The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Making of a Soul, by Kathlyn Rhodes

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Making of a Soul

Author: Kathlyn Rhodes

Release Date: June 4, 2007 [eBook #21674]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAKING OF A SOUL***

E-text prepared by David Clarke, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg
Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)

THE MAKING OF A SOUL

by

KATHLYN RHODES

Author of "_The Desert Dreamers_," "_The Will of Allah_," "_The Lure of
the Desert_," "_Flower of Grass_," _etc_.

London: Hutchinson & Co.
Paternoster Row

CHAPTER I

Barry Raymond drew the latchkey out of the door and entered his small
flat in Kensington just as the clock in the tiny hall chimed the hour of
ten.

It was a wet night; and he drew off his Burberry and hung it up with a
sense of pleasure in being again in his cosy little eyrie at the top of
the chilly stone steps.

Humming a tune, he crossed the diminutive hall and went into the
sitting-room, where the cheerful crackle of a small wood fire gave an
air of comfort to the hearth.

On the table, where his admirable man-servant had placed it, was a tray
bearing glasses, a siphon and a bottle of whisky; and beside the tray
were the few letters which had come by the last post; while in a
conspicuous place lay a telegram in its tawny envelope; and this,
naturally enough, was the first thing Barry touched.

Taking it up, he tore it open decisively; and as the envelope fell to
the ground he unfolded the pink paper and read the message scrawled
thereon.

"Just arrived Southampton will be with you about ten o'clock.
OWEN."

The paper fluttered to the floor and Barry consulted his watch hastily.

"Ten o'clock! Why, it's that now. So Owen's home. By Jove, what an
unlucky day he's chosen!"

He stood still for a moment, rapt, it would seem, in contemplation of an
unpleasant vision. Then with a shrug of his shoulders he moved to the
fireplace and turned on more light.

"Well, it'll have to be done sooner or later; but"--for a second a
rueful smile lit up his despondent young fa