Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21

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She met the young fellows look of amused
amaz.ment and increduity. 1t flashed upon
her with cruel distinCtness that. of course,
Mrs Kenneth must know all II she knew
Leonard, and her castle of cards 1el with
crash.
TX.
Afterward, in trying to recall the scene,
Mary was never sure of her part in it, nor
of the stroke of fortune which carried her
beyond II. she remembered that she was
only conscious of Leonard Bishops voice,
q long way off. though it sounded over
a telephone. assuring her that he was de
lighted to meet Miss Hadding" The stress
upon the name was almost imperceptible
and his manner was inScrutably courteous.
Collecting herself with an effort. the girl
met his eyes and read their Interrogation
with Il sudden sharp relief. He did not In
tend TO make a scene, that was evident,
and he was seeking a clue from her. She
murmured commonplace, acknow-
lodging the Introduction without further
recognition, and presented him in turn TO
Mrs. Chee~sP and Molly Lane.
Bishop followed her lead with ease
that increased her assurance turning at
once to talk to Mrs. Cheever and giving her
that interval to recover from the shock OF
meeting him when she was bearing an as
sumed name and acting the part of girl
whom he knew as we'll as she did. His IA
cility IN the role she had given him flashed
upon Mary as unnatural. ana she wondered
If May Hadding had seen him in Paris
since her departure and sent him over as
kind of watchdog of her interests. but she
dismissed the thought with the recollection
that Leonard detested Miss Hadding Mean
while. she sharply conscious of Mrs.
Kennett's antagoniSm at her elbow, and
though she began to hope much from
Leonard Bishops unusual discretion she
was not yet assured that the bustlng fe
male beside her was not already mistress
of her fate. She knew. too. that she had
shown emotion: her hands were still trem-
bling so much that She clasped them behind
her to conceal it she turned to her
neighbor Her lips quvered, but she
Pegaining complete mastery OF hercelf and
met the challenge of Mrs. Kennett's hostile
glance with almost all her usual COM
posture. She inquired. with becoming con-
for Mr.. Kennett, who was at home
with attack of la grippe, and she re-
membered to ask after all the little Ken
netts by name. Her martyrdom, however,
was brief for Col FoxborO relieved her by
Offering his arm to Mrs. Kennett and con-
Quoting her to the supper room. place
which drew her truly as the pole-Star
draws magnet.
A moment later Mary found herself going
through the throng with Lawrence Ryland.
He had seized upon the opening afforded
by Mrs. Kennetts departure to dsengage
her from the little circle that had engulfed
them. and she conscious of Leonard
Bishops startled glance as she passed him
on Ryland's arm 1t was perfectly evident
his reach until an opportunity occurred for
a tete-a-tete. and she felt the exaltation.
the relief OF prisoner who Is reprteved at
the last hour from the gallows. 1t Is obvi
ously unwise to trif1e with fate. and 1t was
her best policy to conciliate Leonard
Bishop, yet she snatched at the chance to
delay an explanation. to escape from the
odious task of confessing to a man for
whom she had small regard and who had
always thrust his admiration upon her at
inopportune moments
While she chatted with Ryland. they
passed from one brilliantly lighted room to
another. she was sharply conscious of her
unfortunate position: In a way she was in
Leonard Bishops power and he had never
been man, In the larger sense of honor
and reticence, on whom a woman could
rely. 1t seemed to her. too. that she had
fatally blundered in her first impression
that Leonard had already betrayed her,
that her emotion must have been patent to
all; in fact, she had seen certain con-
sciousness of 1t in several of the faces
about her. and fanCied that there was q
shadow OF change in Lawrence Ryland. On
the heels OF this thought came the recOl-
lection that Ryland had seen Bishop's
signed etching of her in Mrs Writings IL
brary and that he. at least was fully
aware that Leonard was no stranger to
her In spite Of the elaborate formality OF
her greeting. The shock Of this recollec-
ton increased her perturbation: she had a
kind of intuitive knowledge of Ryland and
felt that his memory was accurate
and his truthfulness of the order which
gives no quarter. In rush of impulsive
feelings she was tempted to tell him ALL to
pour out the whole absurd tale and trust
10 his manhood to understand and to guide
her out OF the quicksands that seemed to
be spreading at her feet. But the shackles
of convention the trained instinct that abb
hors a scene and teaches the sense Of pro-
portion. of lightness of touch. held her
back. What would Ryland think of her II
she appealed to him-here in the flower
scented path of the conservatory? The
scene was so absolutely unsuitai to
tragedy OF melodrama that her dramatic
instinct was shocked She could do moth
Ing: she felt the futility of a confession;
for the first time she fully realized her po-
s!tion. in quick, Illuminating fash. and
called herself impostor. What else
would he consider her?
The next instant her native courage rose
at the thought Of his possible contempt;
she would fight her own battles and win
or lose on her own responsibility. But the
mental struggle had its effect and she
could not respond to his salles with her
usual ease. Her impulse to be always
herself to him, to forbear all small decen-
tions and makeshfts was so strong that
she found II difficult to dissemble this new
emotion. She could not herself explain the
feeling that had made her sincere toward
Ryland. for IL was not, yet ANYTHING
akin TO love for him. though he was the
only man whose going or coming made any
real difference to her and she was pleas
antly conscious OF Quickening pulses when
he approached. of a sense of happiness and
security In his presence. But his manner
to her was so equitable. his bearing so en-
trely that of a spectator. that she could
not be sure that he shared her pleasure at
their meeting Tonight his mood had
seemed unusually sympathetic until the ad-
vent of Bishop. and the shadow that had
fallen between them since was the more
annoying. Mary felt 1t SO keenly that her
attention wandered from his studied com
monplaces and she was aware of being dull
and distraite. The avenue of palms and
ferns seemed interminable: she felt that
she should almost welcome a glimpse of
Madame Syrene and her two captives. and
She could not quite suppress little Sigh
of despair when he startled her out of her
abstraction.