Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-17
CHAPTER XIV.

mOtucT, Sdlu hOuuy ib UIe0h1dSt,
which was at half past o, II shall have
10 run ont of town for couple Of days,
SO l can't take you and Lesley to the
opera tonight, as promised.
The words were simple enough, but
his tone made the mothers instinct leap
up, and she looked earnestly at her boy,
feeling sure something was wrong, and
caught him looking at her with glance
Of such solicitous tenderness that her
heart died within her.
"What is it, Ronny?" she said faint
ly. you're ordered off ON active serv-
ice again:''
''Nothing of the kind, mother" he
said cheerily, and went round and kiss
ed her more fondly than he supposed,
whereby he strengthened her suspicious,
though she resolved to hide them, feel
ing convinced that somehow Lesley was
at the bottom Of the trouble. e
''Where is Lesley?" he said as he sat
down and helped himself to kidney ONE
let. "This is the first time ever knew
her late. She is usually down before
either of Us.
''Planning some fresh mischief, no
doubt" said Lady Appuldurcombe dry
ly. 81 don't feel ut all comfortable
about tho way people look at her, Ron
ny, as if-as IT,
"Well, they won't much longer,
said Ronny rashly, and before his moth
er could unriddle this dark saying Char
vile entered, bearing letter ON sal
yer, his usually unruffled countenance
less majestic than usual as he withdrew.
"From Lesley, said Lady Appuldur-
combe carelessly, but noticing that Ron
ny got up from his chair and stood
watching her face keenly as she read
aud indeed the changes on it were as
tonishing, not to say alarming.
'What is it, mother?" he broke out
suddenly and passionately. ''Is she i'll
have you been pitching into her
again:"
"She has run awayv' said Lady Ap-
puldurcombe, with gasp. "She is
homesick, she says-how wicked, how
outrageous, how altogether bad form!"
Ronny took the letter from his moth
er's limp hand, but almost before his
eye had devoured it he knew that Les
ley had left him no message; that in
these few brief lines of farewell he was
not even mentioned, and he remember
ed grimly how there had been no an
swering look in her eyes yesterday when
he betrayed himself. Yet she knew
she must know how it was with him
and she had just run away from him.
he had fallen in with the other silly
sheep behind her-yes, he was a sheep
and she was probably laughing at
him now. What did one mans love,
more or less, matter to Lesley? They
had begun by quarreling, but lately, he
could scarcely date from when, but he
thought it was that morning walk when
she had shown him glimpse of her
real self, they had grown friendly to-
gether, and some of the intensely Iowa
BILE ways" had wound themselves
about his heart, as they had done about
SO many others, he thought, self con-
temptuously.
$50 ungrateful," said Lady Appul-
durcombe irritably. Then, as one struck
by sudden thought, lyon don't think
there ID any man in it, do you, Ronny:"
Aotherv' he said sternly, and she
before, "how can you ever think such q
thing Of Lesley: She has been in this
house nearly three weeks, and when did
you ever know her to do . mean or an
underhand thing? Whatever reason she
has for going in this way it is one that
she considers right. Can't you see even
in those few hurried lines that she went
because she must, not because she wish
ed tO:''
And yet Cynthia never crossed his
mind q he stood looking down ON the
iresularly formed but charming hand.
writing that somehow brought Lesley,
delightful. elusive, true hearted, before
him.
For she was true hearted, where she
loved. or might love. and was it hes
fault q his that she did mot love him:
There was not drop Of towards blood
in her veins. and be knew she had not