Richmond daily palladium., 1906-02-12

have worn a livery which no gentle
man with any self-respect would wear.
and all to no purpose whatever. Why,
in the name of the internal regions,
didn't you meet her in a formal way?
There would have been plenty of op-
portunities."
Warburton shrugged; so did the colo
mel. who stood up and shook the
wrinkles from his trousers.
Shall you be long in Washington,
sir?" asked Warburton. politely.
"In hurry to get rid of me. eh?"
with a grim smile. well. perhaps
in few days"
GOOD night"
The colonel stopped at the THRESHOLD
and his face melted suddenly into
warm, humorous smile. He stretched
out hand which Warburton grasped
most gratefully. His colonel had been
playing with him.
! Come back to the army, lad; the
east Is no place for man of your
kidney. Scrape up a commission and
I'll see to it that you get back into the
regiment Life is real out in the great
west. People smile too much here:
they don't laugh often enough. Smiles
have q hundred meanings, laughter but
one. Smiles are the hidden places for
lies, and sneers, and mockeries, and
scandals. Come back to the west; we
all want you, the service and |. When
| saw you this afternoon l knew you
instantly. only l was worried as to
1 hot dow i1r,aa II
this girl, If you can; she's worth any
kind of struggle. God bless her! Win
! her and bring her out west. too"
, Warburtoa wrunc, the hand in his
| till the old fellow s!snifed that his
| fingers were beginning to ache.
! DO you suppose she suspects any
thiEg?" ventured Warburton.
| mo. She may be trifle puzzled,
| though ! saw her watching your
| hands at the table. She has eyes and
| can readily see that such hands As
orrs were never made 10 carry soup
| plates Ter the life of me. had a time
| OF it. swallowing my laughter. longed
| for a vacant lot to yell in. 1t would
| have hecn a positive relief. The for
| OF Troop A pedGl:nc soGp' oh. shall
| have to tell the bors. You used more
| pi9e-clay than any other nan in the
| regiment Don't scOwl Never mind
you've had your joke: ! must have
| mine Don't let that Russian fellow
J Get the inside track. Keep her o.
American soil. like him and | don't
like him: and for all your tomfoolery
j and mischief, there is good stuff in
you-stuff that any woman might be
proud of. If you hadn't adopted this
disguise. | could have helped you out
bit by cracking up some of your ex-
ploits. Well. they will be inquiring for
me. Good night and good luck. If
you should need me, note will find
me at the Army and Navy club" And
the genial old warrior, shaking with
silent laughter, went back to the house.
Warburton remained standing. He
was lost in a dream. All at once he
pressed the rose to his lips and kissed
it shamelessly, kissed it uncountable
times. Two or three leaves, not with
standing this violent treatment, fiut-
tered to the floor He picked them up;
any one of those velvet leaves might
! nave oVSh thS iCSiplSut VI uSi hiSSSs,
the rosary of love. He was in love.
such a love that comes but once to any
man, not passing. uncertain, but last
ing. He knew that it was useless. He
had digged with his own hands the
abyss between himself and this girl.
But there was secret gladness; to
love was something. (For my part,
believe that the glory lies, not in be-
Ing loved, but in Lovingly
do not know how long he stood
there. but IL must have been at least
ten minutes. Then the door opened
! and Monsieur Pierre lurched or rolled