Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-08-01
Concluded nom frst page

SlOle lie Solu 0OttlnlH W Nilt lndh
about IL, however. until the dance
Mourdant's attention to Carrie was so
noticeable that something ought TO be
done
This thing must be stopped" said
Slocomb savagely to Mourdant later in
the evening
What thingf" asked the young fel
low. with frank smile.
This kissing my cousin for one
thing, and secret meetings with "A WON
an for another" said Slocomb in his
blunt way
Mourdant grew angry. Slocomb had
no right to talk that way.
''Tll not explain about that affair
after the tennis party" he said hotly.
"Pll not betray woman's secret. She
came to the hotel to see me; it was
necessary she should see me at once.
They sent her to the cottage. Our
meeting was accidental
Mourdant stalked off and deigned no
further explanation.
Some time later Slocomb found him
self in Albany, and he saw Mourdant
and "Grace" again. Mourdant was
just coming in on the train from Lenox !;
''Grace" met him at the station. 1t
was the day after Slocomb got the tele
gram by mistake. The thing did not
look well at all Slocomb hurried back
to Lenox. Ne resolved to tell Carrie
Tracy the whole miserable story.
And what are you going to do about
itg" she asked coolly, when Slocomh
finished the narration.
What am going to do about itF
he echoed in amazement. He did not
know what TO make of Carries utter
nonchalance. That's not the ques
ton What are you going to do
about itr'
Carrie Tracy only leaned back in her
chair and looked at her cousin with
question marks in both of her pretty
blue eyes.
Really it seems to me that you are
awfully cut up about this"
But am" declared Slocomb ear
nestly; lawfully. Good heavens, Car
rie, can you see man carry on a
double game before your eyes and not
say word or lift finger2"
"What can | dol" She said this
YEARLY, and then Slocomb saw what
was beneath her mask of cold railery.
She had put on a bold front and tried
to pass it over lightly 1t was no use,
however. Slocomb prided himself on
his knowledge of human nature. He
felt that he was not at fault in one fact
Carrie Tracy loved Mourdant.
They went to a dance that evening,
and every one noticed that Carrie Tracy
was more beautiful than ever Yet
there was pungent flavor to her wit, a
sharp edge on her talk. Some i'll nat
ured bellies who were becoming passe
said that she was becoming spoiled at
last. Callow youths were placed in the
seventh heaven by her unwonted sweet
ness to them, but every throb of the
music, every waltz she heard, brought
back the memory of a pair of dark eyes,
low, tender voice and a dream that
would come no more.
And so matters went on, and the
wane of the season came. The story Of
Jack Mourdant came out, of course
with various notifications Society
shrugged its shoulders again and pitied
poor Carrie Tracy.
.''Too bad" everybody said. ''She
oINt,l1 lyrAxr, haffn. fhov, 10 fol -,
with handsome adventurer He was
an awfully nice fellow, though, but
frightfully wildl"
And so Carrie Tracy had to stand by
and hear all this, and accept the con
dolence of her friends. 1t was gall and
wormwood to her, but it only made the
triumph that came in October all the
sweeter.
you don't believe there is q man in
the world you may trust9" she heard
one girl say to another. She was sit
ting by window in the hotel which
opened upon piazza. The two girls
were pacing up and down outside.
II know it sounds awfully silly, but
l don't believe in trusting people,"
81 wish you would let me tell you q
little story; it's only an everyday sort
of a story. It's from real life. Ill tell
you the story of Jack Mourdant.
At this Carrie Tracy looked up quick
ly. She listened eagerly 70 every word.
The two on the piazza had seated them
selves near her.
1.-THE family is an Albany one. There
were four brothers, and he was the
youngest. One of the brothers is now
in Albany, the other abroad, the third
is-well, was near Albany-in Jail. 1t
was his own fault that he got there; !ie
was the black sheep of the family
Percy Mourdant. When a very young
boy he was always stealing trihes from
his schoolmates. There was no excuse
for it. His family was rich, and he had
every advantage Percy was an aw
fully wild boy
Jack had always been Percy's
bosom friend. Again and again he had
helped him out of scrapes. Percy was
a quiet fellow to all appearances. He
wore eyeglasses, and was meek as
Moses. But he had the very devil in
him. Jack seemed more like the ras-
cal, with his dark Spanish beauty.
Percy was light and had sandy hair.
He appeared quite harmless.
"After they got ont of college Percy !