Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-17
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.

Konny brought to sue for Cynthia de
Sails, who is in love with him. VIII
But Lesley's aunt suspects her of
wishing Miss de Sails out Of the way
that she may have Ronny herself.
IX-Lesley walks with Ronny in
Leicester square early in the morn
ing and is seen by Graham Dash
wood, whom she had snubbed. X
Cynthia faints at the races on &C
count of Ronny's attentions to Lesley.
XI-R)rny overhesrs Eastwood &C.
cusing Lesley Of having been in the
park with improper persons. He
slaps his face, and challenge passes.
XIf-Ronny tells Lesley he loveste:.
CHAPTER XIII.
Cynthia was standing by the window,
looking ut those delightful palace
grounds, that no one ever seems to en-
joy but once in way-say at a royal
garden party-and she did not turn her
head as Lesley came iD-Lesley, who,
| for once, was tongue tied, and did not
Immediately speak. Slowly she took out
the long pins from her feathery white
hat and threw it on the orange brocade
sofa-the room was all yellow and
orange, for Cynthia was sun worship
er-then set her little teeth hard, and,
going up to Cynthia, touched her on
the shoulder.
Cynthia knew the touch and turned
and looked at Lesley, with hate and
jealousy in the eyes that had been so
friendly when, hardly "a hours ago, they
had started ON the coach together for
Sandown.
Lesley's hand dropped to her side,
and for few moments neither spoke.
'He loves you," said Cynthia, in a
cruel voice, "as you can make any man
You please love you. You have had SO
much practice. You could not even let
him alone-my all, my idol!-who
might have turned to me at last, when
he saw how faithless, how selfish, other
women were, and now
She threw up her arms with de-
spairing gesture, and the wide sleeves
of her lace wrapper fell back and show
ed their whiteness; her red brown hair
was drawn into q great knot at the back
Of her grand head, and it struck Lesley
afresh what glorious woman she was,
and how idolized by almost any other
man than Ronny she might have been.
And, only an hour ago, Lesley could
have said to her, Take Ronny." She
could hear her own voice, with the ring
Of contempt in it, and now it was all
explained; all at once Lesley forgave
her. Cynthia had been no such fool,
after all; she had set her love high, she
had loved worthily and with all the
strength OF q fiercely pure, passionate
heart had loved the highest.
In these short three weeks, bit by bit,
| the girls character had revealed itself
to Lesley, without a coarse or q mean
trait in it. Her only fault that she had
loved unsought, and that she could not
hide it-being, for all her worldly train
| ing. rs sincere at heart as Lesley her.
seh-any more than she could make
| flesh and blood Of the men who admired
her, who were but as shadows that
| crossed and recrossed her path.
Something in Lesley's face, as she
stood apart, frightened Cynthia ont of
her own reckless passion and pain, and,
| drawing near, she said:
"Oh, my God! Say that you don t
| love him, Lesley!'
Lesley looked mp, with strained eyes
They would never be quite young eyes,
such as she had brought to town, to
love again.
"We were always quarreling at first,
you know" she said, land was al
ways - praising-you but We have
grown chummy-lately."
"But you don't love him. cried
Cynthia, fighting, like tigress for her
whelps, for this mans love. "You will
go away. You will forget all about
him. Even if you have fancy for him
it won't hurt you much to put it aside.
You haven't loved him-child, girl and
woman--as I have done! Don't You
think know what men are? Either
fools or knaves, ice or lava; to freeze q
woman's heart with neglect or warm it
ut the fires of their own passions, leav-
| ing her to their ashes afterward! And
there is only one Ronny, with deep.
deep warmth under his GOODNESS, and a
woman had better be his dog than q
lesser mans queen!'
Anu Lesley Anc" - "S uuo' On'
yes, it was true. And in her ears was
dingdonging the refrain Of her own
gospel, always help q fellow woman
il you can" and now the time had
como when she must act up to that gos-
pei or be renegade to her own belief.
Help. yes, but beggar oneself? To
strip on your purple robe Of love and
wrap q beeear in il, hoping she may
catch the kings eye, but what IL you
have stripped yourself naked in vain,
and the king has already chosen?
"You do not love him." persisted
CYNTHIA II haye watched yoq- Exen