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      A splendidly spired church stood almost shoulder to shoulder with the Ashton-Kirk house. Once it had been a place of dignified Episcopal worship; but years of neglect had made it unwholesome and cavern-like; and finally it was given over to a tribe of stolid Lithuanians who stuck a cheaply gilded Greek cross over the door and thronged the street with their wedding and christening processions.

      "Perhaps,"said Ashton-Kirk, after a moment's study of the prospect, "yes, perhaps it is a hole of a place in which to live. But you see we've had this house since shortly after the Revolution; four generations have been born here. As I have no fashionable wife and I live alone, I am content to stay. Then, the house suits me; everything is arranged to my taste. The environment may not be the most desirable; but, my visitors are seldom of the sort that object to externals."

      "Well, you have one just now who is not what you might call partial to such neighborhoods,"said Pendleton. "And,"looking at his watch, "you will shortly have another who will be, perhaps, still less favorably impressed."

      "Ah!"said Ashton-Kirk.

      He curled himself up upon the deep window sill while Pendleton went back to his chair and the tobacco.

      "It's a lady,"resumed Pendleton, the brown paper crackling between his fingers, "a lady of condition, quality and beauty."

      "It sounds pleasant enough,"smiled the other. "But why is she coming?"

      "To consult you—ah—I suppose we might call it—professionally. No, I don't know what it is about; but judging from her manner, it is something of no little consequence."

      "She sent you to prepare the way for her, then?"

      "Yes. It is Miss Edyth Vale, daughter of James Vale, the 'Structural Steel King,' you remember they used to call him before he died a few years ago. She was an only child, and except for the four millions which he left to found a technical school, she inherited everything. And when you say everything in a case like this, it means considerable."

      Ashton-Kirk nodded.

      "She is a distant relative of mine,"resumed Pendleton; "her mother was connected in some vague way with my mother; and because of this indefinite link, we've always been"—here he hesitated for an instant—"well, rather friendly. Last night we happened to meet at Upton's, and I took her in to dinner. Edyth is a nice girl, but I've noticed of late that she's not had a great deal to say. Sort of quiet and big-eyed and all that, you know. Seems healthy enough, but does a great deal of thinking and looking away at nothing. I've talked to her for ten minutes straight, only to find that she hadn't heard a word I'd said.

      "So, as you will understand, I did not expect a great deal of her at dinner. But directly across from us was young Cartwright—"

      "Employed in the Treasury Department?"

      "That's the man. Well, he began to talk departmental affairs with some one well down the table—you know how some of these serious kids are—and as there seemed to be nothing else to do, I gave my whole attention to the interesting performance of Mrs. Upton's cook. I must have been falling into a dreamy rapture; but at any rate I suddenly awoke, so to speak. To my surprise Edyth was talking—quite animatedly—with Cartwright, and about you."

      "Ah!"said Ashton-Kirk. "That's very pleasant. It is not given to every man that the mention of him should stir a melancholy young lady into animation."

      "Have you done anything in your line for the Treasury Department lately?"asked Pendleton.

      "Oh, a small matter of some duplicate plates,"said Ashton-Kirk. "It had some interest, but there was nothing extraordinary in it."

      "Well, Cartwright didn't think that. I did not come to in time to catch the nature of your feat, but he seemed lost in admiration of your cleverness. He was quite delighted, too, at securing Edyth's attention. You see, it was a thing he had scarcely hoped for. So he proceeded to relate all he had ever heard about you. That queer little matter of the Lincoln death-mask, you know, and the case of the Belgian Consul and the spurious Van Dyke. And he had even heard some of the things you did in the university during your senior year. His recital of your recovery of the silver figure of the Greek runner which went as the Marathon prize in 1902 made a great hit, I assure you.

      "But when he answered 'No' to Edyth's earnest question as to whether he were acquainted with you, she lost interest; and when I promptly furnished the information that I was, he was forgotten. During the remainder of the dinner I had time for little else but Edyth's questions. When she learned that you had taken up investigation as a sort of profession, she was quite delighted, and before we parted I was asked to arrange a consultation."

      "She will be here this morning, then?"asked Ashton-Kirk.

      Pendleton once more looked at his watch.

      "Within a very few minutes,"said he.

      CHAPTER II

       MISS EDYTH VALE STATES HER CASE

       Table of Contents

      It was exactly three minutes later when the continuous tooting of a horn told of the approach of another motor car along the crowded street. Then the door-bell rang.

      Ashton-Kirk arose and touched one of a series of buttons in the wall. Almost instantly a buzzer made sharp reply. He lifted a tube.

      "If it is Miss Edyth Vale,"spoke he, "show her up."

      A little later a knock came upon the door. The grave faced German opened it, ushering in an astonishingly lovely girl; tall, most fashionably attired and with a manner of eager anxiety. Both men arose.

      "Considering that you are under twenty-five,"said Pendleton, "you are remarkably prompt in keeping your engagements, Edyth."

      But the girl did not answer his smile. There was a troubled look in her brown eyes; she tugged nervously at her gloves to get them off.

      "This is Mr. Ashton-Kirk?"she asked.

      "It is,"answered Pendleton. "Kirk, this is my cousin, Edyth Vale."

      Ashton-Kirk gave the girl a chair; she sat down, regarding him all the time with much interest. The gloves were removed by now; but she continued plucking at the empty fingers and drawing them through her hands.

      "I have heard of you quite frequently,"said she to Ashton-Kirk, "but did not dream that I would ever be forced to benefit by your talents. Mr. Pendleton has been kind enough to arrange this interview at my request; and I desire to consult you upon a most important matter—a very private matter."

      Pendleton caught the hesitating glance which she threw at him and reached for his hat.

      "Edyth,"said he, "after all I have done for you, this is very distressing. I had not expected to be bundled out in this manner."

      She smiled faintly, and nodded.

      "Thank you, Jimmie,"she said. "You are a nice boy."

      After Pendleton had gone, Miss Vale sat for some moments in silence; and all the time her eyes went from one part of the room to another, curiously; she seemed to be trying to estimate СКАЧАТЬ