Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-12

be satisfied on her return to marry
Bob Heatherley. She is welcomed
by her cousin, Ronald Kilmurray.
meets Miss Cynthia de
Sails. IlI-And is interviewed by
her aunt. IV-Mr. Yelverton tells
Lesley that Ronny is the best gentle
man horseman in England. V-Les-
ley rides out with Mr.. Yelverton and
is criticised for so doing.
CHAPTER vi.
"Ronny," said Lesley when he join
ed her (and it struck him that this was
the first time she had thus addressed
him). "will-will she be very angry,
do you think? The mare just danced off
with me when was trying her PAGES,
and didn't think-no more did she !"
She looked then as she had done on
her arrival, apprehensive and proud and
shy, all in one, and Ronny s heart smote
him. She had no mother, and q mother
il able to teach her daughter SO much
and keep from her SO much that she
may not learn, and tho girl had been
thrown entirely among men; SO much
was apparent in her supreme mastery Of
their little ways and the ightness Of
her hand with them. Perhaps, if she had
been constantly with nice women But
here he stopped, knowing that. in that
case, the originality, the freshness of
her mind would have been lost, and to
Ronny originality Of character was the
one precious mental good ON earth.
ut is a pity" he began, then paused
again. Really. for such q remarkably
cool young man, Ronny was getting
himself into good many holes that
morning. would you like to have the
mare, Lesley;" he said in SO reasonable
and kind voice that tears started into
her proud eyes. "She isn't up to Vel
verton's weight, know, and he might
sell her-to please you," he added, with
smile that made his glance pure SUM-
shine.
ooh, Ronnyv' exclaimed the girl,
turning upon him q little face whose
delicious glow Of color dazzled his eyes.
How lovely that would be! I'll write
homo today and ask dad to buy her for
mer'
"But I want her for myself" said
Ronny-Lesley face fell-telling the
lie without winking, land meanwhile
Ill lend her TO you. But, Of course. I
don't knew if Yelverton will part with
her till I've asked him."
Lesley leaned over and stroked Co.
quette's glorious neck, and when Lesley
confidently informed her that she was
much too beautiful to be ridden by a
rude, cross, heavy man Ronny smiled
away the last remnants of his i'll humor,
and they arrived at Park lane in the
best Of spirits, good deal to Lady APP
puldurcombe's wrath, as she watched
the return Of the prodigal (for once, o
female-why are most fiagitious exam
Piles and emblems of rascaldom invari-
ably Of the masculine gender in gram
mar?) from the balcony.
Since Ronny had rushed in to an
nounce the full measure of Lesley's de-
liquencies and rushed out again to get q
horse saddled to follow her his mother
had been enduring not one but nearly
four shocking quarters of an hour, and
now, cnlprit and envoy came home
laughing, on the best of terms evidently
with each other!
To an outsider it all looked SO entire
ly right, the two young aristocrats,
with the groom behind them, whose face
wore that air of impenetrable calm Pc
culiar to all well bred servants and only
family to be initiated by their mas
tiers, though inside Carleton was one
broad grin and wished the young lady
we'll out of the 'row.''
Ronny begged the girl off all he
could. Still for nasty five minutes
Lesley's youth suffered eclipse and she
WINGED under her aunt's icy reproof like
q child who, not knowing the meaning
Of blows, suddenly finds them showered
upon him by hand that he trusted.
She made no defense. She shed no
tears, and Ronny admired her pluck
heartily as she sat at table making q
pretense Of eating what was put before
her, her proud little head held as high
as ever. the only scrap Of color in her
face being her blue eyes.
Perhaps a little ache Of jealousy in
the mothers heart helped to harden it
against the girl, for was not Ronny
hers, her very own boy, who had never
left her like her other children, and now
was she to lose all his time and COM
pany because Malincourt had foisted on
her female scamp whose only accom-.
plishment seemed TO lie in getting the
length of every mans foot that ap-
preached her?
"Auntie, said Lesley very quietly
when the servants had withdrawn, Il
am going to write to father and ask him
to let me % home. / don't want to
disgrace you any more"
Her voice was quite steady. and her
ewes as she looked ut her aunt were just
as indomitable in their sheer, down.
right, logged British pluck as Ronny's
own ut times Indeed for . moment q
strong likeness flashed out between the
cousins and Lady Appuldurcombc saw
| it, colored, wavered and suddenly caved
in. She was of different order from
Ronny and Lesley and consequently
much more easy to manage. fact Of
which her servants took liberal advan
tage.
'.Have we been 80 inhospitable, then?'
| said the poor lady and sank into tear