Red River prospector. (Red River, Taos County, N.M.) 1900-190?, 1907-04-04

MCAG lOull6ln6 ONtl a ldlt DlCahAa9L
the morning after her arrival that l
asked her about her favorite brothers
love affair.
We'll, what about the undesirable?
the widow you know-Isabel, don't
be silly-Lord Roberts widow, [
mean" I added, as she stared az me
oh! l had almost forgotten her,
she answered gaily.
You managed to successfully get
rid of her, them"
She shook her head. mo, she went
away entirely of her own accord" she
answered simply.
Went away-why?"
well, you see" said Lady Isabel,
leaning confidentially forward as she
spoke, Il sent her the pearls-you re-
member, Marjorie, the Cnes we bought
in the Burlington Arcade-and l en-
closed Bobby's card with a suitable
message. l write just like he does"
Yes"
And she did exactly what l knew
she would do. She went at once to
Rubenstein's and asked them if they
were real. You know those sort of
women always ask if things are real"
Perhaps it is quite as WELL" l said,
drily.
"Of course" she agreed, otherwise
she'd have upset all my careful plans.
When she heard they were false she
was perfectly furious, and cut poor
Bob the same night at the play, and
when he went round to her fiat the
next day to ask for an explanation
she had gone away and left no ad-
dress
She must have left very quickly"
l said.
Yes, but Bob could not go round
the same night, although he wanted
to rush off there and then, because,
you see, l wasn't feeling very well,
and of course he had to wait and see
me home and stayed quite late until,
in fact. l felt less d|readfully faint
and ill.,"
Poor dear Isabel, and what was
the matter with your" l asked, a
touch of skepticism marrIng my pity.
Fright, 1 think" she replied de-
murely. You see, I was so afraid he
might be going to call on her. Poor
Bob! He wanted so to stay in town
and make inquiries and find out
where she had gone, and ] have no
doubt he would have done all sorts Of
rash things; but he vas obliged to go
back to his regiment. The colonel
wired for him the same day. Dear
old Col. Ingram" she added reflect
lively, "he has always been such a
friend of mine"
l laughed. And you have heard
nothing of the widow?"
Nothing" she answered cheerful.
ly. and I am perfectly sure l never
shall! She was only the usual type
of ~title-seeking adventures, and when
she found she received such valueless
gifts, l suppose she thought he was
not any good. You see, she had faith
fully promised to marry the poor boy,
so she gracefully withdrew from the
scene without a row"
"'Alrs well that ends we'll, then"
I said tritely, and dear old Shake
speare suits himself to every case.
Oh. by the way" l added, as a sudden
thought came into my mind, what
about the money, Isabel? You told
me Lord Robert gave you a check for
ESQ with which you were to buy the
pearls.
She nodded.
Didn't that make it rather awk-
ward for you? / mean having to tell
him o only spent e1O. How did
even you manage that part of the
matter?"
She stared at me in amazement not
unmixed with faint contempt, But /
did not tell him, Mariori--of course
didn't. How can you think l should
be so silly?'
You. did not tell him" l echoed
slowly. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My dear girl" said Lady Isabel, as
she leant towards me with a pleading
smile, you are quite forgetful of your
duty to your guest" She paused
please. dearest, pass the uarua.
lade."