Page:A strange, sad comedy (IA strangesadcomedy00seawiala).pdf/173

Rh my house as to object to her going anywhere with you."

Farebrother was completely puzzled—the more so that the objection was all on the Colonel's side—for Mr. Romaine had been at Corbin Hall the day before alone, and the day before that with Chessingham's womankind. He had noticed some slight constraint on Letty's part, but the Colonel had been absent both times. He said no more about going to Shrewsbury, and privately resolved to go there no more except for a farewell visit. This gave him distinctly the advantage over Sir Archy, whose long intimacy and real friendship with Chessingham made it natural and inevitable that he should go often to Shrewsbury.

Letty, however, was no more capable of keeping an unpledged secret than Ethel Maywood, and one afternoon, walking through the pine woods with Farebrother, the whole story about Mr. Romaine and his will came out.

Farebrother sat down on a fallen log and shouted with laughter.

"The old imp!" he cried, and laughed the more.

"Of course," said Letty, laughing in spite