The Washington herald., 1907-10-14

down upon the wide peaceful valley before
them, with the blue peaks cutting the
edge Of the clear horizon. II was the
same walk which Sir Percy had taken
Lucy Armytage two months before on the
Sunday afternoon, and the recollection Of
! H. and the strangeness Of Alicia Vernon
being his companion now, almost bewil-
dered him. When they came 20 a sunny
spot on the hillside. where a gray fat
/ rock afforded & resting place under the
pine trees, Alicia would have stopped, but
| Sir Percy said 10 her almost roughly:
Not here, we must go on farther"
why not?" asked Alicia. WAS It be-
cause you and Lucy Armytage once rested
here and therefore l am not worthy TO
step for a moment In this placer
! Ii was a chance shot, but II went home.
/ Sir Percy turned his back. and Alicia,
with feeling of triumph, seated herself
upon the fiat stone where Lucy had first
| heard the words of love from Sir Percy
| Carlyon. When he turned round she saw
/ In his face, dark and displeased, that she
| had scored against him.
I wish I could forget you" she said,
''and not care whether ] can hurt you or
not, but I can't You see, there are some
parts of a woman's life Of which she can
/ live only once, and the memory is always
tormenting her. This is the first walk
we have taken together since-since that
| time In India Il was a hilly country,
somewhat like this
Sir Percy made no answer; the rage In
| his heart against Alicia Vernon had re-
ceived an accession in the last fortnight
'Of course" she continued In a voice OF
suppressed anger, you forbade Miss Ar
| mytage 10 come here. You didn't wish
her to be under the same roof with me.
One would think that l were the only
sinner In the world"
'T sinned as much and more than you, :"
replied Sir Percy, but I have repented 4"
THAT Is to say you grew weary OF
your passion for me. ] think that is
what men call penitence."
Sir Percy looked at her. amazed for the
| thousandth time Outwardly she could
observe every canon Of dignity and re-
fnement, but secretly. like every woman
who had ever gone wrong. as far as Sir
Percy Carlyon's experience went, she had
lost ali sense OF justice. Of proportion, Of
| reticence, Of discipline. and even of
sound sense. He had heard stories OF
women who trod the downward path and
then retrieved themselves, but he had
never seen Il. These women and Alicia
Vernon, with her heritage Of the best
birth and breeding. were sisters under
their skins" The thing which really sur
prised him was that Alicia maintained so
OutWardly and unbrOkenly the high
standard Of her birth and breeding, and
was still capable Of disinteTested affec-
tiOn-her love for her father.
AS Sir Percy would not reply. Mrs.
Vernon said no more for while She
leaned against the mass OF rock AT her
back and looked around al the still
woods, in which only a few trilling bird
notes broke the golden silence. across
the sunlit valley, and then at Sir Percy
Carlyon What strange fate had brought
them from one end OF the world TO the
other that they might meet alone In such
a place? She was so still that Sir Percy
presently looked around to see II she
were there She was sitting quite mo-
tionless. looking with deep. inscrutable
eyes straight before her. She turned her
gaze to him and said:
Il know no more than you do why I
could speak to you In this way. or why I
could ever think Of you again. I am Ike
a child who has got hold Of some pretty
shiny thing, which turns out 10 be a
jewel. and the child weeps and struggles
when the jewel is taken away"
Sir Percy could not but be sorry for
her. he often had moments and hours Of
silent rage with her. but # would not
hold against her in the presence Of her
despair Presently she arose and came
toward him. smiling.
Look around you" she said; this
spot, 1 know. 1 feel, is associated with
the image Of that girl. Now you wifi be
unable to think OF 1t without thinking Of
me also. l will not have IL that 1. only.
shall think of you, I mean that you shall
not be able to escape the thought OF me.
Come, it is late; let US be going
They turned and walked back toward
the house Farther along the mountain
path they met Senator March and Gen.
Talbot; quite naturally the party di-
vided, and Sir Percy Joined Gen. Tai
bott while Senator March ranged him
self with Mrs. Vernon. They fell be-
hind, as Senator March was pointing out
the features and general historic points
Of the landscape while Sir Percy and
Gen. Talbot went ahead. When they
were quite far IN advance and walking
down the country lane bordered with the
mountain ash now with little brown buds
upon the bare white branches. and the
whole air scented with the coming spring
Gen. Talbot said:
Il think this journey, my dear fellow,
TO be one of the pleasantest. and even
one of the most fortunate, that I ever
made II he's been a long time since 1
have seen my poor child so like her
earlier self She is interested and
amused. The social customs over here
permit a woman TO enjoy a great many
pleasures and to receive a great many
mark Ny daughter is. as you know,
extremely careful In her conduct, often
prudish Not that I would wish her
otherwise but still I am glad when she
finds herself In an environment that per-
mits her q little innocent enjoyment.
Those parties at the opera were extreme
ly pleasant, but no such attention could
be offered or accepted in Europe"
You are quite right; socially Ameri-
can customs are extremely pleasant
They embody liberty without license"
II agree with you from what I have
seen.
AS Gen. Talbot spoke. Sir Percy OBJ
served In him a cheeTfulness and note
Of pleasure in his voice which always
followed when Alicia seemed TO be at
ease and a little happy.
Sir Percy Carlycn left early on the
Monday morning and returned to Wash
ington in advance of the rest Of the
party. II was still some days before
Lucy Armytage arrived from Kentucky.
At their first meeting afterward Lucy
asked no questions whatever about Sem
ator March's house party. and the deli
cacy and reticence she showed on this
point was not unnoticed by Sir Percy.
who volunteered to tell her all Of which
he could speak. He did not avoid Alicia
Vernon's name, but whenever he spoke
Of her Lucy saw that peculiar express
sion of his eye which indicated dislike.
she asked, however, a great many ques-
tions about Senator March, and then
said:
81 wonder II Mrs Vernon will marry