Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-10

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coquetie, is invited to visit her aunt,
| Lady Appuldurcomb be, that she NAV
be satisfied on her return to marry
Bob Heatherley. She il welcomed
by her cousin, Ronald Kilmurray.
CHAPTER II.
The roar OF conversation rose and fell
ike the lions voices at feeding time in
the ZOO. There were no carpets on the
polished floors of Green Park House,
and II was curious to note how a lulI
would come il which you might almost
near pm drop. then out would swell
the rarcous sounds again, though appar-
emily the mcnaCerielike effect was OBJ
served by only one newcomer present.
Lesley.
There was never any music here,
which made the house extremely popu-
| lar, the music Of our own voices being
so much sweetcr than any other sound
we ever heard or shall hear
| lyon needn't worry, mother" said
Ronny when presently he found her
looking round for Lesley "She is going
| like hot cakes. The men here seem to be
| III the same condition as the county
| one half Tilted and the other wanting
| to be.
And l don't know what Lesley S
quality was, If She were magnetic or
| only human, but when she came into q
room 1t grew brighter and frasher, and
people began to smile after the first half
dozen words with her and disliked leay-
inS her company"
she Is Ike glass of tiptop cham
payne, only you don't get headache
| afterward, said one Of her fox hunting
lovers not very elegantly, and tonight
men smiled under their bearded lips at
the irrepressible gayety and youth of
tins country girl, who had appeared Oh
the scene just as all the other women's
bloom was fading, and who wore q
white frock that only an artist genuine
| ~ Ill love with youth could have created.
Through the jaded asscmblage IL rus
tie, II freshness went with her, and q
rustic of another kind ACCOMPANIED
Ronald, who was stopped at every step,
Praised, congratulated and made general
ly to feel as sick as the average Briton
does when lie is cntreatcd to roar.
why do they al run after my cousin
like Sheep inquired Lesley, little i'll
disnant, as most women would be, at
seeing mere man create greater SEN
| station than herself.
The quiet, distinguished looking man
whose breast was crossed by a star and
ribbon, and who enjoyed to the full this
tripping vision Of youth and brightness,
| smiled and said:
He Is Il very brave man.
| "All men should be brave. Do Won
mean TO say that the others here are
cowards:''
some would be if they dared"
"And you"
His excellency TUNED to look at he,
| meditatively.
For all her exquisite freshness, which
was able subtly to suggest the fragrance
Of morning meadow. there was total
Lack of rusticity in her and Il fearless
knowledge of the hearts of men that sur
prisCd him.
lyon fiatter mo-" he said and smiled
again when she lifted her head with
| that proud little gesture that distin-
| Su!shod her and actually blushed.
And yet you have never been in
town heforc:" he said tentatively. at
was wise of you to wait till the season
| Is 1t its very best"
My father knows nothing about the
| seasons. she said. He only recognizes
| 'he hunting, the shooting ana the fish
ing cnes. When he sent me up here, he
had no idea She stopped
He sent you: You did not wish to
come, them
'Oh, no! 1t was punishment
And what had you done:" inquired
his exceilency, with pretty good idea
Of what her delinquencies had been.
Nothing
II she had been nearer feet than )
feet s, she would have looked n very
sprite Of mischief and deviltry as she
turned her face upon him. and it struck
Ronny wildly, who just then came up,
that she did not look as if she had ever
| been ashamed Of herself or sorry in her
life
Are You getting tired:" he said,
when he had s..luted her companion Il
think mother Is quite ready to 90
home'-which was lie Lady Appul-
durcombe shone glorious among mothers
that night and was enjoying herself
| down to the ground.
"No, said Lesley" - am not ready.
Who is the red woman in scarlet behind
you:" she inquired of his excelieucr.
and while he was putting up his eye
glass and turning round 10 see she
quietly slipped off, making sign to
Ronny to follow
His oxceilency''- he began.
WAS growing iDquisitive, she said
Would yen mind telling me, " she add
ed naiyely, why I'll these PEOPLE are
running after you more than any woman
here: IL isn't fair Ihis after Ronny
had been violently laid hands Oh half a
dozen times in as many feps.
For no earthly reasd ;" he replied
Grossly, but that have pne what any
schoolboy would-his dut Z
And TO cap il all, ;" saN 4 voice be-
hind them in one Of thds wild beast
pauses OF conversation, "he1 cousin to
the lovely Malincourt! TIM way that
girls head is set on her shoutiers''-