Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-15
He paused and looked at his compan-
lon: but, seeing him interested, went

| He paused and looked at his compan-
| ion: but, seeing him interested, went
| on.
among these passengers was an
English lady OF all concerned in the
business. she was the least upset. When
/ came upon her she was sitting on the
| shattered door of one of the carriages
| calmly arranging her hat. On seeing
me she looked up with the most charm
| ing smile imaginable.
"T have just been waiting for some
body like you, she said. My stupid
| maid has got herself smashed up some
| where in the second class carriages,
and have nobody to help me find my
| dog
"Of course, that first speech ought to
have enlightened me. but 1T didn't.
! only saw the smile and heard the voice
| I knew nothing Of whether they were
| deep or shallow. So found the maid
and found the dog. The first expressed
| gratitude, the other didn't extricat-
ed him with enormous difficulty from
was how he Earked his appreciation.
He held out his hand and nodded to-
ward the scar.
| Chilcote glanced up. so that's the
explanatlon?'
| Yes. l tried to conceal the thing
when l restored the dog, but l was
bleeding abominably and I failed.
Then the whole business was changed.
1t was who needed seeing to, my new
friend insisted; who should be looked
after and not she She forgot the dog
In the newer interest Of my wounded
| finger. The maid, who was practically
unhurt. was sent on to engage rooms at
the little inn, and she and l followed
slowly.
"That walk impressed me. There was
an attractive mistiness of atmosphere
| In the warm night, sensation more
than attractive in being made much of
| by woman of ones own class and
country after five years wandering.
He laughed with touch of irony.
"But won't take up your time with
! SSs' -
ordinary love affair. Throw In few
more flowers and a little more sunshine
than is usual, man who is practically
q hermit and a woman who knows the
world by heart and you have the whole
thing
Isle insisted on staying in Santasa-
lare for three days in order to keep my
finger bandaged She ended by staying
three weeks in the hope of smashing up
my life.
ION coming to the hotel she had Civ
en- no name, and in our first explana-
lions to each other she led me to con-
clude her an unmarried girl. 1t was at
the end Of the three weeks that learn
ed that she was not free agent, as
had innocently imagined, but possessed
husband whom she had left Ill with
malaria at Florence or Rome.
"The news disconnected me, and |
took no pains to hide it. After that the
end came abruptly. In he1 eyes had
become fool with middle class prin-
] ciples: in my eyes But there is no
need for that. She left Santasalare the
same night in great confusion of
trunks and hatboxes, and next morning
strapped on my knapsack and turned
my face to the south
| "And women don't count ever after?"
| Chilcote smiled, beguiled out of him.
self.
| Loder laughed. That's what I've
been trying to convey. Once bitten,
twice shy.' He laughed again and
slipped the two rings over his finger
with an air Of fnality.
"Now, shall start? This is the latch
key?' He drew key from the pocket
of Chilcote's evening clothes. "When
I get to Grosvenor square am to find
your house, go straight in, mount the
stairs and there on my right hand will
be the door of you'll mean my own
private rooms l think I've got it by
heart. l feel inspired. l feel that
can't go wrong" He handed the two
remaining rings to Chilcote and picked
up the overcoat.
"I'll stick on till get WIRE" he
said "Then I'll come back and We'll
reverse again" He slipped on the coat
and moved back toward the table.
4 Now that the decisive moment had
come it embarrassed him. Scarcely
knowing how to bring it to an end, he
held out his hand.
Chilcote took it. paling a little.
"'Twill be all right!' he said, with a
sudden return Of nervousness. "'Twill
be all right! And I've made it plain
about-about the remuneration? A
hundred week, besides all expenses"
| Loder smiled again. My pay? Oh,
yes, you've made it clear as day. Shall
we say good night now?"
Eyes. Good night
There was strange, distant note in
Chilcote's voice, but the other did not
pretend to hear 1T. He pressed the