Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-17

famed the rest of the sentence.
Yes"
All! might have guessed It. And I
was vain 'enough and rash enough to
think could fill her place to you. Poor.
dear John. what you have lost, and what
have you got instead?'
Far more than merit In any case dear
1t Is her secret. and. but that | dared not
deceive you, should never have passed my
| lips. 1t is over. Posey, buried forty fathoms
deep. You Sc. now, that each of us has
need of charity and forbearance with the
other. and you must set me an example
| OF kind forgiyingness for all have done or
! left undone toward you"
My dear boy" said Mr.. Winstan!ey.
who at this moment came shutfiing out
| from the library to join them. you are
| late for luncheon, but how long wouldn't
| l wait to see you and Posey standing there
| together? It's better than any bath
| to have you around. tell you feel years
| younger since you came"
| so do |, father said Posey. After
| this am going to wear a collar with a lit
| tie bell and a leash. and let John lead
me upon the Croisette. 1t Is good to have
| some one to be will and conscience. both,
for met
| I'm afraid I've spoiled her for you. just
| little. john" added her father wistfuly.
| You and others, perhaps. But such
| she is. she's lot too good for me, sir-or
| any man. All the same. l think you'll have
| to be giving me Posey before the time you
| fixed for our probation. We are young
| and will grow together and she, IL help me
| X.
| Winstanley. that she's got n dose of this
| old world at the start thatll make her
| willing to settle down in our own country
/ We'll see, nodded the old gentleman.
| And, indeed, the idea of earlier mar
| riage chimed in with his own notions. Since
| the wing OF the angel of death had brushed
| so near his face in passing, Herbert VIM
| stanley often thought that to put the flu
| ture of his impetuous child into safe hands
would give him happier feeling when he
lay down TO sleep o nights
| Thus Miss Bleecker was wiser than she
knew, In predicting a matrimonial conclu-
| sion 10 the Winstanley winter in Cannes.
| When she and Helen accepted Poseys in
vitation to dine with them Ito meet few
| friends on the night but one following
their arrival-an invitation, needless to say,
accepted by Miss Carstairs with perturba-
| ton of spirit and the feeling that she
was walking UP to the cannon's mouth
things seemed to point that way. They
| found Mr.. Winstanley, simple and gentle
| ever, standing to receive his guests in
the craving room with its famous tapes
| tries surrounded by gems of art that for
| the first time in years had emerged from
their Holland cerements. The stately room
| had flowers massed in its corners, and a
! great fire of logs was leaping under a
carved stone mantelpiece also banked high
with plants and blossoms. At her fathers
| right hand stood Posey. blushing and dim
ping with artless pleasure In receiving her
| friend under circumstances so radically DIFF
ferent from those in which they had met
and parted a few months before: but III
dress and bearing so perfectly adapted
was she TO her luxurious encourage that
Miss Blocker blinked when looking upon
| her and refused to believe her eyes. And
on Mr.. Winstanleys other side. quiet.
grave, n little pale. but collected and fully
determined to maintain his position with
Gignitied acceptance, stood Glynn-as hand
some and bonny lad as ever rejoced
fathers heart. Mr.. Winstanley was saying
inside his own warm receptacle of human
emotions.
A on I'M nd
away: he clasped her gloved fingers.
marvelng at her grace and distinction in
the trailing dinner gown of pale rose satin
without frill or furbelow, each It that this
occasion had for them the solemn sgnifi-
canoe of final remuneration of their love.
1t was as IL she were standing in the church
seeing Glynn take Posey to be his wife. A
keen pang of shame for the weakness that
had overcome her on their journey shot
| through her being. All, well. Fate had
been too strong for her then. That was the
| last, the very last-like a farewell breathed
into already deadened ears.
Posey's attitude toward Helen also
touched Miss CarStairs acutely. That there
was in it a new consciousness she felt i'm
mediately. She recognized that Glynn must
have eased his honest heart of its burden
! by telling his betrothed of his former love
| for her. and felt that this it should
| be, If Posey were to remain her friend 1t
was not tender apology or loving sympathy
| that Posey showed, yet bashful con-
seriousness that she had in some way taken
|
| exquisite mixture of all these Her high
spirits had for the moment deserted her
She kept close to her fathers side, answered
| Miss Bleecker's fulsome greetings with
attempt at tart or witty answers. and as
their other guests came in, proceeded to do
| the honors If born to the purple" $50
Miss Blocker whispered to John Glynn)
The chaperon's day of wonder was upon
her, while the room rapidly filled with a
company of people distinguished in the
worlds eye of their winter colony. all OF
whom bore themselves toward the tenant OF
Refine des Fees and his youthful chatelaine
with the friendly consideration of accus-
toned intimates. To each of the newcom-
ers Glynn was presented by his host; with
out special announcement IL is true, yet In
fashion Intentional that there was no
mistakng the attitude in which he stood
toward father and daughter AS they pres
emily went in to dinner, in sale with
carved panels of French walnut and great
luSterS of Venetian glass Illuminating its
four corners, to gather around table that
left nothing for fastidious taste to crlticise.
Miss Blocker wanted to pinch herself upon
taking off her gloves to feel assured that
she not in a dream. The old gentle
man, yonder, well turned out by a good
valet, in appropriate evening clothes, seated
between great lady of France whose neck
was wrapped in historic pearls, and En-
glishwoman Of rank and exclusive habit
could he be the little old man of shipboard
whom Helen's chaperon had despised and
derided the veriest pretender to good So
ciety? 1t was incredible! And the strangest
part of the situation in old Sally's eyes was
that save in externals Herbert Winstaney
had not altered in any particular from the
shrewd, quiet observer of the game of life.
the mild commentator upon the ways of
men and women. the almost childlike re-
cipent of courtesy and kind words, whom
she remembered with amused contempt.
Such he was, these people had taken
him UP with good will there was no deny
ing. Miss Blocker had the pleasure of
finding herself at table told off to old
beau of nativity American. overlaid with
years of veneer continental. who seemed to
find satisfaction in extolling to her the
solid" success OF the WinStanleys; the
girls extraordinary ease in presiding over
this banquet OF state, and the good luck of
that fellow Glynn, whose significant ap-
pearance this evening was evidently in
tended to put all of Miss Winstanley's other
admirers out OF the running.
Old Sally, who had long ago learned how
to trim her sails listened with bitterness,
and while comforting her inner woman with
the long succession of "plats" and wines
presented at her elbow made up her mind
that she would stray over to RENE des
Fees, without Helen. next morning (under
her most becoming parasoD, with the hope
OF finding Mr.. WinStanley engaged in TAX