Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-06

d
Two of the passengers paced the deck in CONVEX
sation which had become intimate after the
departure from Bombay. Mrs, Montgomery STRAIT
ton, widowed and somewhat less than thirty pretty,
smart, and incurably frivolous had soon found the
point of sympathy with her companion tall white
mustached erect, and handsome Colonel Gains
borough. rapid scrutiny during the first of those
transcende lent evenlngs-warm still, and starlit-
brought her to a firm decision. Colonel Gains
borough was handsome. His reputation spot
less. His service had been distinguished through
out She had heard him attractvely spoken of as
maintaining a somewhat medieval standard of
Chivalry and conduct, idealist upon a plane too
lofty for ordinary mortas, fond OF fitting against
windrnills
He is" she remarked, the simplest and most
honorable old thing, Colonel Newcome real
life
Moreover Mrs. Montgomery Stratton had incden-
tally and conveniently heard that her selection
her last hope, she said whimsically to herselfhad,
by the death of distant and chidless relative in
herIted large county estate in Derbyshre. She
knew the place, one of those large rambling houses,
incredibly ancient, which form one of the most
delightful characteristics of England. There he
was about to take up high position, and his repu-
tation and distinguished Learing would admirably
enhance it He would become master of the
hounds. He was by means too old for Parlia-
ment. maglstracy awaited him in any
Obviously without ambition for himself she felt con-
WINGED of her ability do anything with him, and
proved it by the unerring tact with which she en-
tered upon her campaign
Half hour had suffered so expert a warrior to
discover the axis upon which Colonel Gainsboroughs
life revolved He had son, thirteen-year-old Cyril,
according to various fondly produced photographs,
slender, bright-eyed and picturesque, and to him
adoring father was returning, impatient each
ment of each day. For ten years he had not seen
his The baby had been sent home with its
mother to escape the Indian climate. Three years
later the mother had died Despite pitiful grief
and anxiety the Colonel's lofty sense of duty had
prevailed over his paternal yearnings, and he had
remained IL, India fighting patiently through inter
minabe and struggling frontier campaigns until
the inheritance and the immediate possibilities
of estate summoned him imperatively
home. Then he set out to finish his life with his
boy in his last years of rest after much labor and
turmoil, to watch and guide the tender boysh life
he had given to the world and loved passionately
from afar
She began abruptly the touch of real feeling in
her voice little emphasized because the simple
Colonel was not subtle in his appropriations Il
have come to love that boy of yours, she said You
have told me much about him that l feel as if
knew him intimately and | am always fond of boys
about his, the eager and most interesting age
The Colonel responded with enthusiasm. He
reflected charitably No woman after all is really
trivial and heartless where children concerned
and she has been married.
Did she read his thought? A handkerchief was
delicately applied. The voice of the next phrase