Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-13
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.

SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER Leslie Malincourt, a
coquette, is invited to visit her aunt,
Lady Appuldurcombe. that she may
be satisfied on her return to marry
Bob Heatherley. She is welcomed
by her cousin, Ronald Kilmurray.
lI-Lesley meets Miss Cynthia de
Sails. II-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. VI
Ronny buys Yelverton's marc for
Lesley. VII-Lesley desires to see
Ronny brought to sue for Cynthia de
Sails, who is in love with him.
CHAPTER VIII.
Signing, dying. languishing toward one
man, as flowers at daybreak lean toward
the sun, an audience, composed mainly
of women, sat in one of the big drawing
rooms Of "a house in Lancaster Gate and
drank in the notes Of his voice as he
sang one Of his own songs, which was
of love, as indeed most of his songs
were.
The man really was q thoroughly good
fellow, a splendid son, u stanch friend
and "a born musician, but tho crowd of
women, not Of the first order, who pros
trated themselves before him had begot
III him Il profound contempt for the
whole sex, that showed in every line Of
his face rs his arrogant eyes, with that
knack Of rolling upward which made
most men long to kick him, wandered
over the silly, fiuttering, adoring crowd
spread out before him.
1T makes ones blood boil! Look ut
that girl. Her very hairpins are falling
out" said Lesley in a fierce aside to
Roger Yelverton. whose black coat was
the only one in the row of chairs where
they sat. "Such man could not be if
woman had not made him what he is !
Yet there's something warm, human,
magnetic about him."
She spoke slowly, studying the singer
very intently.
''And if he got his hair cut and didn t
roll up his eyes, She paused. then
said. looking really tragic, "After ali. l
do believe there is class Of women who
like bcing-kickedv
my dear"' said Lady Appuldur-
combe, who. on her ether side, had
caught the words and looked alarmed,
for Lesley had been so good the last few
days that burst out in the wrong di-
rection seemed to be inevitable.
They're very rummy," said Yelver-
ton, shaking his smooth, fair head.
Something in a man catches their van
ity, or their fancy, or taste, and off they
go-you can't stop 'em! But q man
must give out somehow that he doesn't
mind being adored, like this fellow, just
as another man. without saying a word,
refuses, like Ronny, now, for example.
Where would he be if, with all his
fame, he-er-er"-
Encouraged us?" said Lesley dryly.
But Ronny is not a lovable person. He
has not large'-she extended her hands
in q sweep -'all enhancing, grand
ways. He does not roll his eyes or mako
q point OF saying, 1 love you, instead
of How do yon do:'" She stopped to
laugh. "He is one of your concentrated,
deadly reticent, Brands essence sort of
person, is EoDny!''
''All the better for the woman he
marries," said Roger manfully, for he
carried very sore heart about with
him in these days, only occasionally
healed ovoi by such happy position rs
he found himself in just now. "When
a man like that does fall in love-
"Ah, when?" said Lesley gayly.
THAT will be when cap and pigskin
have vanished off tho face of the earth
mot before! A little less than his
horse and dearer than his dog, you
know!'
She spoke discreetly low, for Lady
Appuldurcombe was ON her other side,
though Just then in deep conversation
with a distant relative, Mrs Fame.
Roger Yelverton stole glance at the
girls unconscious face as she sat beside
him. He never could quite make up his
mind whether he liked her best in iler
fresh morning gown of cambria, or her
foamy ball gown, or riding Coquette-
his two darlings, as in his heart he call
ed them-or as she looked here, all in
white, with brocaded sleeves Of exactly
the same color as her wonderful eyes
and finished" with all those little
minauderies Of young girls dress that
are SO grotesque on older women.
Her mouth had fallen into those
curves that would have been petulant
with q weaker character, and her
round, firm chin came boldly out little
in advance of the tip of her small,
straight nose, that had the proudly cut
nostrils peculiar to brave, sensitive tenn
peraments.
"Did you ever see such room?" she
said, CHANGING round ut the pink satin
panels, heavily incased in gliding, that
decorated tine walls, and the massive
silver gilt Golfer and tables in the win
dow the mantel board, also gilt. sup
porting ormolu candelabra, and more
gift monstrosities. How thankful we
ought to be that the hostess has not gilt
the cut glass chandeliers"
~ am afraid Of you," said Roger,
laughing. do not see Cynthia de
Sails afar Off"
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