Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
CHAPTER x.

had parted ii a fog on LIVER
pool And yet this was not through m
difference, or forgetfulness, Tor In all HES
wanderings the image of the fair Amer-
can his Goddess of Liberty, as ne hheo
to think of her. had gone with him per-
sistently, in spite of the unpleasant TACT
that he knew her to be engaged TO- anu
now on the point of matrimony with. an
other man. Even Mariol had not found out
how keenly the news of the forthcoming
nuptials of Miss Winstanley and Mr. Giynn
had cut into his friends sensiointles.
Rather than meet her. NClandonald would
faln have avoided the Riviera altogether
to go on direct to London. but for the
pleading image of his dear old aunt, who
was counting upon him to come to her.
Nobody suspected that in a long, fiat
pocket-book of Niennese leather. presented
to him at parting by Lady CampstownI
and for a wonder in woman gits, actuaiIy
available by the male recipent-he car
ried a picture of Posey, cut out or an
English illustrated paper. found In way
side inn in Roumania, among other Beau-
ties of the Day and Hour. ~ was
charming characteristic pose in which the
photographer. had caught her. and the
gown and coiffure showed the girIs al.
vance in worldly style and knowledge OF
how to make the most of her advantages
Here indeed would have been a Lady Clam
donald. amply equipped to take her place
in the picture gallery of beaumanolr among
the beauties of their line. And In her
frank young face he could read no trace
of the unwhoesome tastes and proclivitles
that had wrecked him through Ruby
Darien. 1t was a folly. a childish weak
ness. to treasure this 5crap or paper In ms
breast pocket close over his heart. and ne
had resolved that he would soon violently
dispossess himself of the same by cast
ing 1t in the fire. Let him meet her once
again have speech with her in the ordinary
- hot re
in preparations for her union with an
other. and it would be easier to be done
for good and all with this strange, obsti-
nate. enduring obsession.
1t was not the best atmosphere for man
in his state of mind to find himself IN daily
intercourse with his impulsive old aunt,
whose life had been for weeks and months
saturated with the influence of PoSeyS
personality Although Lady Campstown
honestly believed herself to be doing every
thing that feminine tact and zeal could
inspire to extol to him the desirability or
Helen Carstairs a wife, she was really
setting forth Poseys charm from morning
until night. She tod Clandonald how the
girl had first come to her, tall and nymph-
like. through the avenue of palms, with
violets. white and blue, clustered around
her footprints. How Immediately. her first
distaste of the dreaded American neighbor
had been swept away in the girls sweet
appeal to her friendship: how she had then
only done for her what she would have
had another woman do. in like case, for her
own Lucy. had she lived. And how. little
by little. she had grown to walt upon Po-
sey's daily coming. to laugh with her, to
sympathize in her needs and perpleXities,
until she counted day lost when Miss
winstaney did not appear to irradate 1t.
AT the same time. my dear, the dow
ager said interrupting herself. II am not
going to pretend that there are not other
girls in the world as engaging and loVaoie
as she. Miss Carstairs, for example, is-er
most distinguished in her appearance, and
has 11
that her fried Helen is so highly educated
she makes her feel as ignorant as street
Arab. OF course. that's only the chiids
American habft OF exaggeration. She really
reads and studies part of. every day, and
her literature teacher Miss Barton, says
Miss Winstanley's memory for facts and
grasp of ideas is something quite out OF
the common. As l was saying, Helen
Carstairs is just the kind of person | should
think would bear transplanting into Eng
lish life. She is so simple and unemotion-
al and self-contained. When you go to
Refine des Fees to call-when did you say
you were going to call, Clan dear?''
II don't think I said, Aunt Lucy" an
swered her nephew, with twinkle in his
"A h. we'll dear probably it will be today.
as you have now Lad time to draw breath
after telling me all about your travels. You
must have had very pleasant journey
from Naples i'll company with Miss Car
stairs
''Yes. very pleasant. what Mariol would
let me have of her. He was very absorbent.
IL must lie said You know l told you once,
long ago. that / believed GOOD old Mariol
had actually knocked under to fair Yam
kee. and l have now every reason to be-
lieve that this lady Is the object of his
secret cult"
Il never heard of such a thing!" ex-
claimed Lady Campstown. for her. almost
sharply. II can't imagine a more insult
able idea. These marriages with French
men rarely turn out well. At least. unless
the man has title and a chateau. and the
foreign wife would have some interests In
the country. mere brilliant. drifting
soothing creature like NJ. de Mariol-!
Think of that book of his found on your
table and tried to read. Why. there were
ideas in it that made my hair stand on
end
Moral: Aunt Lucys shouldn't carry of
the French books they find their
nephews' tables" answered he. teasingly
1t is a fact. however, that Miss Carstairs
seemed to find extreme satisfaction In her
long continued duet with my clever chum
1t was as much as could do to get a word
in edgewise."
II am surprised and 1 must say little
put out Clan. / shouldn't think you'd have
given her up like that to any man. how
ever friendly he might be-
ITO give up argues to have had. And l
cannot truly claim to have established any
monopoly in the young lady's society: Aunt
Lucy dear, i won't tease you any more
As our American friends say. you've been
barking up the wrong tree 1t was never
MISS CarStalrS VINO turned my poor, weak
brain. | admire. esteem her cordially and
think Mariol would get an ideal wife IL she
would smile on him-but love her-never In
this world"
but you said I might think what /
pleased as to your being spooney about an
American girl that day you brought her to
Beaumanoir and afterward told me you had
decided to go away again. 1t was virtually
acknowledging that you loved her. and but
for the abominable Interference Of q person
who shall be nameless. would have pressed
your suit"
They said that in Lord Byron's days.
Aunt Lucy or was II Miss Bdgeworth's?
And you have been dwelling on that rash
admission OF mine. and building air castles
with me and Miss Carstairs looking out of
the windows all these months In conse-
quence? No. best Of aunties. you are hor-
ribly out OF focus. You've got hold OF the
wrong person altogether. / don't In the
least mind letting you know that ! made
all kinds of a fool of myself on that voyage
over last October. l dreamed dreams never
to be realized. And. as the powers OF mis-
chief wllled II, Ruby. seeing my name an
nounced for that sailing had taken a Sec
ond-ciass passage on the same ship, with
the laudable hope of making It hot for me-
she said She succeeded but too well. She
peppered an innocent young girl with vile
anonymous notes that made her shun the
sight of me. After got to town she wrote
to me directly. and to buy her OF made
certain sacrifices / could IN afford. As far