The evening world. Newspaper, March 14, 1914, Page 9

(Copyright, 1918, br Oudd, Mend & 0.) , SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING dléepiy. there are them?” he presence of ne obi Se meee har at whe married ou Sountmalereat local conru: awat aint, cid, a the mt us Of apol “Tow ‘There was Injustice. Lag error.” ; . Five da wien ste other vi sen. sconeed In the | murat voman fe his er Me acting rid, of berate #! borrow of not at all been sho: z write nov and quite CHAPTER XV. . (Continued. Burn a Few Bridges. CONFESS to a fetling of ‘ngdnese in parting with the place, after all, elepbantine thongh jt was in'every sense of the word. Tarnowsy was us bland and smil- ing:asa.May morning as he came: Jauatily down the great hall to where I ‘waited him. I followed him to the top of the hiaire which descended 16 the base- ment of the castle. It was rather significant tiat he elected to explore the lower regions first of all. “J shall accompany you,” said I deliberately. “It isn't necessary to vinit the cel- lare, Saks,” he said fo-the architect he. had brought along. We went over the castle rather hur- re@ly, 1 thought, but he explained that Saks merely wanted a genera) idee of the structure; he would return another day to make a careful inspec- tion. “| dare say you are surprised that I ‘should be willing to pay double your iginal price for Schloss Rothhoef- in.” he yentured, pausing in the cor- vider to light a cigarette. We were ean-born 5 dyed-in-the-wool countess or duchess because some one needs the money more than she does. It would be quite as impossible, contrari-wise, to trane- form a noble duke into a plain Ameri- ean citizen, to London wistfully t hood days. scornfully York;" no ants, Fifth aven: beautiful builder of that barely ge ‘on the table. Then to his lawyer: tleman’s receipt for the amount In the transaction, write a novel in one of them. i may never again be guilty of such bbe stupidity as to think that My plana were made. night in Vienna, [ expected to go went back to New York. Strange to relat 1 was homesick. and the gay peacockery of Fifth ave. nue at four in the afternoon. 1 seemed to me that nowhere in all the world was life so joyous and bitthe and worth while a# in for words. He bowed very “Are you satisfied, Mr. Smart, that @ counterfeits among no inquired wth polite irony. “Take the gen- Withenser, ‘This Is a busl- not a game t was the insult. perfect. As he prepared to take his depar- ture, he assumed an insinuating air and remarked to me: ut an apology, Mr. Sma a time when | did you I suspected you uf k: ing ‘¢ YOUr mistress bere. Pray forgive my later [ was snug! the ducal ouite at ‘istol, overlooking the Kartnerringstrasse, bereft of my baronial possessions but sorry. My romance had Mived. {t is one thing to about mediaeval castles nother thing to try to 1 trust nm rican-born citizen can become a feudal baton by virtue of his dollars irl can hope to be a real so there you are, even up. After @ fort- for the autumn, and then 0 the haunts of my boy- I began to long for the Ughts of Broadway (which 1 had despised in other days), where were the theatres so attractive, nowhere such restaur- Even, in retrospect, the sub- way looked alluring, and as for the ue stages they were too Ah, what a unreal things a spell of homesickness may become if one wives it half a chance! As for Schioss Rothhoefen, I had it un excellent authority (no less a per- won than Conrad Schmick himself) had I shaken the dust of the place from myself before the new ‘our way to the top of the west master put into execution a most ex- traordinary and incomprehensible no,” I-said calmly. “I am plan of reconstruction. In the first place gave all the servants two the castle an f catach mandatory eee “She has’ gone uldn't stand the heaped in one swept up and vig Schmicks to ouse cleaning s¢a. end of on ‘The day etill saw evident that out upon the treasure of the best hot weeks’ notice, and thea Instead of the other person might to do. ‘Me in the cellars and diggiog “Up the stone floors with splendid dis- regard for that ominous thing known in the minds of the servants was whether the ufual and somewh: to raze from the battom upward way asa have been ex- He was knocking out yam. The grave question ae two weeks’ notice ve @ trifle too long after