The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-10-18

sne mao gone through. was gao TO meet
some one who treated her as frankly and
gently as he might have treated his own
sister. After a little time the impetuous
Dick. still blindly forgctful Of the unfor-
tunate Captain Boxer md the dinner at
the hotel, insisted Oh the girl going out
with him then and there and dining with
him at quiet little place they found at
the upper end of the town lust because
my dad knew your dad, you know" he
assured her.
For perhaps the first time in his life
Dick Lyddon began to be deeply interest
ed In some one-began to cast about in
his mind for methods of helping her deli
catcly. Suffice II that he smoothed the
way for her wonderfully: that, among
other things, a mysterious letter arrived
from an equally mysterious lawyer, in
closing a sum Of money-"some payment
due to the estate of your late father"
And then one day In the midst Of this new
happiness some chance word of his, when
she and Dick were sitting together watch
ing the sea under the shadow of the
quaint rock at the western esd of the
town, showed her in q moment the gentle
fraud that had been practiced upon her
and the position in which she stood. She
said nothing then, but the next day there
was no Bertha Tamlyn In all Dawlish,
and a disconsolate Dick Lyddon- searched
in vain for her.
He searched for three months, while a
long summer wore itself out He drag
ged the faithful and unfortunate Captain
Boxer about here, there and everywhere,
but all to no purpose. and at last one day,
after many journeyings, the little train
ratified him again through the little tun-
mel into Dawlish.
He found her that night sitting quietly
under the shadow Of. the big rock gazing
at the sea. He came and sat down be-
side her, and she did not try to run
away. Gently, being terribly afraid to
startle her or to drive her again from
him, he began 10 tell her something of
his search for her-something, too, of
that old story which yet Is always a new
story and which had grown so steadily
in his heart.
"You only say this cut of pity for me-"
she said at last in a whisper without
looking at him. You are sorry for a
penniless girl who had to masquerade in
boys clothes to try and get q living"
II was always sorry for you," he said
gently; but it's something better than
tudt. bedE Dertuu, III JUST us iOHeIy us
you are. except for the captain. and one
gets tired even of the captain in time.
Won't you forget thnt I'm SO abomina-
bly, rich? Won't you try If you can't
love me little?"
you've been like fairy prince to me-"
she said gratefully. you came and
stretched out golden hand to me-
"Oh. no; it only had a quarter in II at
first he said. laughing, "and it's quite
an ordinary hand, Bertha, and it just
wants to help you over the rough places
inethe road and to fight some Of your bat
ties for you. Won't you let it do that ?"
She took the hand he held out to her
and carried it swiftly up to her breast
and laid it there and bent her lips to it.
and they sat q long time in that quiet
place under the stars watching the sea
and whispering together.
And on the honeymoon what time
Captain Boxer had been left disconso-
late-it was Dick who carried the bag
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