Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-05-09

"The Twenty-fourth lancers! crle'
Iris. Lord yentnor's regiment"
Lord ventnor was the officer II
question"
Her face crimsoned. Then vol
know Eim?" she said.
IL do"
"Is he your enemy?"
Eyes"
"And that is why y0u were 80 agi
tated that last day on the Sirdar, whei
poor Lady Tozer asked me II wer'
engaged to him:"
"Yes."
How could 1t affect you? You dit
not even know my name thenT
1T affected me because the suddei
mention of his name recalled my OWL
disgrace. / quilted the army si'
months ago. Miss Deane, under yer!
painful circumstances. A general cour
martial found me guilty Of conduc
unbecoming an officer and a gentle
man. l was not even given chance
| to resign. was cashiered."
He pretended to speak with COO
turbulence. He thought to compel he
into shrinking contempt. Yet his fac'
blanched somewhat, and, though n
steadily kept the pipe between hi!
teeth and smoked with studied uncon
Germ, his lips twitched little.
And he dared not look ut her. for th'
girls wondering eyes were fixed upor
him, and the blush had disappeared a'
quickly as 1t came.
81 remember something of this" sh'
said slowly. never once averting hel
gaze. There was some gossip con
cerning it when / first came to Hong
kong You are Captain Robert An
struther!'
IL am"
"And you publicly thrashed LORD
yentnor as the result Of n quarre
about a woman!"
"Your recollection is quite accurate
"who was to blame"
''The lady said that l was"
"Was 1t true"
Robert Anstruther. late captain OF
Bengal cavalry. rose to his feet. He
preferred to take his punishment stand
ing
"The court martial agreed with her
Miss Deane. and ! am Il prejudiced
witness" he replied.
"Who was the-lady?
"The wife Of my colonel, Mrs. COsto
bell"
"Ohw
Long afterward he remembered the
agony Of that moment and wince1
even ut the remembrance. But lie haG
decided upon a fixed policy. and he
was not man to finch from conse
auences. Miss Deane must be taugh,
to deSpise him. e.se-GOd help them
both-she n!ght learn to love him as ht
now loved her. So laundering towar
his goal, rs men always blunder wher'
a womans heart is concerned, he blind
" persisted in allowing her to make
ruch false deductions as she chose
from his words.
Iris WAS the first to regain some
measure Of self control.
81 am glad you have been SO candid
Captain Anstruther." she commenced
but he broke in abruptly:
jerks, If you please. Miss Deanc
Robert jerks.
"Certainly. Mr.. jerks. Let me be
equally explicit before we quit the
subject. have met Mrs. CostObell.
do not like her. | consider her dc
ceitful woman. Your court martial
might have found different verdict
had its members been Of her sex. As
for Lord Ventnor. lie is nothing to me.
1t is true lie asked my father to lie per,
mitted to pay his addresses to me. but
my dear old dad left the matter wholly
to my decision, and certainly never
gave I.or.! Ventnor any eacourlg'
ment. / believe now that Mrs. Cos. ,
bell lied and that Lord Ventnor lied
when they attributed any dishonOrable
action to you, and l am glad that you
beat him in the club. am quite sure
he deserved it,"
Not one word did this strange man
vonchsafe in reply. He started vio
lently. seized the aX lying ut his feet
and went straight among the trees.
keeping his face turned from Iris
that she might not see the tears in his
eyes.
AS for the girl, she began to scour
her cooking utensils with much en-
ergy and soon commenced song. Con
sidering that she was compelled to con-
stantly endure the company OF II de-
graded officer, who had been expelled
from the service with lgnominy. she
was absurdly contented. Indeed. with
the happy inconseQuence Of youth. She
quickly threw all care to the winds and
devoted her thoughts to planning Il
surprise for the next day by preparing
some tea, provided she could surrepti-
tiously open the chest.