pro’ Ia fact, Hawkes, with an inspir- ation worthy of an office boy, man- aged to produce a sick grandmother and got away from the place at the week, although baving been paid in full for two. on which I left for Paris ‘Tarnowsy at work with his masons, heroically battering down the walls of the grim old stronghold, and T chuckled to myself. It was quite it he hadn't found the hid- ing place up to that time. After several days in Paris, I took myself off to London. I was expecting lettera at Claridge's, where I always take rooms, not because I think it is tel in London but because I I am, to some. extent, a creature of habit. My \dge’a wonderful oe Ever since dead there until geven than half a He was the was havior. Poopendy! day: ft you to reftect. you for walary o! Wh pis ge to live oe, ee Bo 01 wears the most gorgeous buttons i z $ 3 , a ‘There were man; there for me, but fot one from the Countess Aline. had encouraged the hope that ehe might write to me; notwithat four on the tion, While I had undoubtedly offend- ed in be Lye ~ act was not unpai wae tribute, not outrage in my be- machine with accusative freq but I failed to respond. mood for writing. He said to me one “I don’t see earn my salt. “salt, Mr. the » You draw th2 checks, 1s Poo! the steamship company wit tens te seoure passage mother took me to Clar- when I was a boy and I saw a at the door to call the King. then I have been guing to Claridge’s and while my firet king is is one in bis place wh been regal. Certainly not Nebuchadmezsar. He works trom seven in the morning at night, and hé bas an ‘mpertal ‘scorn for anything smaller sovereign. letters ‘waiting least she could do in re- that I had done for her, ding my lest day of our associa- flagrant manner, atl na le, There ke fidgeted a good deal with the scanty results of my literary the typed pages in He oiled his juenoy, . I wae in po why you keep a secre- ne I don’t begin to . Poopendyke,” sald I, “1s thing I know of. Now, sald pose T might But I qm abeclutely, inex orabdly opposed to rating anything on @ salt basis, If you" — “You know what I mean,” he said “I am of ne use to you.” b,” sald I triumphantly, “but Who ie it that draws the for yourself and Britton, and who keeps the accounts atraight? it? Why, you, Mr. rear. n° y i fool, Mr. Smart,” said inned as he ssid it. he would not let it slip, Before I had heen in London a weeks rfectly clear to me that Stretch my stay out to thing like a period of Indeed, I began Yo think about boote: ing my passage home wee! I was eau of ¥ Never before had my thoughts turned @o restiesaly, no “old New salling of the Mauretania, and then lived in a state of ponitive dread for fear the confounded American tour- ists might have gobbled up all of the cabins. They are always going home it seems to me, and they are alwa: trying to get on a single unfortunate ship. In all my experience abroad, V've never known a time when Amer- leans were iot tumbling over each other trying to get back to New York in time to catch a certain train for home, wherever that may be. But Poopendyke managed it someow. He must have resorted to bribery. I awoke one to find a long anad—I was about to say interesting— letter from the Countess! It was a very commonplace communication, I found on the third or fourth reading. ‘The sum and substance of its oon- tents hated ™ F fecegg Phy ashe was going ‘irgin Springs with the family fur a month or two and that Lord Amberdale was to join them there. It appeared that her father, being greatly overworked, was bia Fogert f) . aoe and as the golf s at Hot rings are semen designed to make it easy for rich men, his doctor had ordered him that delightful resort. She hoped tho rest would put him on his feet again. There was a or so of drivel about Amberdale and what he expected to do at the New York Horse Show,.a few’ lings con- cerning Rosemary; and a brief, al- most curt- intimation that a or two of me would not be displeasing to her if I happened to be coming that way. It may be regarded as a strange coincidence that I instructed Britton that very Conages 3 to see that my golf clubs were cleaned up and put ip good shape for a little practice on nq her bad thor, near London, wi Tt S50 Fes Sas naoreteeks at me to come out and jet so put it all over me. ’ ‘ I went out and bought a mew