The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-07-21
Captains Double


fault in that part Of the world as it
might be in other circles; but even the
broad and comfortable excuse of her
foreign origin, which, like charity, COW
ers so many social sins in the eyes of
the insular, could not quite spread
There were one or two theater parties,
followed by suppers, which were faint
ly talked about. The, tongue of gossip
could find nothing to say but that
woman so young and beautiful ought
to be more careful than other women,
but there was a general impression
that trifle more carefulness would
not be misplaced.
Capt. Winstanley had met Countess
1lka at the house of one of the staff
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
vast knowledge Of the world and of So
ciety for one so young. He talked
French to her at her own request, and
was, perhaps, not 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
a GLASS; It was one of the secrets of
his popularity.
Countess Ilka evidently took a lik-
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 a 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 a 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
If 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 a usual thing
for them to arrive simultaneously at
the meet.
To tell the truth, whoever might
have noticed it 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 it had no room for this
ones advances into friendliness. He
was glad to be civil to her, and to do
all he could for her, as he would have
done as a 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 armor 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 llka
was too shrewd not to see that she
owed all his kindness to. another wom-
an, but it made her only the more de:
termined to make her serve her for
herself. ;> = = ts;~... r. -. -:
Meanwhile, life at :Nutwood and at
Government house ran on lines that
held a a>boundless vista.of each other,
and put out Of focus most other things.
The general noticed that his aide-de-
camp q trife absent minded and
more than once orgetfuI, 81 and. won