Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-11
addle. she faced rouna ON nonny.


How dare your she said very low.
"But this is dads doing. At home no
enc would dare to insult me SO! Slip
OF As if were Kitchen maid sneak
ing out Of q back tloorv'
Lesley" said the young man stern
y, there ism t a soul who has seen you
this morning alone with Yelverton and
riding his horse but thinks either that
you are engaged to him-or want to be. :"
Lesley put her horse at a walk, trem-
bled violently and turned away her head
SO that he could not see her face. He
thought she was crying, and his anger
showed to him altogether dispropor-
tionate against this young thing-his
guest.
Don't cry" he said, more kindly.
I'VE must make the best Of it,
She turned round then, and he saw
she was laughing fit to kill herself and
looking at him with q sort Of pity.
"Oh, it's such joke" she said when
she was able to stop, my wanting to
be-be-engaged to anybody! It's just
the other way round! and she wiped
her eyes and laughed again, having now
completely recovered her good humor.
But Ronny did not laugh; he looked
dourly ahead like the angry man she had
made him.
"And don't you think, she went on,
"that it's rather absurd for a-hero-to
bully girl for doing in the park, with
people all around, what she would not
think twice about doing in the country
quite alone: Why, I've often shown
dads friends the way from the start to
the kill and he never thought of getting
blue in the face from shock"
THAT'S Somersetshire. said Ronny
CURLY, land this is town. Ladies don t
do such things here"
"No. They do worse" said Lesley
smartly. II didn't shut my eyes the
other night at the menagerie. or last
night at dinner, or yesterday at Rane-
lagh, and a country girl would blush to
behave as some of your town ladies do!'
They had got to knightsbridge by
now, and the sun was shifting down en-
them with rays fierce as the wrath that
was burning in their young undisci-
plined hearts.
but appearances mustbe respected, T"
began Ronny, then stopped, for he was
preaching a gospel the reverse Of what
he believed il, only he was his mother g
mouthpiece just then and rejecting
some Of her anger and worry when on
his return home he had discovered
through Charville how matters lay.
Poor hero!" said Lesley, with gen.
uine contempt III her tone. AFTER all,
dad was right in hating town and call
ing it the city of shams-you don't
seem able to think or see straight here
from your heart, mean. It's all from
outside, through other peoples eyesr'
She shook her head SO sorrowfully
that Ronny burst out laughing, where
upon she joined in, saying encouraging
ly, ITS so stupid to make fuss about
little Things when shere are such lots OF
big ones to cry over, isn't it? But I'm
very glad you've got temper, conf
dentially. lyon were getting very try
ing with your everlasting goodness
Isn't it almost time to turn back:"
'And am afraid you will never die
of goodness, Lesley" he said. won't
you go home this way?" he added dis
Enormously. cts much prettier, and
it must be nearly lunchtime now."
"No, I WON'T" said Lesley, turning
the marc and throwing him a bewilder-
| ing smile over her shoulder that, for the
| first time, convinced him she was a
born f1irt.
II haven't said soodby to Mr.. Yelver-
| ton or thanked him for the treat I've
had on this beauty" and she whispered
something in the beauty's ear that made
her dance sidelong and arch her neck
ard play Off as many tricks rs belle
\ at her first ball.
Ronny said nothing, adapting his
horses PACE to Miss Coquette's, ii II the
| pair, tired Of caper, condescended tc
| range themselves sedately by his side,
and the first remark, as is usual when
| woman is entirely in the wrong,
came from Lesley.
I'm glad Bob is not q cousin" she
said
"why?"
"He might think himself privileged
| to be-horridr'
II think Mr.. Bob has got his work
cut out for him, - said Ronny, who
looked SO disturbed, SO altogether unlike
his usual careless self, that Cynthia, in
a deliciousIy cool, blue cambria gown,
who saw them coming, told herself that
the blow had fallen at last, and this
| girl, who was turning all the mems
heads, was turning his also.
"Goodby, Mr.. Yelvertoni Thank you
so much for the treat you have given
me!' she heard Lesley say in that spon
taneous, sincere way natural to her, and
then Ronny's voice, inquiring. Gould
you look me up at the Rag after lunch,
Yelverton:" Then, without waiting foi
an answer, he galloped off after Lesley,
who had, as was generally admitted
among the left behinds. taken the
| cake' in all round cheek that morning.
fro RE CONTINCED1