beta ale to lace the one destreyed by the @: menting Reckaworti: Bde and 1 got through with it had new putter, a and & spoon, ther of which I needed for the ex- cellent mn that ‘I already: pés- sessed a half dosen of each. Keyed up to « high pitch of eathyu- stasm, 1 played golf for ten days, and found my friend to be a fine sparta- man. Like all Englishmen, he took @ beating gracefully, but gave me to understand that he had been having @ good deal of trouble with rheuma- tism or neuritis in his right elbow. On the last day we played he suc- 1 i. ig me in two down ingin, er ween neuritis dispersed so quickly as it was in hie case, I remember distinctly that he oom- plained bitterly of the pain in his elbow when we baci bat and that lye cabled to the Homestead at Hot Springs for suitable accommo- dations, I cannot remember when I had been so forehanded as all that, and I wonder what. my secretary thonght of me. My habit is to pro- crastinate. ue almost forgot to mention a trifling before sailing, Misie Haszard wrote in at url and at almost jing length to tell me that Count Tarnowsy had unearthed the su posediy mythical Rothhoefen trea: ure cheats and was reputed to hav: found gold and precious jewels worth at least a million dollars, The accu- mulated products of a century’ thievery! The hoard of all the rob- ber barons! Tarnowsy's! it an rage, sang froid that almost killed poor Poopen~ dyke, He never quite got over it, Nor was I especially. distu or irritated by the telegram of condolence I received en board om, from Tar- nowsy himself, He coi the temptation to repeat the message for the simple rea- gon that I do not wish to dignify it by it into permanent form, We were two days out when J suo- of news that came to me the day unselfishly thinking of some one else. An I say, the recollection of this well- defined though somewhat remorseless principle of mine had the effect of put- ting my mind at rest in regard to the Countess, Feeling as strongly as I did about marriage with divorcees, she be- came an absolutely undesirable person so far as matrimony was concerned. I experienced a rather doubtful feel- ing of relief. It was not so hard to gay to myself that Lord Amberdale ‘was welcome to her, but it was very, very dificult to refrain from adding the unamiable words: “damn him.” This rigid, puritanical principle of mine, however, did not declare against the unrighteousness of falling in love with a divorcee. CHAPTER XVI. 1 Change Garden Spots. FI have, by any chagce, an- nouneed earlier is this nar- rative that the valley of the Donau is the garden spot of world, I must now ask you to t0 excuse the ebullience of spirit that orempted the declaration. The Warm Springs Valley of Virginia {s imfinitely pase more attractive to me, and“I make haste to rectify any erroneous im- preasion I may have given, while un- der the epell of something my natu- ral modesty forbids me.to describe. If you happen not to know the ‘Warm Springs Valley, permit me to say that you are missing a great deal, It is a garden spot and— But why dis- course upon @ subject that is eo aptly handled’ by the gentlemen who supply railway folders with descriptive ma- terial and who will tell you in so many words that God’s noblest work was done in the green hills and vales Of: fair Virginia? Any railway folder will acquaint you with all this and , gave me @ great deal of time and trouble, besides.giving you @ sensible and adequate ides of how to get there and where to stop when you reach your journey’s together with the price of liman tickets and the na- ture of the ailments you are su; to have if you take the waters, It a only necessary for me to say that it 1 a garden spot and that you don't have to change cars if you take the right train out of New York City, a condition which does not obtain oY you happen to approach from the op- MM posite direction. I arrived there early one bright November mot Ia days after landing in New York, You will be rendered unhappy, | fear, by the an- nouncement that I left Mr. Poopen- 1. dyke behind. He preferred to visit an aumt at New Rochelle and I felt that he deserved a vacation. Britton, course, accompanied ine. He le, and, ao far aa I know, hasn't the faintest notion of what a vacation means unless he considers employ- ment with me in some such