Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-01-06
CHAPTER \.

3nS out OF ms own plans, Stanton would
gsave carried his message on his tongue.
EAs 1t was, he held it more in Difference,
waiting for an opportunity that was
show TO come.
4 Your trip has changed you till
fbe1eve your friends at home will hard
" know that It is really you," Miss
Rraddon said, In response to a passing
Tompliment. "You wouldn't have said
hat a year ago. You'd just have looked
ms over solemnly, and remarked: HIM
Ho1 must have been out of DOORS You
&sve freclSles on your nose"
Il certainly had a vast collection of
2ssagreeable traits" Stanton replied,
Neeang his first opportunity. "Tve dis
%vscred some of them and been making
struggle to dislodge them. I'm glad
~ you see a change, for you knew me
~ my worst, and I'm heartily ashamed
"a IL Any change at all must be for
Inc better"
AOh, Mr.. Stanton, what an ideal" she
fsxe1aimed- "Of course 1 knew you at
3UGr worst, but, truly, that worst was
- much better than the best I ever
hDsw Of hosts Of people who think
nAenselves very good, that have al
ways considered you remarkably
Ssodea man Papa says it's all because
Yon're an Olmstead and couldn't be
AUything else. And don't you think
we're ali of us little ashamed every
s1ne we look back2 am. II 1 WEREN'T
shouldn't think was making any
progress"
: You're comforting to say the least"
stanton replied, and was going on to
Yrezs the opportunity, when Miss Brad
Sson interrupted:
I'VE saw by the paper that you were
'soon to leave for home. What lion
Ffhcy viii make Of you'll"
~t0f me?"
: Certainty"
~why?-
Because you deserve It; Of course"
Deserve what?"
ITO be lionized."
~-For what?"
Now, Mr. Stanton, II I didn't know
you I should think all sorts Of things;
Fbzt instead I'll begin and tell you all
about what you know just as well as the
Test OF us, only you don't see It In the
came light Didn't you make a great
fse-o ofyoursef when your steamer was
captured by pirates In the Gulf Of
Siam
~Indeed did not, Miss Braddon,-
stanton exclaimed, and his cheeks
tAsshed. al swung n rusty sword in the
tk2ce OF a few Chinese towards, and they
San without a scratch. That was hero
Axm indeed"
~Of course don't know all the par
<Ssulars, but I'm sure the king of Siam
4hought SO, or he wouldn't have dec
grated you with an order. The New
York papers thought SO, or they'd not
have printed so much about 1t. The
British government thought so, or Il
would not have remembered it till you
reached London, two months ago, and
presented you with a medal. But how
Vszz 10 about your being almost killed
by q tiger, In India, while saving the
6fa Of little native girl? There was a
sztcry printed about that, too"
fl WINS hardly hurt at ALL" Stanton re-
Es6ed, thoroughly confused. ''I simply
tsz2nted the tigers skin as a mementc,
zand have it,"
With merry laugh Miss Braddon
replied: How fortunate for the little
girl that that was just the tiger whose
sf&zn You wanted, and that you wanted
- at that very moment when 1t was
ssfDnt to kill her! But what papa
ta&scught most of was your address be-
fkose the Historical society of London,
when you gave them an old Babylonisb
Ebr7clK. He said he couldn't see how a
HxWyer could possibly know so much
<Sheut antiquity"
Wainly Stanton endeavored to take
u~nsther step toward the end he had in
usfew. Before the evening was past Miss
Nraddon had invited him to drive with
chem TO Vesuvius the next day, and to
ayskt n dheir box at the opera the next
s1sVe1firz-
TIN, second day was failure, like the
Idns1, SO far as the message was con-
o=erped; while with every atom of man.
11sOod In him Stanton struggled to hold
Q&2mse1f back from what he knew would
HE q fatal plunge into that bewilderine
rRsSa
why should she fascinate him till his
Acar4 and brain reeled? No woman had
60 xauch as attracted him before; and
AASvs. sf an times, when 1t must not bel
~Is 1t because she knows that I an
1cEnErfel1 and thinks herself safer" he
.sszlsed himself. Il hope she Is safe. i
zns<. surely am not worthy of Esther
Ghorndike's love. 1 don't know. Some
Aames when she looks at me that way
as Though she were ready to put hel
Sxrns round my neck, l feel as If could
hEOw away everything to run to her
ahwo1ld be throwing away everything
s&zSd will not do It"
Ebea he thought OF ignominiou
HIgAt, but there was just one day lef
beSsre his intended departure from Ma
HNeS- He determined to see it to tn
~ssn6. true to himself and to his wife
and * he stin failed to find the oppor
4srnity 10 give her the message he woul'
a9t least sonduct himself In such a wa,
Fftzat he might write it In letter AM
hhe1d II 10 her after he was gone, asking
.shc1 Go deliver it.