Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-04-26
"And you believed herp'
Une oou,co aud xyn,1SO

II always believe lady" he an
swered. before her face. Guy
Discard gave it out in Africa that he
was engaged to be married, and he
even declared. that he was returning
home to be married. Jack did the
same in every respect, Unfortunately
there was only one fond heart waiting
for the couple Of them at home. Ihat
is why 1 thought it expedient to give
the young people an opportunity OF
settling it between themselves"
The smile left his worn old face.
He moved uneasily and walked to the
fireplace, where he stood with his I'M
steady hands moving idly, almost nerv-
ously, among the ornaments on the
mantelpiece. He committed the rare
discourtesy of almost turning his back
upon a lady.
Il must ask you to believe" he said,
looking anywhere but at her, that
did not forget you in the matter. l
may seem to have acted with an ut
ter disregard for your feelings
He broke off suddenly, and, turning,
he stood on the hearth rug with his
feet apart, his hands clasped behind
his back, his head slightly bowed.
81 drew on the reserve Of an old
friendship" he said. You were KIND
enough to say the other day that you
were indebted to me to some extent.
You are indebted to me to a larger
extent than you perhaps realize. You
owe me fifty years of happiness; fifty
years of a life that might have been
happy had you decided differently
when-when we were younger. GO
not blame you now. l never blamed
you. But the debt is there. You know
my life; you know almost every day
of it. You cannot deny the debt. l
drew upon that"
And the white haired woman raised
her hand
Don't" she said gently, please
don't say any more. l know all that
your life has been, and why. You did
quite right. What is a little trouble
to me, & little passing inconven-
fence. the tattle Of a few idle
tongues, compared with what Jacks
life is to you? / see now that l
ought to have opposed it strongly In
stead of letting it take its course. You
are right; you always have been right,
John. There is a sort Of consolation
in the thought. l like it. | like TO
think that you were always right and
that it was l who was wrong. 1t con-
firms my respect for you. We shall
get over this somehow"
1.-THE young lady," suggested Sir
John, twill get over it after the man
ner of her kind. She will marry some
one else, let us hope, before her we'd
ding dress goes out Of fashion"
"Millicent will have to get over it as
she may. Her feelings need scarcely
be taken into consideration"
Lady Cantourne made little move
ment toward the door. There was
much to see to; much Of that wOmen's
work which makes weddings the wild,
confused ceremonies that they are.
81 am afraid said Sir John, that
/ never thought of taking them into
consideration. AS you know, 1 hardly
considered yours. l hope / have not
Overdrawn that reserve"
He had crossed the room as he spoke
to open the door for her. His fingers
were on the handle, but he did not turn
it. awaiting her answer. She did not
look at him, but passed him toward
the shaded lamp, with that desire to
fix her attention upon some inanimate
object which he knew of old.
1.-The reserve" she answered, will
stand more than that. 1t has accumu-
lated, with compound interest. But
deny the debt of which you spoke just
now. There is no debt. have paid it,
year by year, day by day. For each
one of those fifty years Of unhappiness
l have paid year Of regret"
He opened the door and passed out
into the brilliantly lighted passage and
down the stairs, where the servants
were waiting to open the door and help
her to her carriage.
Sir John did not go downstairs with
her.
Later on he dined in his usual soil
tary grandeur. He was as carefully
dressed as ever. The discipline OF his
hn under
which he held himself, was unrelaxed.
what wine is this" he asked, when
he had tasted the port.
yellow seal, sir" replied the butler
confidently.
Sir John slipped again.
ut is a new bin," he said.
eyes, sir First bottle Of the lower
bin, sir"
Sir John nodded with an air OF self
satisfaction. He was pleased to nave
proved to himself and to the damned
butler" who had caught him mapping
in the library, that he was still young
man ia himself, with senses and taste
unimpaired. But his hand was at the
small of his back as he returned to the
library.
He was not at all sure about jack
did not know whether to expect him7or
not Jack did not always do what one
might have expected him to do under
given circumstances. And Sir John
rather liked him for 1t. Perhaps II
was that small faint of heredity which
was in blood, and makes it thicker than
water.
Nothing like blood, sir" he was In
the habit Of saying, Gin horses, dogs
and men," And thereafter he usually
threw back his shoulders.
The good blood that ran in his VEINS