Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-07-07

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or q ll;tla as yol think fit. The sub
jr..; In ,.iScj!>sian Is your court mar
tiaI"
He could not s." Tie tender li-ht in
her eyes. but thu quiet sympathy of
her voice restrained the protest prompt
on his lips Yet tie hlurtcd out after a
slight pause:
That IS a very unsavory subject"
rs ii: | d. not think 81. am a
fr.vrd. Mr.. ,'r'''.; not IN old one. ad-
NIT. hat Jurir, t..c past SIX weeks we
have lridlrd an ordinary acquaintance
ship Of as many years. Can you not
trust me-"
Trust her? lie laughed softly. Then,
choosing his words with great dclibera-
ton. lie answered: Yes, | can trust
you. | intended to tell You the story
Some day. Why not tonight"
Unseen in the darkness, Iris hand
sought and Clasped the gold lockct sus-
pended from her neck. She already
knew some portion of the story he
would tell. The remainder WAS of
minor importance.
''It T.; odd" he continued, that You
should have alluded To six years Il mo-
nlent ago. 1t Is exactly six years al
most to day since the trouble began"
with Lord Nentnort" The name
slipped out Involuntary.
"Xns 7 xvos fbop a cfnff nnrt,S. cub
altern, and my proficiency in native
languages attracted the attention of
Il friend in Simlu, who advised me to
apply for an appointment on the pO-
liticul side of the government of In
Ola. / did so. lie supported the appli-
cation, and I was assured of the next
vacancy in Il native state provided that
l got married. l was not Il marrying
man. Miss Deane, and the requisite
qualification nearly staggered me. But
looked around the station and came
to the conclusion that the commission
er's niece would make suitable wife.
regarded her points, SO to speak. and
they filled the bill. She was smart,
good looking, lively, understood the
art of entertaining, was first rate In
sports and had excellent teeth. Indeed,
IL nan selected wife as he does Il
horse, she"-
Don't DO hOrrid. Was she really
prettyT
II believe so. People said she was"
But what did you thinkf"
"At the time my opinion was biased
I have seen her since, and she wears
thirty grew very fat"
Artful jerks! Iris settled herself
comfortably to listen.
Il have jumped that fence with a lot
In hand" he thought.
1--WE became engaged" he said aloud
"She threw herself at him." commun.
ed Iris.
"Her name was Elizabeth-Eliza
beth Norris" The young lieutenant
Of those days called her Bessie, but nc
matter.
well, you didn't marry her, any.
how" commented Iris. trife sharply
And now the sailor was on leve
ground again.
'Thank heaven, no" he said earnest
". I'VE had barely become engaged
when she went with her uncle to Sim
10 for the hot weather. There she met
Lord Ventnor, who was on the vice
| roy's staff, and-if you don't mind, We
will skip q portion Of the narrative
discovered then why men In India
usually go to England for their wives
While in Simla on ten days leave
had a foolish row with Lord Ventnol
in the United Service club-hammered
him, In fact, in defense Of a worthless
severe reprimand because I had beer
badly treated. Nevertheless, my hope:
Of a political appointment vanished
and I returned to my regiment to learI
after due reflection what q very lucky
person was"
Exactly. And now exit Elizabeth
Not being cut out for matrimonial en-
terprise. tried to become a good Of
fcer. A year ago. when the govern
ment asked for volunteers to form
Chinese regiments, 1 sent in my nam'
and was accepted. had the good for
tune to serve under an old friend, Colo
mel Costobell, but some malign sta
sent Lord ventnor to the far east
this time imam important civil capacl
ty. I met him occasionally, and W
found we did not like each other an,
better. My horse beat his for the Pa
CODA Hurdle handicap. Poor old Sui
tan, I wonder where he is noww
Colonel Costobell fell III, and tho
command Of the regiment deyolved up
on me. our only major being absent il
the interior. The colonel's wife, unhap
PLY, chose that moment to flirt, as PEG
pie say. with Lord Ventnor. Not hav
ing learned the ACCESSIBILITY Of mindint
my own business. l demonstrated will
her, thus making her my deadly enc
my. Lord Ventnor contrived an OH
cial mission to a neighboring town an(
detailed me for the military charge.
sent junior officer Then Mrs. Costo
bell and he deliberately concocted ,
plot to ruin me, he for the sake Of hi
old animOsity-you remember that
had also crossed his path in Egypt
she because she feared l would speal
to her husband. On pretense Of seek
Ing my advice She inveigled me q
night into deserted corner Of the clul
grounds at HOngkong. Lord Ventno
appeared. and as the upshot Of thei
vile statements, which created an i'm
mediate uproar, I-well, Miss Deane,
nearly killed him"
Iris wildly recalled the anguish b,
betrayed when this topic was inadver
tently preached one day early in thei
acquaintance. Now he was reciting hi
painful history with the air Of a mai
far more concerned to be scrupulousl,
accurate than aroused in his deepes
passions by the memory Of pas
wrongs. What had happened in the In
term toSblunt these bygone sufferlngs
Iris clasped her locket. She though
she knew.
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