The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-11

VueSt LOOK nef 10 seat IN one OF the
| corridors.
II want to be quiet for a moment or
| sol" she exclaimed. 80 please don't
| talk much, Austin. Mr. Drummond is
my next partner"
| He looked at her inqulringly.
| why didn't the paragon take you
| into the conservatory" he asked BAN
| teringly.
She gave little sigh.
"Oh, the conservatory Is due with
our next dance" she replied, and re-
lapsed into silence.
A door a few yards away from them
opened a few inches, and the sound Of
mems voices broke upon their ears.
II just came along from Cranston's
| dinner party, and we had quite dra-
| matte little scene!" cried one. young
Rivington, who has been invalided
| home, was there and lot of other
| chaps. He drank champagne rather
| heavily, and not being strong yet it
went to his head and he got excited.
OF course there was a lot of war talk
and Shenton, the painter chap, made
some asinine, sneering remark about
our fellows work-said that If ever a
man did a brave action it was only
because he hoped to get the V. c.
for it,
The voice passed for moment. Drys-
dale glanced at Beryl and saw she
was listening to every wosd. The voice
went on:
"Then young Rivington sprang up,
his face a!1ame, and told Shenton he
was as good as liar; said there were
hundreds of cases where men did big
things and kept it to themselves. Shen-
ton laughed. Rivvy grew madder still,
and said he himself could give an in
stance. They were out at Modder
River doing patrol work, and coming
into contact with the enemy had to
get under cover as best they could.
1t was fast thing, and in the scramble
back one of the subalterns fell and
twisted his ankle. 1t wasn't noticed
for some little time. Then a captain,
finding it out, went back in the open
and brought him away under a storm
of bullets. He got badly hit himself,
but managed to do the trick. Only
Rivvy and the subaltern knew what
had happened, and the chap who did
it bound them oyer to secrecy and made
| them promise to say nothing about it.
by stray shot"
The voice came to stop.
"The dramatic part was that Rivvy
in his excitement let out the name.
Who do you think it was? Why, old
Lum, who's somewhere about here to-
night, and the subaltern was young
Archie Heathcote."
"By Jove!" muttered Drysdale sud-
denly. He looked at Beryl and saw
that she had gone pale, but there was
sparkle in her eye.
What do you think of that?" cried
the voice in the room.
"Splendid!" murmured the girl out
side, clasping her hands.
From the ballroom they heard the
sound Of the music starting again. A
young man came and looked down the
corridor, then walked up to them. 1t
was Cecil Drummond, her partner,
nervous youth WHO stood in consider
able awe of her. She went off and
danced with him. She hardly spoke
and seemed deep in thought. Sudden
ly a soft smile lighted up her features.
The wondering Drummond thought
she looked radiantly beautiful, and at
once came to conclusion-the Earl
had proposed to her. What girl would
not look happy under such circum-
stances?
She asked him to take her to the
conservatory, which he did. There was
only one occupant-a man at the far
end, who was hobbling across to
chair. a light came into the girls
eyes as she saw him. She turned to
young Drummond with a smile.
"Would you mind u I left you, Mr..
Drummond? I want to speak to Cap
tain Lumsden a moment. He is an old
friend"
Cecil Drummond gaped in astonish-
ment, then muttering a reply turned
and vanished. Left alone, Beryl walk
ed with light step down the conser-
vatory. Lumsden had just settled
himself, with his stick beside his chair,
when she came upon him. He looked
up and saw a glorious vision in white.
He recognized her-the one woman he
had ever loved. She was smiling and
holding out her hand to him.
Don't RISE" she said as he attempt
ed to move.
They looked at one another for mo-
ment without speaking. Then she
I'm so sorry" she said softly. She
fingered the stick meditatively. "Will
it be forever?"
YES" he said between his teeth,
forever. No more soldering. All
there's left for me is to hobble through
life as best I can on few hundreds
a year private money and a wound
pension. The chances Of war, you
KNOW" he said forcing smile. "It's
only what we bargain for-the game
we play"
She turned to him impulsively. There
was a bright tear glistening on her
eyelash.
II heard tonight. by chance. how it
happened-how You risked your life to
save Archie's," she said in trembling
tones. why wouldn't you let him
speak?" she added gently.
He had gone rather white.
'How did you hear?" he stammered.
"Archie promised faithfully"
1T was not Archie" she said quickly.
"I'll tell you some other time how it
happened. All want to remember now
be grateful to you all my life," she
finished in low tone.
He shifted his foot uneasily, but
could find no words to speak. He felt
his head was in whirl.
do you remember that night before
you left England?" she went on. 1--WE
misunderstood one another. You must
have thought me cruel"
mo, not cruel" he murmured.
II didn't know then" Her voice