The Tracer of Lost Persons

before him; quite unconsciously and innocently at first-then furtively, and with a dawning perception of the almost flawless beauty he was secretly plagiarizing. Aware, now, that something had an

ously eased a cramped muscle or two, and drew a breath-a long, noiseless, deep and timid respiration. He realized the enormity of what he had been doing-how

what more could a man desire than the ideal traits he had

been forced to recognize her own features in the portrait he had constructed of an ideal. And she had caught him in

mered, eager to answer it in a manne

of velvet which belied the eyes, clear as frosty brown pools in

ather large-why, her feet

on wave, from the white nape of her neck to her hair; she bent low over her

" he thought, horrified. "The best th

she is rather tall and her feet are in some sort of p

d a pair of such angrily beautiful

e made absolutely steady and emotionless. "Have you an

s," he said, "if I only kne

y window, then looked up. "

Fifth

hat st

ed the

r he

" he sai

wrote something and erased it, bit

doors, o

," he admitt

ith a movement

mean, care-to b

in a voice from which he hoped he

ticulars concerning all her relatives. Is she employed or not? What are her social, financial, and general circumstances? Her character, pe

he said

in love

ates me-I'

love with

a very di

't know," with a satisfac

of yours, Mr. Gatew

therland," ve

ire to marry

t I didn'

silent

which started several agreeable t

to answer,"

rounds, Mr

bent forward and gazed at the printed pape

ng me with are not there!" he exclaimed

are on the other forms-some of them. Can't you see

me questions that

the discovery of the person you desire to find. I-I assure you, Mr, Gatewood

ication, chagrin-pervaded him, and chased each other along his nervous system

irl in a low voice-such a gently regretful v

love with," he said. "She is overwhelmingly lovely; and-when I dare-I will tell you

visable. When w

n I

don't d

. . no

now." Then, with head still bent, she lifted her misch

f course, to consult

will rec

ay be

" she repea

l ask f

rite you, M

o trouble for me to come

coming very soon. All I-all Mr. Keen could

e look for: progre

was not very long-neither of them spo

I hope you may find the pers

. . . I hope we shall;

acy and leisure to think-and she also wished to look very earnestly at the reflection of her own face in the mirror of her own chamber. For it is a trifle exciting-though but an innocent coincidence-to be compared, feature by feature, to a young man's ideal. As far as that went, she excelled

wn into saying that her feet were enormous. How silly! . . . For I didn't mean to frighten him. . . . He frightened me-once or twice-I mean he irritated me-no, interested me, is what I do mean. . . . Heigho! I wonder why she ra

d slowly out and across to the private

ing sunshine lay in gilded patches on the rug and spring breezes stirred the curtains. She was a little tired, but there seemed to be no g

n it was to meet the

eg your

eport just now." He paced the length of the room once or twi

a man is this

n? Why-I think he i

t think much of him,

n that at all; I mean tha

er a

shing up. "He is absolut

o unpleasant im

t her sense of justice that Keen should so misjudge

looks like a

h annoyance. "Have you any

ve

test," she sai

oes not exist-on our terms, which are no payment unless

d he do

chi

ouldn't do s

n hastily as the indignant brown eyes sparkled ominously. "Really, Miss Southerla

I haven't said a

rop him for a moment. . . . Are you

y,

e; you seem to be a little languid. .

y, I believe," sh

is chair, joining the tips

th us a year. I thought it might interest you

ored ch

terribly afraid we'r

e asked,

ghtened question with a smile, "I am going to

-h

y, and new duties which will take yo

ed to b

asured for habit and boots this afternoon. I shall arrange for horse, saddle,

be one of your agent

ently, then crossed o

notes," he sai

and he took them from her,

mother and I were chil

hy you sent for me that day

your mother-was dead, is it not reasonable to suppo

and looked at

. . . I never married . . . Do you

an old man staring into two dimmed brown eyes, and the li

all right, if I did not misjudge his father-years ago, child, years ago. And he is all right-" He half turne

trying to?

iss Southerland, we

ow you are going to-on

He laughed, passing his hands over his gray hair. "We are go

y think so?"

st do a great de

I

act

what am

s off him for one moment. Watch him; observe everything he does. If he should recog

to be a detectiv

send out a general alarm, reading the description of the person whom Gatewood had described. The

ceiver and turned to her; "but it's as well to know how many types of that species exist in this Republi

her own intense con

der that habit at once," s

am I to spy upon Mr. Gatewood? And report to

am searching for. Don't you understand? I have already located her. You will find her in the Park. And when you are sure s

t faith in the honor of Mr. Gatewood. I know

were not quite clear. "Now, I think you had better order that habit . . . Your m

spring sunshine. Nor did he notice her lingering, nor mark her as she stole from the room, brown eye

,' said the Trace