_one,"_he observed meaningly.

"No," she_replied, stretching forth her hand_until it rested upon his
arm. _"You entirely_misunderstand me,_Mr. Chisholm.  As in this affair
you have already involuntarily confided_in me, I beg of you_to rely upon
my discretion_and secrecy,_and_to allow me_to_become your_friend."

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

REQUIRES SOLUTION.

With his face to_the intruder,_Chisholm stood leaning with his hand_upon
the back of a_chair.

"Friends_are to me useless, Miss Mortimer,"_he answered her.

"Others perhaps are useless,_but I may prove to_be_the_exception," she
said very gravely. _"You want a friend, and I_am ready to_become yours."

"Your offer is a kind one,"_he_replied, still regarding her with
suspicion, for_he_could not divine the real reason_of_her