The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-07-24
(. ! BID For HAPPINESS ! :
TSsey TF4#FN TNseE

Winstanley, rising young diplomat,
home on leave from his embassy at
Bermanja, and the two had promptly
fallen in love with each other. Since
that moment, now a month ago, life
had held fresh hopes.
|
Fate destined that we should
meet" Winstanley was saying.
81 can't believe mere chance
brought us together, can your"
"At any rate, it doesn't matter, so
long as we are together" breathed
Helena, softly.
They had been engaged exactly ten
minutes, and in another five their &C.
static tete-a-tete in the big conserva-
tory would inevitably be disturbed.
"All want is just for you to keep
on loving me-" she told him. What
sentimental creatureswe women are!
l sometimes wonder why we are
made to care so much, often only to
be disappointed, disillusioned and to
have our hearts almost broken.
daresay, Chum, you hear rumors, but
you can't imagine really what l went
through-through enough to value
my present happiness!"
Poor little one! Don't ever speak
of it again." Winstanley urged.
"Why, you are quite pale and actual
ly shivering."
You foolish boy, I am quite all
right" The color had indeed quick
ly returned to Helenas smooth
cheeks. 1T was only just for the
moment felt chilly. The reaction,
I expect, after all the excitement. Let
us talk about something else, dear.
Do you think your father will like
me, and do you think / shall like
Barmanja?" she concluded, brightly.
=
1t was the end of July when the
engagement was sannounced, and Hell
ena, eager to make the acquaintance
of her fiance's people, promptly ac-
cepted Lord Wingtree's invitation to
spend Cowes week upon his yacht.
Il shall have three weeks after
that for chiffons, and clothes do not
absorb me as they do some women"
Helena pointed out laughingly to
Winstanley when his fathers invita-
| tion arrived.
"If only l can persuade your faith
er to approve of ME l shall feel that
have nothing left to wish for!"
UNLESS the pater is much hard
er hearted mortal than l take him
for he will simply adore you," Win
stanley responded, gayly.
Lord Wingtree was, as a matter of
fact, extremely cordial. He went
himself to meet her in the launch
which was to bring her on board the
| Crocus.
Helena, looking her prettiest,
seemed in high spirits, and blushed
so delightfully."- when Winstanley's
name was mentioned that the old
man was quite captivated.
II hope you will find your quar-
ters comfortable, my dear" he said,
as the launch stopped. My steward
has done his best to make them pic
turesque. He has wonderful taste,
poor fellow! I must tell you his his
tory some day"
II am enchanted with my rooms,
they are quite like fairyland!" Helena
said to her host later on at the din
ner table. THE enormous bowls of
roses on the tables are the final
| tnu,b vo,r ~, n ", ,,ouet hoya op,nt;ad
some ones garden to fill them!"
Mortimer is devoted to flowers.
And he 'manipulates them skillfully,
too. In fact, he has proved most
handy alto sether. l have never re-
gretted the day / took him into my
service, now nearly year ago!"
"Ah, you said he had history"
Lord Wingtree nodded and lowered
his voice as man servant came
round with an entree.
Yes. When ! picked him up al
San Francisco he looked the most
dilapidated, down-at-heel specimen
of humanity you could imagine. Peo-
pie wouldn't employ him-they
thought him queer; but the truth
was he had completely lost his mem
ory, and starvation was completing
bad business. Everything, he said
was blank to him up to the mo.
ment he awokc in the hospital al
townsville"
Helena started involuntarily at the
mention of the town.
Ills head had been injured il
some accident, l suppose?" she sug
gested, sympathetically.
Something of the kind. / wrote
to the hospital authorities-the MAI
impressed me as one who had seer
better days-but they could only tel
me that he had been carried in un
conscious on the night of the bis
fire at the Palens hotel. He seemed
a human derelict, for no one cam,
forward to claim him. See, lie hai
just come into the ROOM A mo
ment later she was fumbling for he
glass with trembling fingers. an,
cheeks rs white as the damask table