The Washington herald., 1907-10-10
By FOXCROFT DAVIS
PART III

I much OF each other. When they parted,
at Sir Percy door. IL was with the un-
! derstanding that they should dine to-
gether at the club the next evening.
The clear December twilight was at
/ hand. and a new moon tTembled IN the
/ heavens as Sir Percy. instead Of going
/ indoors. started for his lnvariable walk
before dinner. He made straight toward
the west, and soon found himself on a
wide avenue recently laid out, with young
trees in boxes on each side A quarter
Of a mile away from the houses It soon
ran into the open fields, with clumps Of
/ trees and little valleys on either hand.
Nothing quieter, more remote or deserted
could be imagined. and yet Sir Percy
was but fifteen minutes from his own
door. Not a person was in sight, until,
after a time, he saw at some distance
ahead. and rapidly approaching, the
slight figure Of woman muffled In furs
and walking rapidly. Something in the
grace of her movements attracted Sir
/ Percy as she came nearer. She held up
! her muf TO her face in an attitude which
/ reminded Sir Percy Of Vigee le Bruins
[ picture in the Louvre. THE Lady with
/ the Muff" As the girl flashed past him
I in the gray twilight he recognized Lucy
Armytage A strange and almost un-
/ contTOllable desire suddenly rose within
I him to join her, but with the hereditary
caution Of an Englishman. he turned n.
head the other way. The next moment
Lucy faced around. and coming up to
/ him, cried breathlessly:
How glad I am to meet you here.
/ Pray walk with me as far as the car"
There was no help for it, and Sir Percy,
with the feeling of delight which follows
when a man is forced to do what he
/ wishes 10 do, replied:
with the utmost pleasure. Is it not
rather late for you to be in so lonely a
placer"
Decidedly so. Our reception closed at 8
O'Clock, just when other peoples are be
ginning. and a friend asked me to drive
out in this direction for a little air. She
left me on a lighted street. but I wanted
to feel the earth under my feet. so I
walked around this way. I didn't realize
/ how late it was until few minutes ago.
and I was scuTTying home, half fright
ened TO death"
AS she said this, Sir Percy would have
! liked to open his arms wide and hold her
to his breast like timld bird, but Lucy
dispelled this idea by saying:
Afraid Of my uncle I mean. He makes
such terrible row when I am out late.
am not in the least afraid of anything
else"
Her timidity had seemed charming, but
her girlish courage was more charming
still. Sir Percy's head was In a whirI.
No woman had ever impressed him so
| quickly and 50 deeply as this black-eyed
/ girl. and he was staggering at the inten-
sity Of his own pleasure in being with
her Meanwhile Lucy thought him the
most impassive Of men, and felt a curious
feminine desire to disturb that placidity
which was so like a lake covered with a
thin skim Of ice.
Z saw you and Senator March going in
to the Chantrey's." she said, as they
walked rapidly along in the deepening
dusk. Il admire Miss Chantrey more
than any girl in Washington. At first I
thought her little cold. but her very
coldness Is a sort of sincerity I should
like to have a house exactly like the
Chantreys', except that I would make the
atmosphere little warmer"
She rippled out laugh. and her eyes,
under their long lashes. sought Sir
Percy's in the half gloom
I am afraid that you would ind our
English houses little chilly, and they