D

"We shall have to make another match to settle the question," said Mr.
Hallam.

"I'm willing," laughed Alan, "but give me time. I must go back at
once; there's some tough work to be done before long."

"When you like," replied Mr. Hallam. "I am not going back to Australia
at present. I have no wish to be sent to the bottom of the sea."

Alan said good-bye to Eve at The Forest. Before leaving for London he
saw Duncan Fraser. Everything was going well, no cause for anxiety,
and the manager spoke hopefully of the future.

Alan was surprised when he heard of Jane Thrush's marriage and rated
Tom soundly for "throwing her away" on such a fellow.

Tom remonstrated in a sullen way, saying he thought it a good match for
his daughter.

"You'll find out it is not," said Alan sharply. "The man is probably
in the pay of the enemy, and will be laid by the heels before long;
then she will come back to you and you'll be glad to have her."

Alan suspected Tom had been bribed by Meason; he knew his fondness for
money but did not question him on this subject.

Tom Thrush thought over what Alan said. It caused him some uneasiness.
He had a great respect for him and his opinions and knew he would not
make an assertion without good grounds for doing so.

Carl Meason and his wife arrived at a small resort on the East Coast
and stayed at an hotel. She wondered why he came here; there was not
much to see, it was dull. Once she had been to Scarboro' and enjoyed
the brief stay, but H---- was a different place.

Meason left her alone a good deal. The excuse was he had work to do;
he did not explain what it was.

After a week in Meason's company Jane already began to repent her
hurried marriage. Carl was rough; some of the veneer wore off rapidly.
He gave her money and told her to amuse herself, but there was little
chance of that in such a place.

"Why don't you take me with you? I'd like to see the country," said
Jane.

"Can't be done, my dear; not yet, at least. Wait a week or two and I
may be able to do so," he replied.

"What are you so very busy about?" she asked.

He declined to gratify her curiosity and said a wife ought to trust her
husband; to which she responded that he didn't seem to trust her.

"Perhaps you'd rather go back to your father?" he sneered.

"You are unkind; you know I would not, but I think you might be with me
more; it's lonely here," she said with tears in her eyes.

He kissed her,