light. At any rate he has never mentioned a relation in need of a visit from him, Before leaving New York I had a rather unpleasant encounter with my ers. & luncheon at which I was led to be- Heve that they still expected me to supply them with the manuscript of & novel at a very early date, They seemed considerably put out when | blandly informed them that I had got mo farther along than the second chapter. ‘e have been counting on this book of yours for January publica- tion,” said they. I tried to explain that the muse had @ abandoned me in @ most heartleas fashion. “But the public demands a story from you,” said they. “What have 1] summer?” said I, I don't know just how tt came about, but the suggestion was made that I put into narrative form the lively tory of my sojourn on the banks of the Danube, trusting im- citly to the imagination yet leav- fag ncthing 0 It, “But it's all such blithering rot,” said I, “Bo much the better,” said they triumphantly—even eagerly. “I do not suppose that you, as pub- Mebers, can appreciate the fact the The Exploits of a | Who Hunted Trouble in Euro; of crustiness left it as if by mugic. radiated It was in the nature of f The Evening World Daily Magazine, Saturday, “Wait!” cried the ‘junior member, his ft agiow, “We appreciate the delicacy of--er— your feelings, Mr Smart, but f have an idea—a spiendid Idea-—-a splendid idea. It solves the whole question. Your secretary ina most competent, capable young man and a genius afier a fashion. I pro- pose that he write the story We'll bay him a lump aum for the work, put your name on the cover, and there p you are, All you will have to do is to edit his material, How's that?’ And so it came to pass that L took myself off that evening for Hot Springs, secure in the thought that Poopendyke would attend to my liter- ary estate far more capably than I could do it myself, and that my la- bors later on would be pleasantly de- voted to the lazy task of editing, re- vising and told. e If you are lucky enough to obtain rooms in the Homestead, looking out over the golf course, with the won- derful November colorings in the hills and gaps beyond, over the casino, the tennis courts and the lower levels of the fashionable playground, you may well say to yourself that all the world is bright and sweet and full of hope. From my windows [ could see far down the historic valley in the direc- tion of Warm Springs, a hazy blue panorama wrapped in the air of an Indian summer and redolent with the incense of autumn. iritton reminded me that it was a grand morning for golf, and once reminded that Britton i cellent chap whose opinions ways worth considering. So 1 for the links, stopping first at the office on my way out, ortensibly to ince of win- ity to glance over the register in quest of certain signatures. A brisk, oldish little man up beside me and rather inquireqd why the deuce there were no matches in room; also why the hot wa‘ was cold so mueh longer than us that morning. He was not much o man to look at, but I could not fail to note the obsequious manner in which the two clerks behind the desk looked at him. You couldn't possibly have discovered anything In their maagner to remind you of hotel clerks you may have come to know in your travels, A half dozen boxes of matches were passed out to him in the twin- kling of an eye, and I shudder to think what might have happened if there had been a hot water faucet handy, the 0 lease. were #0 eager to pl “Mr. Brewnter gone out yet?" de- manded this important guest, pocket- ing all of the matches, (I could see at once that he was a very rich man.) “Did he leave any message for me? He didn't? He was to Jet me know whether be could play polf with—eh? Playing with Logan, eh?, Well, of all the— Piedra Twill Logan. ir Tell him I'd tke to him on for eighteen holes this morning.” He crossed to the news counter and glanced over the papers wh! ink, deleting a tale already t . by edd 1 mumbled uncomfort- ably “And my son Jasper—why, he will explode when he hears you're here, He's gone over ivington to see ® girl off on the train for Loutaville You've never seen such a voy, He in always going to Covington with some girl to wee that she gets the right train home, Hut why are we wasting time here when we might be doing a few holes before lunch? I'll take