The Washington herald., 1907-10-11

! Sir Percy kept q furtive watch upon ber.
I re saw other men come up 20 drive
I STANLEY or. and they TN their turn were
GIiFen OF by other euterpris.ng gentle
/ men, Some OF them were ridiculouslv
I young, and others were obviously old.
put Lucy cenrived 70 make a beardless
ensign feel as II be were a fun admiral.
and dry-as-dust Senator forget the
/ burden Of his years and drink once more
ci the draught OF youth. Sir Percy fully
/ determined not 20 seek Lucy Armytage
( out. and just as this decision was fixed
/ IN his mind DE saw her pass upou the
! arm OF Col. Armytage. He went I'D 10
Z her. and. being q close observer. saw
/ Lucy's mobile face suddenly light up
and the little dlmple came and went in
her cheek
Delighted 10 see you" said Col Armv-
iage' my niece is dragging me away
Just as l was beginning 10 enjoy myself.
She has been sending me 20 bed every
night al 10 O'Clock because I have had a
touch or rheumatism. and 1890 she has
Just informed me, is 100 dissipated for
me-
4 believe Miss Armytage claims entire
authority over you, doesn't she?' asked
Sir Percy. smiling
Absolute jurisdiction. She has taken
charge Of my person and estate. and also
Mrs. Armytage. and she manages MS
botn according to her own ideas" Col
Armytage said this with a note of prida
IN his voice, which an American uses
when be DrOClaimS he is ruled by his
womankind
They talked together for a few min
utes, and then Lucy and Col. Army
tagc passed on 10 the cI0akroom. When
Lucy Armytage was gone the crowded
rooms seemed empty 10 Sir Percy Carl
yon' He walked home through the still
and quiet streets at midnight and then
smoked savasely for an hour before his
( study fire. 40 man was ever more sur
prised, annoyed, and chagrined than was
Sir Percy Carlyon to find himself be-
Witched by this captivating. provincial
girl, and one amazing thing had happened
she had driven away the image-the
hateful image-of Alicia Vernon. Alicia
was the only woman who had ever deepIy
impressed herself upon Sir Percy CarlyOn.
until he met Lucy Armytage There was
warfare between these two ideals. It
seemed to Sir Percy as II Alfci4's wan
tonness had, in a way. cast a shade over
all women. If creature outwardIv 50
modest, so refined, so high bred. could
be at heart wantOn, how could he ever
DeheFe IN the purity Of any wOman's
heart and mind? He dallied with the
false suggestion that If a woman we're
dull, she might be good. but if she were
clever, her mind might range afar into
the forbidden paths. Lucy Armytage.
however, f-cm the moment he met her
seemed to restore his shattered ideal of
women. He had not reasoned, and could
not reason upon this, but he felt deep
~ the strong, unconscious, and unac-
knowledged Influence Of this girl.
Sir Percy, sitting before his fire. re-
peated to himself that, in spite of L.ucy's
charm, there was every conceivable rea-
-~'-- - - -. -ls4 a=--- Z. - ,,- 1,,.
She was an American 10 brain with
she had never seen a European capitaI
she was not linguist, and her only ac-
complishment, as far as he had seen. was
that Of dancing. which was scarcely what
an ambassadress, as his wife would he
come, would find the most useful ac-
eompiishment in the world He was
poor man for mis- position, and there was
no indication that Lucy had a fortune
Then 1t suddenly occurred to him that
even If he gave rein TO his passion. T.trv
might scOrn him. She had not been
trained to appreciate what he had to of-
fer, and she might classify him with
Stanley and the other youngsters whom
he had seen dancing attendance upon her