The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-07-21

I
was picked up like a beggar on the road
side, you can, II you like. She's lost her
memory very conveniently. 1t seems to
me- OF course. we can all swallow a good
deal nowadays, and Basil Conyers can
perhaps swallow that for the sake Of
/ Stormont; so you may have your wedding
bells after all. Mr. Ashe" said a girls
voice, loud, vigorous, declded-Miss vi
RUdgeleys voice, whose shooting guests
were now grouped upon the heather at
/ lunch. the men IOunging at ease after
good mornings work; the women trying
TO appear so. as far as the latest thing
in garments for the moOrs" would per-
nit them.
Strictly speaking. the guests were not
Miss WIS, but those OF Jonathan RUdge-
leg. esq. and Mr.. Rudgeley, Of Park
street, Mayfair, OF Horsley Manor Hants,
and Of Balachallan. Heathshire, n b:
but to most Of the party that great COM
mercial magnate and his spouse were lit
tie more than names. Mr.. Rudgeley ap-
parently only lived to make money-the
money which had decorated the garisb
house i'm London had turned the beauti-
full 0ld-world home OF a dec3yed family
into a shOwplace, and had transformed
/ simple Highland shooting lodge into a
Scottish baronial" castle. with as many
turrets and cro~ste2s as the architects
! ingenuity could work in-the money. in
word which rad launched Miss vi into
a society which asks few questions 50
long as its senses and appettes are Law
/ ishly enough pandered TO. In that society
( Mrs Rudgeley might have played her
part. too, for she was at the age when
4 a certain type OF modern woman is al
/ her giddiest, but she had been born in
class in which gay grandmotheTs do not
| exist, and in which the matrOnS retire
/ early in favor of the young folks" and
had never been able to adapt herself 10
any other.
/ Accustomed. therefore, to rule her OVID
1 family socially with a rod of iron. and
/ having established herself as a person
| age IN her Own set, Miss Rudgeley resent
ed the consciousness that there were still
/ certain circles IN which she could obtain
no sure footing. OF course. in tfme-hOn-
/ ored fashion, she declared that such So
ciety was stOdgy, dull, behind the times.
not worth the trouble Of conquering: still.
| the knowledge ranked, and specially so
! at Balachallan, where she was always re-
/ minded OF II by Lady Stormonts court
eous nut steady evading OF her boldest
/ advances.
/ The absent were not without their
champions. however. Young Bob Lane
was not yet so versed in the worlds WAYS
as 70 have learned that II is always wiser
I 10 agree with your hostess. and too hon
est to affect juvenile cynicism. He rolled
round upon his other elbow again.
"Oh, l say. Miss Vi. you're awf'Ily
down on them. Conyers IS an awflly
decent chap and the girls a nice little
thing, with not d bit Of harm in her
saw her once or twice in town: and when
heard Of this. I thought it a beastIy
shame that anything should have hap
pened 10 her. that she should be dead or
! drowned. and nobody know anything Of Il
-bOTrid, you know. I was right down
glad TO hear that she had turned up
again"
"Of course you would. Bobby: a good
child like you is sure 10 think what is
right and proper" said W, patronizingly.
patting the uncovered curly head. Il
never said there was any harm in her:
indeed, I doubt if there IS anything at
all in her, good or bad" struggling her
handsome shoulders. shes so wei!
brought up, everybody says. Well. all
can say is you men ought 10 be devoutly
grateful that times are changed. 1t must
have been precious dull when we we're
all well brought Up. Thank goodness,
no one can accuse me Of that / should
like to have seen the mater try her hand
AT it." and vi laughed again as she lit
her cigarette at the glowing tip of Mr.
Ashes cigar.
What's the truth about this Stormont
AFFAIR."" he asked taking advantage Of
the brief check TO the torrent OF Miss Wis
volubility-the only means, rs a rule. OF
carrying on the semblance Of a converse
( ton with her. OF course, I've seen the
/ girl
At a distance-like the rest Of US.
! broke in Vi, with laugh, as We saw
her picture in the crowd on Private View
I day l don't suppose you were any more
I privileged than the rest of us We're not
good enough yet, It would appear, for
/ Lady Stormont"
/ II Evelyn Ashe did not altogether relish
being thus ruled cut even though it were
/ in the company OF his hostess. he was
careful not to show it.
I have merely spoken 10 her. Being
so young and already engaged. they didn't
/ take her about much" he said. suavelv.
| She struck me as being vera shy and
/ ttmid. though I know some people so
further, and hint"
That she wants something Of the shi-
I
with her usual loud laugh
/ Mr.. Ashe found this method OF getting
/ Information without committing himself
| to direct questions or statements d very
| useful one.
'Oh, no, Of course not: dear Isobel, as
/ you say, Is very shy and timid." she said
rolling her fine eyes upward 10 the faint
/ blue film OF her cigarette smoke But
should like to know sitting more erect.
and speaking with sudden ranCOr. what
/ induced her to leave home in that extraor-
binary fashion. or, since I understand
( that she'd walk into the river if any one
/ babe her do IT, perhaps I should say who
/ induced herr
Young Lane, who had the entry into
that charmed circle on the verge Of which
1 his hostess was still uneasily lowering,
| had been captured by a mature lady who
coveted youthful homage. so that Vi could
unbTtdle her tOngue-not that she ever
/ subjected IL TO much restraint
IF 1 were Basil Conyers. I'd like to
| know that" she went on: but perhaps he
/ thinks 1t wiser not 10 ask too many ques-
tons; for, if he wants Stormont. he's COt
/ to take her with it-nOt that he needs il.
/ for he's got plenty of his own: but that
never hindered any man that ever I knew
/ from wanting more" said vi, shrewdly.
And< how much more eagerly a man
wants ii If he has nothing and how much
more excuse there is for him. EVELYN
Ashe may have been thinking as he lay
laziy back amid the dry. springy heather
and piled Miss Rudgeley with questions.
which. to the limit of her knowledge. and
! far beyond it, she was but too ready to-
answer. and the story lost nothing in
| suggestiveness by passing through vi
Rudgeleys mind and coming from her
/ lips.
why. is It time that we were making
move already" she exclaimed, with