Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-12
A ROCK IN THE BALTIC.
BY ROBERT BARR.


opyr2ht, 1905, by Robert Barr. All rights reserved
alone with the coy Miss Dorothy Amhurst,
who does not understand how long time
1t takes to fall In love at first sight. al
though she has read of these things. dear.
innocent girl. The first villain of the piece
has said to the second villain of the piece:
There's superfluous young woman over
on our bench; I'll introduce you to her.
You lure her off to the giddy dance. and
keep her away as long as you can, and III
do as much for you some day.
"Whereupon Jack Lamont probably swore
I understand that profanity is sometimes
distressingly prevalent aboard ship-but
nevertheless he allowed the lieutenant to
lead him like lamb to the slaughter. Well.
not being powerful enough to throw him
overheard when l realized the state of the
case, l did the next best thing. / became
cloyingiy sweet to him. l smiled upon
him; / listened to his farrago of nonsense
about the chemical components Of his va
rious notable inventions. as II girl at
tends a ball to study chemistry! Before
half an hour had passed the infant had
come to the conclusion that here was the
first really sensible woman he had ever met.
he soon got to making love to me, as the
horrid phrase goes, as If love were mix
ture to be compounded of this ingredient
and that, and then shaken before taken. l
am delighted to add. testimony to my
own powers of pleasing. that Jack soon
forgot he was sacrifice, and really, with
little instruction. he would become a most
admirable flrt. He is coming to call upon
me this afternoon, and then he will get his
eyes opened. L snail tread on MIN as II ne
were one of his own moujikS."
What a wonderful imagination you have,
Kate. All you have said is pure fancy. l
saw he was taken with you from the very
first. He never even glanced at me-"
OF course not; he wasn't allowed to-
Nonsense Kate. If l thought for a mo-
ment you were really in earnest, l should
say you underestimate your own attrac-
tons.
''Oh, that's all very WELL Miss Dorothy
Dimpie; you are trying to draw red her
ring across the trail. because you know that
what l want to hear is why Lieut.. Drum
mond was SO anxious to get me somewhere
else. What use did he make OF the oppor
tunity the sood-natured prince and my
sweet complacency afforded hin?"
He said nothing which might not have
been overheard by any one
Come down to particulars, Dorothy, and
let me judge. You are so inexperienced,
you know, that 1t is well to take counsel
with more sophisticated friend"
Il don't just remember
mo, l thought you wouldn't. Did he
talk of himself of your"
"Of himself, of course. He told me why
he was going to Russia, and spoke of some
checks he had met in his profession
"Ah! Did he cash them?"
Observation-Disclosures that were In his
way, which he hoped 10 overcome"
"Oh, see. And did you extend that
sympathy which
There was a knock at the door, and the
maid came In bearing a card.
Good gracious mer' cried Katherine,
jun ping TO her feet. The prince has come
What stupid thing that we have no mir
ror in this room, and It's sewing and sit
ting room. too. Do 1 look all right. Dor
othy?"
ITO me you seem perfection
"Ah, well, l can glance at glass on
the next floor. Won't you come down and
see him trampled on?'
mo, thank you 1 shall most likely drop
off to sleep and enjoy forty winks in this
very comfortable chair. Don't be too harsh
with the Kate Ynu nIlt6
wrong in your surmises about him. The
lieutenant never made any such arrange
ment as you suggest, because he talked OF
nothing but the most commonplace subjects
all the time I was with him. as was just
about to tell you. only you seem in such
hurry to get away"
I'll be back shortly, with the young mans
scalp dangling at my belt. Now we shan't
be long" and with that katherine went
skipping downstairs.
Dorothy picked up a magazine that lay
on the table, and for few moments turned
its leaves from one story to another. trying
to interest herself. but failing. Then she
lifted the newspaper that lay at her feet,
but 1t also was soon cast aside, and she
leaned back In her chair with half-closed
eyes, looking out at the cruiser in the bay.
A slight haze arose between her and the
ship. thickening and thickening until at
last il obsCured the vessel.
Dorothy was oppressed by a sense of
something forgotten, and she strove in vain
to remember what II was. 1t was of the
utmost Importance, she was certain, and
this knowledge made her mental anxiety
the greater.
At last out of the gloom she Sabina
approach, clothed in rags and then a flash
of intuition enabled her to grasp the diff
Guilty. Through her remissness the ball
dress was unfinished, and the girl, springing
to her feet, turned intuitively to the sewing
machine. when the ringing laugh OF Kath-
crime dissolved the fog.
why you poor girl. what's the matter
with you? Are you sitting down to drudgery
again? You've forgotten the fortuner'
'Are-are you back already" cried Doro-
thy, somewhat wildly.
Already Why bless me- I've been away
an hour and a quarter. You dear girl,
you've been asleep and In slavery again.
IT think 1 was" admitted Dorothy with
a sigh.