you on. Of course, you understand I'm 4 wretched player, but I've got one virt I never talk about my game and « nevor tell funny stories while my opponent is addressing the ball, I'm an old duffer at the game, but io got more sense than most duf- fers.” We sauntered down to the where he insisted on buy! 4 doxen golf ball# und engaging 4 for me by the week. (Up to the stepped up to the first tee he talked incessantly of Aline and Rosemary, but the instant the game was on he settled into tho grim re- serve that characterizes the man who takes any enterprize seriously, be it work or play. T shall not discuss our game, fur- ther than to say that he ed in roclously bad form but with a pur- pose that let me, to some degree, into the secret of his success in life. If I do say it myself, T am a fairly good player. My driving Is consistently long. it may not be Jificult for ever you who do not go In for golf to ay preciate the supertor patience of man whose tee shots are rarely short of two hundred and twenty yards when he js obliged to ambio along dotng nothing while his opponent striving to cover the same distance in three or four shots, not counting the mises But T was tlent, not to believe L was ever ont, agrgeably pa- tolerant. 1 don't in a better humor March 14, 1914 COCCOOHEORONEOSHOHNSEISOCRDOOCOSSONSHSSSSIIOSSOOOSS EVENING WORLD George Barr McCutcheon By 8 | Alone with me in the casine hall an hour Jeter, he announced it really looked serious, this affair be- tween Aline and his lordship. I tried indifferent—a rather pale effort, t fear. “I think [Tam in on Jappy," said 1 soberly. Ue “Has sho © ag to you, old chap, ead you to, believe she's keen about 1 temporized. “She's keen about somebody, my son; that's as far awl will, go." “Then it must be Amberdale. on to her, all right, all right. women, Shi in love, hang tt all, If you know a« thing about em, you can spot the symptoms without the ex-rays, I've been hoping «againet hope, old man, { don't want her to marry again. She's had all the hell 's entitled to, the matter with women, anyho They no sooner get out of une muddle than they begin looking around for an- other, Can't be satiafied with good luck." “But every one speaks very highly I'm sure she of Lord Amberdale, mistake In marry- can't bo making ing him.” “| wish she'd pick out @ good, wteady, simplified American, just an an experiment, We're not so darned bad, you know. Women can do worse than to marry Americans.” “It is @ matter of opinion, I fancy. At any rate, we can't go about pick- for people who I'm I know me tell you that,” said he, seow!- NK. ‘ “And al doing the picking for herself this time, I gather.” “1 suppore go,” he said yloomily. I have vielted the popular and al- most historic Fassifern farm than on this guy November morn. great 1 even apologized for Mr. Tit many times in my short career, but foo ted for the life of me | cannet understand what attraction it pasmesses that soon strike his galt ive could induce people to go there for a me a sound beating after the turn. His smile was polite but ironic, and it was not long before | reulized that he knew his own game too well to be affected by cajolury. away, always play or worse, uncomplaining, unresentful, an even-tempered as the May wind, and never by any chance winning a hole from me. He was the rarest “duffer” it has ever been my good fortune to meet. As a rule the poorer the player the louder hia execrations, Jusper Titus ‘was one of the worst players I'vo ever seen, but he was the personification of gentility, even under the moat pro- voking circumstances. For instance, at the famous “ ” it was my good fortune to pitch @ ball fairly on his ball jut ¢: up the steep hill which guards the green. It rolled halfway back. With- out a word of disgust, or so much ag fow! 4 scowl, he climbed up and biased away at it again, not once but four- teen times by actual count. bellboy shot off in quest of Mr. Scott. “hey all hate to\play with ihe old talent Mad tin Bole tonne geezer, one of the clerks—a i16 diayed it out, one, you may be sure—lower- ing his voice and his eyebrows at the «. same time. “He's the rottenest player tm the world.” “Who is he?” I inquired, mildly in- terested. “Jasper Titus,” was the reply. “The real old Jasper himself.” Before 1 could recover from my surprise