Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-04-19
CHAPTER XIII.


this description before. l am only be-
ginner. In our country we manage things
differently and l cannot vet understand
Low much talking and 50 little action can
benefit any cause"
But" said Miss Winter. you are not
new to England. There is nothing about
you to lead one to that conclusion.
THANK you" he replied, gravely. My
claw-hammer coat was made in Piccadil-
ly, so 1 suppose it is all right"
He looked down at the garment in
question, and busted the sleeves lightly
with a perfectly gloved hand.
do you like it, he inquired simply.
Miss Winter was becoming interested.
She therefore quelIed sudden desire TO
laugh, and answered:
Yes; it is a very nice coat"
81 am not" he said, after pause, new
to England, but l have not moved much
in London society. suppose the men
do all the moving in your society they
seem to- The women sit mostly still and
wait till the men come to them. With US
| 1t is different"
THE women" replied this womanly
| lady, ARE beginning to move with US, and
! from what l have seen of the result, l
rather incline toward the old policy of
sitting STILL"
He turned and looked at her with
! little nod. There was in his queer, rest
| less eyes a distinct glance of approval.
Yes" he said, yes. So | should sur
| mise. Our ladies are very fascinating,
| and very clever and all that, but-but
the young men do not seem to make such
| a pretty show of loving them as we read
Of in olden times. At all events, they do
not continue to show them that regard
which, l remember, my father showed
toward my mother"
II myself am an humble admirer of
the womanly school"
| And t. added Easton. Now he
continued, after a pause, do tell rne,
what do all these good people think they
are doing here to-night?'
"They think firstly" replied Miss Win
| ter, that they are getting their names
into the fashionable society papers. Sec
| ondly, that their natural or artificial
| adornment is creating a distinct impress
sion. Thirdly, and lastly, that they are
assisting in some indefinite way toward
the solution of a problem of which the
| rudiments are entirely unknown"
| Then in England, as we'll as in my
own country, charity is a recognized play
| thing of society,"" suggested Easton.
Yes. We take it up in late autumn
and winter, when there are no races, no
regattas, nor lawn tennis parties
| "Ah then" said the American, $50
ciety is very much the same here as else
where"
| At this moment Oswin Grace passed
within earshot of them. He heard the
remark, and recognized the voice. When
| he turned his surprise at seeing Miss
| Winter and Easton together was so mark
! ed as to cause a little frown to pass
across the queer, wistful face of the
American. He returned the young Eng
| lishman's comprehensive bow, however,
with perfect equanimity.
You know Oswin Grace?" inquired
Miss Winter.
''Oh, yes" was the cool reply; 'Tyars
brought him to my rooms one evening"
Miss Winter skillfully concealed eager
ness.
''They are great friends" she said,
lightly.
"Ye-es. Yes, Tyars constantly talks
Of him.
II suppose" continued Miss Winter, in
the same indifferently conversational way.
that they have many interests in COM
mon; both being sailors. At least, be-
lieve Claud Tyars considers himself a
sailor now"
This was clever, and the wary little
man paused. He felt convinced that Miss
Winter knew less of the past life of Tyars
than she would have him believe. More
over, he suspected that she had never
hitherto called him Claud Tyars The
implied familiarity was a trap, womanIy,
clever and subtle; but Easton avoided It
with equal skill. He maintained an easy
silence. Immediately afterward, how
ever, he made a blunder.
"Oswin," said Miss Winter. is a great
friend of mine, and I think Helen is nv
greatest friend"
"A sister," inquired Easton, rashly.
Yes. Mr.. Tyars has not spoken of
her, them"
No. Tyars did not tell me that Grace
had a sister"
There was a short pause. Perhaps the
American heard the little sigh of relief
given by his companion, marking, as it
were, the relaxation of an effort: such
a sigh as an athlete gives when he has
scored a success and his weary muscles
fall into repose. He became instantly
| conscious of his blunder. He had heen
outwitted by this pleasant woman. He
| Matthew Mark Easton-a born in
| trlguer man with real genius for con-
spiracy.
"Ah! y reflected Miss Winter, why has
Mr.. Tyars omitted to make mention Of
Helen's existenceT And with feminine
intuition she made hasty mental note of
this important item.
49," unused Easton, during the same
pause, there is Miss Grace, and Tyars
never mentioned her. l must be verv
careful. Seems TO me that there are two
men at stake here, not one; and l cannot
afford to lose two sailors such as these"
Miss Winter was now drawn into q
vortex of ight-hearted idlers bent upon
a systematic inspection of the pictures.
and from their ranks Easton took the first
opportunity of dropping away unobserved.
They did not speak again during the even
ing; but the little seed was sown-the
little seed OF mutual esteem or mutual
dislike, as the case may be, which under
either circumstance seems to draw some
people together here in life-to spread
its subtle tendrils, intertwined and knit
| together, until their united strength is a
| thing undreamed of.
Il seem" reflected Easton. subsequent
ly, Ito have met that little English lady
somewhere before. Her ways of speaking,
and her method of expressing herself in
a CHEEKY way, as if nothing mattered very
much, are familiar to me. 1 certainly
have not seen her before in this vale of
sorrow, as the lady writers call it.
wonder where have met her.
1t happened to fall to the lot of Claud
| Tyars TO shut the door OF Miss Winters
comfortable brougham while Grace, who
had helped her in, stood back and nodded
q goodnight.
The lady leaned back against the soft
cushions, and drew her cloak more snug
| ~ round her. The flashing light of street
lamp or carriage showed her face to be
grave and thoughtful. She was realizing
| that Claud Tyars was something more
than a mere lover of intrigue. making a
mystery ont of very ordinary love affair.
She was recognizing now that matters
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