The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-06-29

WAS tight. we LOOK up the pursuit
again and ran the quarry to earth, and
l got my captaincy.''
'Was there no fight?"
/ He paused an appreciable time be-
fore replying. Then he evidently made
up his mind to perform some disagree
able task. The watching girl could
Lsee the change in his face, the sharp
transition from eager interest to angry
resentment.
EYES," he went on at last, there was
a fight. It was rather stiff affair, be-
cause troop Of British cavalry which
should have supported me had turned
back owing to the want of water al
ready mentioned. But that did not
save the officer in charge of the Tween
ty-fourth lancers from being severely
reprimanded."
"The Twenty-fourth lancers!'' cried
Iris. "Lord Ventnor's regiment!'
'Lord Ventnor was the officer in
question:
Her face crimsoned. "Then you
know him?' she said.
Il do"
Us ne your enemy
EYES,"
"And that is why you We're so agi-
tated that last day on the Sirdar, when
poor Lady Tozer asked me if l We're
engaged to him?"
yes"
"How could it affect you? You did
not even know my name then?'
"It affected me because the sudden
mention Of his name recalled my own
disgrace. I quilted the army six
months ago, Miss Deane, under very
painful circumstances. A general court
martial found me guilty Of conduct
unbecoming an officer and gentle
man. l was not even given a chance
to resign. I was cashiered."
He pretended to speak with cool
truculence He thought to compel her
into shrinking contempt. Yet his face
blanched somewhat, and, though he
steadily kept the pipe between his
teeth and smoked with studied uncon-
Germ, his lips twitched little.
And he dared not look at her, for the
girls wondering eyes We're fixed upon
him, and the blush had disappeared as
quickly as it came.
II remember something of this,' she
said slowly never once averting her
gaze. ''There was some gossip con-
corning it when I first came to Hong,
kong. You are Captain Robert An
struther?'
II am"
"And you publicly thrashed Lord
Ventnor as the result of a quarrel
about Woman?"
"Your recollection is quite accurate"
"Who was to blame?"
1.-THE lady said that was.''
"Was it 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 I am prejudiced
Witness he replied. %
"Who was -1ady?'
'The wife of my colonel, Mrs. Costo-
bell"
"Ohw
Long afterward he remembered the
agony of that moment and WINGED
even at the remembrance. But he had
decided upon a fixed policy, and he
was not man to finch from conse-
quences. Miss Deane must be taught
to despise him, else-God help them
both-she might learn to love him as he
now loved her. &c. laundering toward
his goal, as men always blunder where
a woman's heart is concerned, he blind
ly persisted in allowing her to make
such false deductions as she chose
from his words.
Iris was the first to regain some
measure Of self control
Il am glad you have been so candid,
Captain Anstruther," she commenced,
but he broke in abruptly:
"Jenks, if you please, Miss Deane;
Robert jerks.
"Certalnly, Mr.. jerks. Let me be
equally explicit before we quit the
subject. 1 have met Mrs. Costobell. I
do not like her. 1 consider her de-
ceitful woman. Your court martial
might have found a different verdict
had it's members been of her sex. AS
for Lord Ventnor, he is nothing to me.
1t is true he asked my father to be per-
mitted to pay his addresses to me- but
my dear old dad left the matter wholly
to my decision, and I certainly never
gave Lord Ventnor any encourage
ment. I believe now that Mrs Costo-
bell lied and that Lord Ventnor lied
when they attributed any dishonorable
action to You, and I am glad that YOU
beat him in the club. I am quite sure
he deserved it,"
Not one word did this strange man
vouchsafe in reply. He started VIC
lently, seized the ak lying at his feet
and went straight among the trees,
keeping his face turned from Iris so
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-
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