The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-05-03
A ReDentant R00uG.
} How He Acted Under the Influence .
/ of the Woman Who Loved Him.
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a
When Jimmie McKoy died, he be
queathcd his mansion on North Shore,
his founders shares in the great Poobah
Gold Mining company and the rcspccta-
bic sum of t2500O0. invested entirely in
colonial stocks. to his "only and beloved
child Victoria Marie McKoy. Jimmie
was a child of fortune. man obviously
born lucky, yet his sole pride was in the
fact that he was born colonial.
Victoria Marie was Il lady She had
been well educated by divers teachers
She could play Home, Sweet Home"
with variations, not only absolutely cor
rect. but with 4 feeling that could dis
turb no conversation. She had read "l'ri
by and "The Woman Who Did" She
rode bicycle and refused to take ad
vantage of the voting paper presented
to her by a maternal government. She
was the richest heircss in Australasia
1t was mt Lady Boughtems garden
party that Victoria Marie met Cyril Fitz.
herbert.
81 must introduce you to our heiress,
Miss McKoy," said Lady Boughtcm
II had no idea she was your heiress,
though | was anxious to he introduced to
her. Still, it would be mere aesthetic folly
to say that the possession of certain
number of golden coins could in any way
spoil my IDEAL"
My dear Victoria" cried her ladyshir
after the ceremony of introduction had
been enacted, Il must leave Mr. Fitz.
herbert with you. | know you will look
after him well, you dear girl, and really
| must-it is my duty to her majesty
l must attend on his eXcelcncy. He has
not had a cup OF TEA this afternoon.
Positively he must be thirsty-such a
hot afternoon-and wearing a frock
coatr'
Strange to say, though he never spoke
of them TO Lady Boughtem. Mr.. Fitz.
herbert's talk to Victoria was entirely
of outdoor paStimes, of hunting, shoot.
ing, boating. tennis and bicycling.
She began to admire him, not so much
for the things he had done as for the
truth with which he retaled them
To her surprise she felt sorry when the
thinning crowd on the lawn told her il
was time to depart.
The shortest road to friendship runs
over a common land.
Victoria Marie and Cyril soon discover
ed this. Both were interested, Cyril, it
appeared, deeply, in all the mysteries of
horsetlesh, and in a mutual exchange of
condolences on that prosaic subject they
sealed an agreement of comradeship. that
word. rather than friendship, defining the
good fellowship which for the first few
days existed between them.
OF courSe tho nronrintioS uoro ~, in
tanned by the presence at lunch and din
ner of Nictoria's aunt, Mrs. Lsle, and ms
society. in the person of Lady Boughtem,
had determined on the advsability of
match between the two young people,
they were allowed to pursue thier dual
loneliness undsturbed.
by the fourth day, so strong had their
acquaintance grown, that Cyril arriving,
as usual, early in the morning, brought
with him a birthday book
"A friend of mine" he explained negi.
gently, has sent me this from home, and
as | have no names in it yet | thought |
should like you to be the first to write
your name III it, if you will be so kind"
Under each date little space was cut
in the cardboard and a piece of light
green colorcd paper inserted for the name
TO be written on.
"How funny" said Victoria. "You
have opened it at my birthday Is that
lucky?"
Il hope so," he murmured.
She had taken the pen and, sitting at
the table, was preparing to write while
he stood at her side, watching the opera
ton seriously, when a new difficulty pre-
Sented itself
How shall | sign?" she asked looking
at him with a perpleXity which. if she
had been pretty girl, might have been
suspected of coquetry. ITO my best
friends" she accented the words. Il al.
ways sign my full name. but to acquaint.
ances or on checks | merely put Victoria
NJ. 1t saves time, you see"
To her surprise he reddcned-a suspi-
ciously angry color-and, stretching out
his hand, took hold of the book.
DO not sign at all, he cried abruptly
81 would rather you did not
Victoria was hurt Innocenty she had
wished to show him her friendship by the
harmless ruse Of her two signatures. but
now she pushed his hand aside impetu
ously.
Il will sign" she said, her face suffus.
ed with ruddier glow than his own.
You asked me to, so | will"
With every sign of impatience she !
dashed off her signature-Nictoria Marie !
McKoy.
There" she cried, throwing aside the
pen petulautly.
lie went away earlier that evening, |
taking with him the book, which she had |
grown positively to hate When he had !
gone, she put on her hat and, to escape |
lhe wearincSs of tcte-a-tete with her |
aunt, determined to go for n walk.
She had not walked far when at the
corner of a road where a benghted oil |
lamp was showing feeble and nickering |
light she saw Cyril standing and talking |
to n strange man. She drew back in the |
shadow of the paling fence which bound. !
cd the foot path.
"My dear Cyril"-it was the voice of n |
gentleman-"there must be no more de-
lay. am getting too old-really. you
know, | am 1O-to be as impatient MS
youth. Still am not stagnant with
age"
Il tell you" said Cyril, interrupting
him, that | must get the other signature.
Victoria Marie is no good. We must
have Victoria NJ, as you know"
VERY well, my dear friend replied the
stranger, twrling his mustache still more
vigorously. 81 shall trust you till the
eighth day: this is the fourth. We know
each other, dear boy. We are comrades
In sorrow, friends in need. What is the
proverb, ehy But if you play me false
well, | do not like double dealings be-