Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-06-21
Captains Double
By LILLIAs CAMPBELL DAVIDSON


officers wives, and he had taken her
in to dinner the first night that they
met. She was gracious and sweet and
amusing. He found her a pleasant,
well informed, witty woman, with a
vast knowledge of the world and of So
cfety for one so young. He talked
French to her at her own request and
was, perhaps, net ill-pleased to be so
cordially complimented on the purity
of his accent. He had a trick of max
ing himself agreeable to all women,
for he liked them and admired them as
class. 1t was one of the secrets of
his popularity.
Countess Ilka evidently took Xix
ing to the handsome aide-de-camp
from the first. She smiled upon him
In that manner that is most agreeable
to the person receiving the smiles and
the attention, and gave him to under
stand, by the subtle process only pos
sible to woman, that she found him
interesting. He dined at her house
soon after, in company with small
and select few She asked his advice
about hiring hunters for the season,
for she was an expert horsewoman and
was anxious to see something of the
English hunting, of which she had
heard and read SO much. He was glad
to be of any help to her, and called
rather frequently in his good-natured
desire to do what he could for her in
the way of her new amusement.
She appeared in the hunting field
faultlessly habited and appointed, and
mounted on little hunter which Capt.
Winstanley''s influence with the livery
stables enabled her to be favored with.
She got a good deal of attention. and
rode so excellently that she earned
the applause of the whole hunt. The
master showed her immense civility,
and numberless were the leads at her
service whenever she was in the field.
IL any one had taken the trouble to
mark it, her hunting days were those
of Capt. Winstanley, and their roads.
out from Portsmouth lay SO much to-
gether that it became usual thing
for them to arrive simultaneously at
the meet.
TO tell the truth, whoever might
have noticed 1t as curious coinci-
denec, Winstanley himself was not in
the least likely to do so. He was at
this time too busily engaged in count
ing the weeks before certain P. and
O. steamer should be due from India,
and in looking in the shipping lists ev-
cry day.
His mind was SO full OF another
woman that 1t had no room for this
ones advances into friendliness. He
was glad to be civil to her, aud to do
all he could for her, as he would have
done as matter of course for any
othe rworan; but there was no special
interest in her in his mind.
Countess Ilka was too clever not to
be aware of It, There was something
about this man that set him apart
from any other man with whom she
had ever had this part to play. Not
for the first time had she had such
task set her in the interests of the So
ciety. She had been the tool too often
successful where all others had failed.
But there is no ar1nor to the heart of
a man like the fine steel of love for
the girl who has become to him the
fulfillment of his ideal. The man who
can be made unfaithful to the woman
he has pledged himself to is the man
who has had his fancy his senses cap
.tivated, but who has never opened his
heart Winstanley felt the added de-
sire to be kind to all women for Ur-
sula's sake, which is the truest sign of
a real and earnest love. Countess Ilka
was too shrewd not to see that she
owed all his kindness to another wom-
an, but 1t made her only the more de-
termined to make her serve her for
herself.
Meanwhile, life at Nutwood and at
Government house ran on lines that,
held a boundless vista Of each other,
and put out OF focus most other things.
The general noticed that his aide-de-
camp was a trifle absent-minded and
more than once forgetful, and won
dered a little what the matter could
be. He went SO far as to hint that he
was unlike himself, but his suggestion,
though II appeared to annoy Winstan-
ley, only produced hasty denial that
he was out Of sorts, He could not con.
fide even In his old friend and chief
what Ursula had desired to Keep a
secret till her own father knew.
Nothing, sir, really. assure you /
never was better in my life
Well, Of course, you know best:
but there's d lot Of that beastly In
! fiueEza about again, and Mrs, Kenyon
is rather anxious about you. She looks
on herself as q kind Of proxy mother,
you know. Spoke to me about 1t last
might, and asked II thought YOU
didn't want another short leave. You
have only to say II You do, my dear
Winstanley. We're confonndedly busy
Just now, as YOU know, but | think Ne
could manage to ,et you 60. s5
No, indeed. sir! There's not the
faintest necessity though It's exceed
ISingiy good of you and Mrs. Kenyon toi
! have troubled about it. But I assure;
you never was better In my lifeI
/ don't want leavein fact, wouldn't
take i tt 4 were offered Is me lust
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