The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-12

y = .
call to arms was issued for South Africa,
he volunteered for active duty. and was
given 1t gladly by a war Office which
was beginning to feel the need Of earn
est officers. There he managed to dis
tinguish himself, earned official APP
prevail and mention in dispatches, and
returned invaded at the end Of a year
and half or so-but with a fixed deter
mlnatlon to go out again as soon as pos
sible.
As he was advised not to spend the
winter IN England, mid-autumn found
him in the south of France. One day,
as he was slowly descending the stair
case OF the hotel, he encountered sud-
denly face that made his heart bound
even after what had happened and the
lapse of time. It seemed perfectly I'M
changed since the day when he first saw
it on the polo ground in distant Datchet-
And yet, stay, was it quite the sane2 A
little difference, perhapS-due to the
lapse of time itself and natural develop
ment of course. But its beauty was UNI
changed, the glorious eyes We're 1ustrOuS
as ever, the witehery of their glance
seemed to draw his soul out as ithad---
Was it only an effect of shadows. or was
the expression trifie harder2 He must
have stared unduly. for the lady drew
back obviously in surprise and disap-
prevail and without recognition
Il beg your pardon. said Tunstall
with haste and contritiOn- But are you
n0t-perhaps / should say were you not,
Miss Certis2
THAT certainly was my maiden
name, returned the lady doubtfully.
But I don't think we have met before.
4 am Captain Tunstan. I daresay
You won't remember the name, but I
met you when you We're staying at Lady
Philiston's. just before you were mar
ried-at least [ was told that you We're
going to be married shortly"
The lady glanced at him with keen,
inquisitorial glance. Certainly she had
developed in self-eonhdence since mar
riage.
Oh" she said Lady Philiston. At
Dropless, of course Yes-I see. Now
that was about two years and half
ago, or Whereabouts. wasn't it2 And you
have remembered me all that time?
Very complimentary. I am sure.
Captain Tunstall was slightly bewild-
cred at the thin acidity which ran
through this speech, also at the affecta
ton of ObliViOusnesS with which she
spoke of the date os her marriage. Ger
tainly matrimony had altered her. He
remained silent. at a loss what to say.
Have you seen Lady Philiston late
ly2" she continued easily.
NO, not since then he replied bit
terly i mean he added, in explana-
ton, i have been out at the front since
then"
The lady made a hasty mental calcula-
ton that some six months must have
elapsed between the date of that visit
and the outbreak Of the war. Then her
on have been wounded she SAID;
and visible. signs about him.
Yes That is why ] am here. other
wise I should be still at the front. But
I hope to go back soon.
She gazed at him with enigmatie, inqu1r-
ing eyes. and there was a momentary 81
lenee- She was the first to break it.
As it seems that are old friends
and are staying at the same hotel. she
said gravelN. II hope we shall see some
thing of YOU. | should like to introduce
Y
/ am Lady VerdIight now
Captain Tunstall murmured some suit
able inaniues. He did not feel the slight
est desire TO renew the acquaintance which
had already cost him SO dear Still less did
Whlch nau become 50 apparent men ~
least she seemed sweet. fresh. adorable
tlc-a thorough woman OF the world NO
doubt she wished TO amuSe herself by dis
seetng his. feelings, or perhaps in other
ways that he knew OF and hated
Several times the idea occurred to him
why not remove to another hotel? But
he always decided that that would be cow
ardice. Better remain. trouble not at all
about her and show her that her influ-
ence was completely broken.
At the end of week he was disguised
out his programme He had insensibly
drifted into an intimacy with Lady Nerd-
right instead OF keeping her al distance
1t was a queer kind of friendship. how
ever. She exercised attractiO over
him which in his cool moments struck him
as simply uncanny. and yet all the time
Z
at times he simply wondered why he did
not hate her and leave her. TH%re We're
moments when he thought that she was
deliberately leading him to a Irritation OF
the kind that he had always vowed he
would never descend To- and at others
! there was a sarcastic gutter IN her eyes
as If she thought that at last he was fall
! ing into some snare which she had cleve1ly
ing disaster. Looking back he could not
see trace in her of the girl whom he
could have loved-eXcept the face. And
/ the face itself was SO different. though
/ Just the same! To think that 50 short q
| suace Of time could have effected SO great
an alteration Yet. stay, that girl though
! to outward view an angel, was merely 9
4 heartless deceiver- Perhaps the inner feno
/ had worked through her at last
! It must be understood that he did not
I think so of Lady Yerdright when he was
with her. Had that been the case it would
/ have been easy to break away II was only
when he was alone that he could criticize
| her coolly and total up her defeJs W her
| he was in her presence ne was like per
son hypnotized
One day they were sitting out IN thu
front Of the hotel watching the polyglo
| crowds that swayed to and fro. 1t hap
pened that there passed by a certain Lady
| ions BY the peculiarly cynical and heart
less way in which she had thrown over 8
/ man to whom she was engaged in order Il
| marry another of higher rank
! Now. that woman is a heartless wretch
| if YOU like" said Lady Nerdright, We
Capt Tunstall glanced at her and shrug
! ged his shoulders. He remembered th'
/ discussion of hempen manufa cturers in
house where a member has died OF over
Don't you think SOP demanded Lady
| Verdrignt.
perhaps she began as firt ant
slipped by easy stages into what sh'
is" replied Tunstall cynically.
"Oh, as to f1irting-just ordinary hirt
ing-human nature tends to it. Blu
this woman was much worse thar
that
II agree with you that for an engaged
woman TO firt with another man is tbs
worst of all" said Tunstan, cycling hei
with meaning.
She dubbed over suddenly witt
laughter Excuse me I could no
help it, Really when you look at M
in that severe way you amuse me
| dreadfully. Now, suppose the mean
ing of it all IS that you think that som.
| engaged woman has been flirting viii
| you and you resent it..
This was bringing the war into tn
enemy's country with vengeance
| Tunstan did not feel equal to charging
her formally with that Offense-espe