The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-07-24
THE MARKED CARDS
copyright, 1900. by Clinton Ross.l
~ CLINTON ROSS.

A mans past will catch him sooner or later"
they had been five days over the
sea, the young man and the girl. He
had forgotten whether this were the
Atlantic or the sea that sweeps the
shore of Elysium. Now, on the fifth
day. they were on deck and talking
somewhat in this way:
You must walk with me-" she called
from her chair.
Its delightful punishment"
Thanks! l believe that's compll-
ment.'
Truths compliment, eh?" he said.
smiling.
"The best compliments, suppose,
are those that pretend to be truths but
are lies"
81 am afraid this is getting rather
too fast for me-" he said. "Wait until
I think about it."
"To carry out what ytn have begun
you should say to me. x can't think
about it, for I have to think about
you"
SIS it needful to say that?" he said,
looking down at the girl. "How beau
tiful you are!'
By the rules of conventional CONVEX
sation it was an utterly inane remark,
and the girls laughter rolled out, full
and delightful, but her voice was low.
81 am glad you think So
A deeper red tinged his bronzed
cheeks as he realized his temerity.
You know do" he said
ooh, do you? This is the fifth. day Of
our acquaintance. Today we shall be
at Sandy Hook"
He drew a long breath, and his voice
was earnest. New York and work and
to see her no more!
Two elderly persons wrapped to their
ears We're watching the two.
"What a remarkable girl Nell VOL
yerton isl" one, gray and rosy and fat
and imposing, was saying.
"She's certainly carrying on a re-
markable Irritation with that young
man. Who is he?" said the other, with
the severity of position gained by eff
fort
Some sort of engineer in the employ
of the Winfield company. Mary Win
field introduced him to Nell"
'That girl would flirt with anybody.
She seems to find all men infinitely
amusing. Isn't she handsome? Now
you would suppose she was somebody
or other. But the Wolvertons-oh, you
know" quoth the other lady.
"Her mother was one of the most
pushing women ever knew" assented
her companion.
"Of the dead. nihil nisi bonum." said
the imposing one. ''She was an eN-
traordinarily ambitious woman. With
pluck and ten millions and a daughter
like that, an ambitious. clever woman
can do anything in New York. The
Wolverton money is said to be indetl-
mite millions instead. And now they be
long in Far Westchester Oh, dear, how
many men have been after that girl!
There were the Marquis di Rodiri and
the little Duke of Sussex and Freddy
Van Brule and-she flirts and laughs
at 'em all, Just as she does with that
young man."
Mary Winfield was watching the two
with much the same thoughts. This
poor young man didn't understand so
phisticated yong women. 1t was
abominable of Nell Wolverton; she was
sorry she had introduced them: she
might have known that Nell would
play with any man as she would Will
cat or dog. Oh, dear, this Melvill,
was so out of it: so busy and capable
and such an efficient servant of til,
Winfield company. But Nell was Nell
and Mary ought to have known better
If Nell were Nell, she was proving i
with a vengeance. She was maxim:
Melville tell her of himself, and sh
was giving him nothing Of herself il
return. They We're seated now, look
ing out at the frothing white and greer
in the ships wake. She was glancin,
at him again and again with mild, in
terested eyes. He was forgetting him
self and was telling how his fathe
left him only money enough for schoo
and college, which he had increa Sc,
by some tutoring; of how he had work
ed and won a position in a machin
shop of the Winfield company; of hoy
he had progressed further and nov