The Washington herald., 1907-10-19

Carlyon, but no card was left for Alicia,
nor did Lady Carlyon's card accompany
her husbands. Alicia observed this. but
she did not choose TO notice il openly az
present. She meant that considerable
time should pass before she began an
active struggle 20 regain her lost position
Early in May the great house was shut
up. and Alicia March and her father
sailed for England. It was two years and
a half before she TeappeaTed in washing
ton. During that interval no one In
Washington heard Of March. except Wat
son. who received occasional COmmunica-
tions from him on buiness. He seemed
TO have dropped out of the world; the
depths Of the Sierras is a very good hid
ing-place for a broken-hearted man.
Those two years and a half seemed to
be unclouded for the CarlyOns- Sir Percy
found his mission exactly 70 his liking
and his prestige was steadily increased
bv his management Of affairs. 1t even
met with the approval OF Lord BaudeserL
who found himself unable 10 keep away
from his beloved Washington. Mrs.
Chantrey, whose hopes Of being an AMI
bassadress had been dashed by Lord
Baudeserts retirement. still cherished
dreams OF being Lady Baudesert, and was
warmly encouraged in her aspirations oy
that wicked old gentleman during DIS
whole visit to Washington. Eleanor
Chantrey had remained unmarried. Her
beauty and her fortune would have en-
abled her 10 make a choice Of many ofll-
liant marriages. but deep In her heart
ranked something Ike disappointment
She had not been IN love with Sir Percy
CarIyon but she would have married him
If he had asked her, an attitude OF mind
COmmOner among wOmen toward men
than IS generally supposed.
Eleanor was certainly fitted TO be an
ambasSadress, but Lady CaTlyOn had ft-
ted herself with consummate address for
that lofty position. Lord Baudesert was
openly delighted at the position which
Lady Carlyon had made for herself. Her
dignity, her sweetness, and good sense
had given her also a prestige which made
her backing of the greatest value. Every
woman in Washington society whose so
ciaI and personal record was not like the
driven snow was eager for the support Of
Lady CariyOn. With natural good judg
ment and acquired prudence. Lady Lucy
AS Lord Baudesert. like Sir Percy, called
her-manaEed to escape every pitfaH She
could neither be used. nor worked, nor
wheedled. nor bullied, but pursued a
course inspired alike by good taste and
good feeling. Her two boys Increased day
by day in beauty and Intelligence, and
Sir Percy would have reck0ned himself
among the happiest. as well as the most
successful Of men, but for the memory
of Alicia March He was haunted by the
thought. not without reason, that he was
responsible for the tragedy which had
befallen Roger March. He could readily
imagine the motive which inspired March.
and the thought of him dragged down
by his wife's dishonor, seeking oblivion
IN the farthest corner Of the continent.
was a keen and ever-pr sent regret to Sir
Percy Carlyon. lie had heard occasionally
from Gen. Talbot, who was abroad with
his daughter. The great March house re-
mained closed and tenantless. and Sir
Percy surmised that Alicia March would
in time return 10 the scene Of her great
est triumphs and her deepest humiliation.
The echoes Of the great railway scandal
lasted during all of these two years and
a half. Colegrove was not the man to go
down without terrific struggle. March's
acknowledgment of the charges and his
resignation would have been too strong
for any except the strongest Of men 70
withstand, but Colegrove finding himself
with his back TO the wall, fought with a
desperation worthy of a better cause
He had the money, the courage. and the
adroitness to drag everything into the
courts. where the laws delay was
great help to him. SO many powerful
interests were involved that they made
q bulwark around him. At the end OF
the two years and a half he was actually
in much better case than he had been
when he had first been pinned to the wall
by his enemies, and his supply Of am
munitiOn had been increased. He had
succeeded, by pouring out money ike
water, in enmeshing everybody and
everything in a legal tangle from which
no one could see way out His natural