the object of my curiosity approached the desk, his watch in his hand. “Well, what does he say?" he de- manded, “The—the boy isn’t back yet, Mr. Titus,” said one of the clerks, invol- untarily pounding the call-bell in his nervousness. “Lasy, shiftieas niggers, the whole tribe of th nail ‘was Mr, Titus'’s caus- tie commen : At that instant the boy, quite out of breath, came thumping down the otairs, got rheumatis, be excused" —— te me. 8 Bid “J > ferme. A utiful lay like this and”—— “{ beg your pardon, Mr, Titus,’ eaid 1, stepping forward. “If don't mind taking on a stranger [ will be-happy to go at with you, My name is Smart. I think you must have heard of me through the Coun- tess and you! “Great Scott! Smart? Are—are you the author, James Byron Smart? ‘The—the man who”—— He checked imself suddenty, but seized me by the hand and, as be wrung !t vigor- ously, me out of hearing of the men behind the desk. I am John Bellamy Smart,” sald | @ little miffed. His shrewd, hard old face under- went a marvellous chanx Ho 8 i joy. jebt of gratitude, Mr. “I owe you Smart, that can never be lifted. My daughter has told me everything. You mast have put up with a fearful lot of nonsense during the weeks she was with you. I know her well. She's got @ temper, al- woul, she seems dif- ‘There is a change in her, by George.” “She's had her lesson,” sald I. “Re- sides, I didn't find she had a bad temper.” “And say, I want to tell you some- thing else before I forget it: I fully appreciate your views on interna- tional marriage. Allie told me every- thing you to say about it. You must have rubbed it in! But I think it did her good, She'll never marry another foreigner if I can help it, if she never marries. Well, well, I am glad to see you, and to shake your hand. I-—I wish I could really tell you how I feel toward you, my boy, but I—I don't seem to have the power to express myself, If I*-—— I tried to convince him that the pleasure had been all mine,,and then inquired for Mrs. Titus and the Countens. “They're both here, but the good Lord only knows where. Mrs. Titus goes driving every morning. Roads are fine If you k to them. Aline sald Caseig 4 t night about rid- ‘aon ing over to rn this afternoon with a and young Skelly. Let's sce, ie halt ten. Yes, by this time, Why they've gone didn't you write or telegraph Aline? jie he'll be eo mad as a wet when she finds you've come without letting her know,’ , “E Meumht F should itke to take her Mr. oT ‘A man never gets anywhere, Mr. art," said he, unruffied by hie mis- erable exhibition, “unless Be keeps plugging away ata thing. That's my principle in life. in patisfaction in ball in require twenty strokes. You did it in three, but you'll soon forget the feat. I'm not likely to forget the troubles I had going down in twenty, and there lies the secret of success. If success comes easy we pass it off with a laugh, if it comes hard wp grit our teeth and re- member the ways and means. You may not believe it, but I took thirty- three strokes for that hole one day lant week. Day before yesterday I did it in four. Perhaps it wouldo't occur to you to think that ft'’s a darned sight easier to do it in four een it ie in thirty-three. Get the ne “ft think I do, Mr. Titus,” sald T. things that ‘come easy’ ere never appreciated,’ “Right, my boy. It’s what to work for like natlers that we awake thinking about.” We came out upon the eminence ” overlooking the next hole, which lay you far belo I tee-up up the . As I atooped my ball, a gleeful shout cam: hilleide. “Hello, John Bellamy!" Glancing down, I saw Jasper jr. at the edge of the wagon road. He was waving hia cap and, even at that dis- tance, I could see the radiance in hie good-looking face. A young and at- tractively dressed woman stood be- aide him. I waved my hand and shouted a greeting. “I thought you said hi Covington to see her “Not the same girl,” eaid he cinctly, squinting hia eyes. the little Parsons girl from Rie! mond, He waa to meet her at Cov ington, Jasper is a ecientific butter- fly. Hg makes both: ends meet— nearly always. Now, no one but a genius could have fixed it up to sea one girl off and meet another on the game train.” Later on Jasper jr. and I strolled over to the casino veranda, the chat- ty Miss Parsons between us, but leaning a shade nearer to young Ti- tus than to me, although she ap- peared to be somewhat overwhelmed at meeting a real live author, Mr, Titus, as was his habit, hurried on ahead of us, I afterward discovered he had a dread of pneumonia, ‘Aline never sald a wot about your coming, John,” sald Jasper jr, He called me John with considerable gusto, “BSho's learning how to hold her tongue.” “It happens that she didn't know T wan coming," sald I dryly. He wi i “She's off somewhere with Amber- dale, Fiver meet him? Ho's one of the finest chaps I know. You'll like him, Miss Parsons. He's not at all like’ Brittsher.”’ “But T like the British,” said she, “Then 1'll tell him to spread it on a bit,” said Jappy obligingly. “Great horseman, he is. Got some rippin nage in the New York show ne: week, and ho rides iike @ dream, Watch him pull down 8 few ribbons and rosettes, Sure thin; “Your father told me that the Countess was off riding with him and another chap~-@, 40 ifern, I bee ve."* “For Inncheon. They do it three or four times a week. Not for me. Ike waiters with shirt fronts nickel tags.” luncheon and then ‘a Whole af- Lehag Lod — the place. std that seems ave been what the Countess and his fordahip did on the day of my arrival at the Homestead. The “other chap,” Skerry, came riding home alone at 3 o'clock, She did not return until nearly 6, By that time I was in a state of suppressed fury drove me to the railway etation a aingle and you might eay elfidis. object In view. T hed a oe vieit oy Titus, who seemed over, me. "10 fact, I had june! with her. Mr. Titus, never ate tuncheon. He a dread of typhold, I believe, ané a be already yy at Fa alcholic er eat On the Lerd Amber Y seventeenth stroke Re laid his ball on think I said you didn't marrying except for mart.’ "Um!" sala 1. “Lové on both sides ie the better way to put it.” “Am I to infer that you may have leaning to- & one- ward matrimony?’ “Bo far as I know, I have been singularly Mrs. ” “You really to marry.” “Perhaps I may. Who knows?” “Aline said you would make an ex- cellent busbagd.” “By that she means & one, T sup! . Excellent are in- lably stupid. They always want to fg at home.” Zz expect tei wives to stay at home Nkee—without him.” “Lam afraid you do not understand matrimony, Mr. Smart,” she said, and changed the subject. 1 am afraid that my mind wan- dered ao little at thts juncture, for I missed fire on one oF two direct ques- ve tow: ard me, with the memory of that un- forgettable incident standing between us. 1 had been trying myself for « very e that my fault was not as great in eyes as it was in mine. ‘ Along about 5 o'clock, I went to my room. I daresay J was sulk! pol bell-boy tapped en my half-past six. He presented @ envelépe. to four t announced thi readable face. I cleared my throat, and (t aquared my me, thanked me i 08, and, as an after-t! there was to be nT read the Ci with a magnificently shoul ay 4 dier does when is will be down in five minutes.” 0 oir?” boy stared. “The—the what, “The what?" I demanded. ts I mean the who, sir.” ess. The lady who seat ‘The Count vou up with ¢ : asn't no Countess sent’, It was Miss Tarenw. ‘og T managed to bona, Somehow stagwered, wave my hand comprehenaively. “Never mind. Just eay tl down in two minutes.” He grinned. hustle or you' 8 ‘IL brat me cee “E reckon I'd better down, borai”* ele CHAPTER XVII. She Proposes. HE was still in ber ridiag babit when I found her alone in the partor of the Titus suite, I give you my word beating. ’ heart almost stopped Never seen any one 80 jovely as abe wan at that moment. Never, I rp- peat. Her hair, blown by the kigd November winds, strayed—@ut ne! I cannot begin to define the of her, There was a warm, my -/ Ive in her cheeks and a light im her eges ly bewildered me, asd that actual: moro than that I 4m not competent ve come at lust,” she and her vaiee eoun: very although I was iting te hand to my lips. She fingers tightly, { also that my hand wit think T auld’ that {had come t last. he took my other hand in ‘ern eo drawing dangerously close to me, “—y “do at re ho ag to ,be married for t "t the fain ya \. inluely devil, Lore’ . 3 & . 355 x ibe i Mi i i a ji i Hy | but ant x aiigntly forward tn ae, ate Soe ly cried: ond Altae- went. a al ‘Titus.led, Rosemary upto She gave a suéden shriek of ar = the slightest iz ° i it : ay iS i ee ee eee