The Washington herald., 1907-10-16
By FOXCROFT DAVIS
PART TX

Lucy Carylon unless she were an earls
daughter. to which Lucy replied demurely
that she had always supposed every gen
tleman in Kentucky TO be the equal Of
the biggest earl in England. The small
joke amused Sir Percy, and from that on
she became 10 him Lady Lucy" In
some way Lord Baudesert had also
caught the name, which so pleased his
fancy that Lady Lucy became applied
in tenderness 20 Lady Carlyon. 1t re-
called Lord BaUdesert. and Lady CaTlyon
said as she gave Sir Percy his second
cup OF tea:
4 don't think your uncle will be able
to keep away from Washington long. He
viii be sure to come back here as a visi-
tor. He declares that he finds London,
Paris. Vienna, and Berlin dull after
Washington"
Perhaps IL is because he is no longer
an ambassador, or else that the English.
French, German. and Austrian sense OF,
humOr is not so acute as he found the
American, and my uncle can't have the
ambassadorial joke as he did here"
And Mrs Chantrey is still unmarried "
said Lady Carlyon, and then they both
laughed
Lady Carlyon kept away from the hate
ful subject OF Mrs. March. but Sir Percy
understood well that his wife would
shoulder the burden and carry II bravely
and quietly. The idea Of Alicia March
being under his root was odious and hu-
initiating 10 Sir Percy Carlyon, but ne
saw no way out Of il. His. immediate
departure for England after his marriage
and thence to his continental post had
kept Lady Carly0n and Alicia March
apart. The Cariyons had not been 10
America but once since, and then only for
a few weeks, within year of their mar
riage. Col Armytage had been stricken
with paralysis. and Lady CaTlyon. with
Sir Percy, had hastened 10 him, arriving
in time TO find him conscious. but dying
Mrs. Armytage had followed her husband
within a fortnight her last days tended
by Lady Carlyon. 10 whom she had been
a mother. Within a month all was over
and Lady Carly0n returned 10 Europe
without going near Washington. The
chapter Of accidents which Senator March
mentioned as having kept him and his
wife from meeting the Carlyons In Eu-
rope. had been really a series of clever
stTatagems on the part Of the Carlyons
When the Marches were on the continent
especially at the capital where Sir Percy
Carlyon took his preliminary canter as
minister before winning the blue ribbon
Of an embassy, he and Lady CarlyOn had
found il convenient TO be absent at those
times Then, when the Marches went TO
London, the CarlyOns managed 10 be on
the continent. Sir Percy could not pos
sibly put himself in the position OF avoid
ing Gen Talbot. who has visited him at
his continental post, and had been made
an honored guest Only one person sus-
peCted why the Marches and the Carlyons
had never met. and that was Alicia
March. Nor were the Carlyons the only
persons who avoided her, but Of this her
husband remained entirely ignorant.
The stories of Senator March's wealth
made a sensation in the sphere Of Gen.
TaIbotts and Mrs. March's acQuain-
tances Mrs. March herself gave evil
dence OF it in the splendOr Of her jewels
and the cost and exquisiteness Of her
costumes. She spent with a lavish hand
and the world knew IT, Sir Percy Carl
yon. hearing rumOrs OF this. thought TO
himself: 1T is the same Alicia, whose
passion for spending has grown by what
it feeds on" Sir Percy Carlyon turned
these things over in his mind while drink
ing tea on this December afternoon, but
ne said nothing Of them.
Then when tea was over, following the
custom established after the birth Of their
first boy, the Carlyons went upstairs to
pay a visit to the nursery. In saying
goodnight 70 the two beautiful little
children Lady Carlyon knelt down by
their cribs and made a silent prayer, and
Sir Percy, standing near her, did like
wise, and thought himself the happiest
Of men. but for 6ne thing-that which
had happened in the faT-away hill-coun-
tpy of India long years ago.
Nearrybfla IN Tarffug frOv1 Fhn
Oassador and Lady Carlyon, Senator
March soon reached his own door. The
outward aspect of the house had been
changed and wonderfully improved. The
adjoining house on each side had been
demolished, and wings built out In the
same simple but dignifed style Of archi-
lecture OF the original house. One wing
was a ballroom and the other was a
picture gallery. AS Senator March en-
tered the hall a footman handed him a
box which contained a boquet; this was
Roger Marchs daily tribute TO his wife
ever since his marriage. Within the
house the note Of luxury was struck.
and it increased in an ascending scale
until it came TO Alicia March's boudOiT,
which was part of the new building.
Senator MlrCh's quarters alone had es-
capped the the tide Of splendor, and his
own rooms remained so simple. as in his
bachelor days.
He knocked at the door of his wife's
bOudoir and Alicia bade him enter. The
four years and a half, which had devel-
oped Lucy Armytage into an ambassa-
dress worthy of the name had also made
a subtle change in Alicia March She
was apparently no older than on the day
when she had first seen Roger March.
he a. fr1F Fn~ a.
great London and Paris dressmakers and
she had reached that stage of a woman's
existence where dress ceases to be a
passion and becomes a fine art, Time
had left no mark on her, but her eyes
her beautiful violet eyes-had an express
sion, even Of fear. in them, and she,
heretofore the most placid and self-con-
trOlled Of women had become strangely
nervous. She started as her husband
entered, but smiled as she received his
gift Of flowers with The graceful thanks
which she never omitted. Then Senator
March asked her how the day had
passed.
VERY WELL" she replied, 'T didn't wish
to go out until you had come in. What
have you been doing tO-day?"
Il worked like a cart horse until 2
o'clock. then walked up town for exercise.
and whom do you think I saw half-a-
square away?'
''The Carlyons," answered Mrs. March
calmly. Il saw them drive past Did you
speak 10 them?''
"Oh. yes, I was delighted TO see them
again. You know I have a special reason
for gratitude TO CarlyOn. as It was
through him 1 met YOU
Mrs March turned her beautiful eyes
on her husband with look which every
womans eyes have when she receives a
sincere compliment.
Senator March continued:
"Sir Percy is looking very we'll; that
man has had unbroken good fortune OF
the most brilliant sort I believe him 10