Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16
BY MRS. BURTON HARRISON,
Author of 1.-THE Anglomaniacs."

stanley read had tempted him. They were
to stop at Torquay, thence going to Dover
and the continent" !
Very nice-and very American" said
Clandonald. Fancy running after an APP
pie crop the moment one lands in Britain.
because some man has put 1t into novel!
/ hope Miss Winstanley has recovered from
her indisposition?"
She seemed to be we'll and happy. She
asked to be kindly remembered to you and
M. de Mariol."
Clandonald's courtesy had taken wings,
In the emotion of a deeper sort that over
came him tnconveniently. He had hoped to
carry off easily this inevitable talk about
the girl who had laid so strong hold upon
his broken life. But he said nothing at all,
While Mariol, as usual, came to the res
cue.
II have been telling Clandonald the two
interesting facts developed by you concern
ing our Alabama friend he said, grace
fully. And We both unite In asking you
to convey to her our best congratulations
upon her intended marriage"
What glorious copper beech!' exclaim-
ed Helen, suddenly looking away past ITS
owner to where the trees arose. like fre
fountain from velvet sward. Il beg your
pardon. l will give her the message when
l answer her characteristic letter. Per-
haps l ought to have said before that, In a
postscript, she asked me to tell you both of
her engagement to Mr.. Glynn, should not
have already done So
Lady Campstown, having taken cordial
leave of her nephew's guests, whom de
Mariol escorted back to their private hotel
in CurZon street, remained over with Can
donald at Beaumanoir for tea. They drank
it, thanks to a perfectly warm and WELL
aired afternoon, under the beech tree eX-
toiled by Miss Carstairs. Clandonald's dogs,
the only friends of man who do not disap
point or change, clustered around his knee,
a homely but human Schipperke glung her
faithful head upon her masters boot The
day, the hour. the pleasant rite, the dear
old woman whose thin. pearl-white fingers
twinkled among the tea cups as she looked
over at him from time to time in = sort
OF speechless longing touched and pleased
the returned traveller, but could not cheer
his melancholy. r
Finally Lady Campstown took heart of
grace to go to the point direct.
I'm sorry to see you SO down, Clan, my
dear boy" she said, in handing him his sec
ond cup. To-day, of all days, when you
have had such charming visitor. l can't
tell you how well l am pleased with Miss
Carstairs. You must know"
Delighted. I'm sure. Aunt Lucy" he an
swered, with refrigerating vagueness. But
to talk of less agreeable subjects I'm sorry
to say Ruby has broken loose again, and is
annoying me horribly. Having failed re-
Gently to make a scene for me-and another
person-after her own heart, she has taken
to writing me internal hypocritical letters,
saying she's back in England. stone broke,
ill. penitent, Lord knows what. and must
have money"
THE old cry!' exclaimed Lady Camps
town. holly. Don't answer her, Clan, treat
her as if you were locked in behind walls.
and she in the street, outside"
Her capacity for .nventing malice and
mischief Is too great She will find some
way to circumvent me. Her price of peace
is hard cash. and so for the present l can
breathe free again"
You have been weak enough began
his aunt, despairingly.
shortly. Now, AuntLucy, say no more to
me about it. / only wished to put You on
your guard against any assault she might
make upon your compassion"
Il am safe from that said the little
lady, grimly, and indeed. for the moment,
she looked so. in her sp Ibid wrath and
scorn. Clandonald did not pursue the SUBJ
ject, ard something warned her that neither
was this the time for pursuance of the
light vision of the American girl whom she
had fondly pictured taking Ruby's pc in
the desolate old house. They talked of
family matters, of Clans travels, of things
present and to come. until Lady camps
town and her maid were obliged to leave.
When her nephew had put her into the
brougham to go to the station. Lady
Campstown rallied her courage for a final
appeal.
You'll drop in for luncheon. tea or din
ner whenever you've nothing better, won't
you. dear boy?" she asked, surveying him
wistfully: You know l go out so little I'm
luncheon on Tuesday. and to some pic
lures with these pleasant friends IF yours
who've just left US; and, Clan, dear, isn't it
nice that they're coming to Cannes this
winter? Miss Carstairs' father is to be
there in the yacht He must be a very in
teresting man. Such a power, one can't
fail to-oh! thank you Jenkins" this to the
gardener. arriving with huge nosegay of
la, roses and chrysanthemums and bas-
ket of ruddy peaches), they are most love-
ly, 1 am sure. You will certainly not fail
to make me that promised visit in January?
1t seemed so lonely. last year. nobody in
habiting your room. Come, promise, Clan
and l kno-- you will never break your
world"
Il am afraid. Aunt Lucy" ne said, giving
her final loving kiss, that l had better
not promise anything just now If I'm to
keep up my good reputation in your eyes.
Think what you like as to my being spooney
about a pretty American. But it Is ar
ranged between Mariol and myself-though
we can't agree about our destination-that
We are to set out for somewhere early next
week. Mariol leans toward Tibet, to the
Balkans. To decide it, We shall probably
toss up sovereign. But this much is GER
tain-off we co.
1t not until December, when Lady
Campstown was fairly established a. Villa
Julia, on the slope of the California, under
house walls obseured by bourgainvilia and
arbutilon and Goire de Dion roses, that she
felt in the least assuaged of her disap-
pointment. She had left London swathed
in a yellow fog of appalling density, had
run down to Dover in an atmosphere of
pea-soup; had found Paris under weeping
skies; had traversed France in a murky
mist. and only on waking up in Cannes
next morning had renewed acquaintance
with the sun.
AS she looked out Of her window the
olives and palms seemed to wave a welcome
to the south. The sea laughed in every rip
pie of its wide expanse, the mountains slept
under their veil of azure, the light over all
was almost intolerably bright. The flowers
that she SO well loved blooming overhead
and underfoot. springing from wall cram
MES. gladdening and clarifying every avail
able spot of earth. made her ladyship feel
once more like her own even-tempered,
happy self!
She had not heard from the wanderers in
the Balkans, but had felt resigned that dear
Clan had not pushed on to that dreadful
faraway Tibet where men were fayed
alive if they happened not to please the rul
ers upon whose land they were trespassing,
which would have been so much worse! She
and her maid, and servant or two brought
out from England, occupied themselves for
a day in unpacking and readjusting orna-
ments. putting flowers and plants about the
rooms. and looking over the garden,
lovely tiny place where roses ran riot and
palm trees waved their feathered tops or
clashed together their spiked leaves with a