The Washington herald., 1907-08-04
CHAPTER TX,
4 Cloud Like a Mans Hand.

/ cloud Like n MIES ftduN.
Il say. haven't you stewed here long
enough? For goodness sake. come out
aud get = breath Of fresh air. Surely some
other body could sci penwiDers or pin
cushions. or whatever the rubbish is, tC
these good people Why should you both
err" said Basil Conyers. in an eager. not
u say somewhat aggrieved, undertone
The big. crowded tent was certainly hot
and sUfy enough TO excuse his urgency
The sun, which had bIazed upon it ell day
WAS now near its setting. and poured in
through the lo0ped-up entrance curtains
in a long, level. solid-looking stream OF
dusty gold. leaving the rest of the inte-
rior. with its gayly striped roof and walls
and the medley Of brightly colored articles
heaped upon the tables. in warm. many
hued, confusing check. against which Is0-
bel Stormont's white figure stood out in
strong relief.
1T is hot" she said. stepping back out
of the shaft of misty light enhaloing ner
face and hair f"Quite "a stage effect; no
limelight artist could have done better,
as vi Rudgeley said) But il has been
great fun. I have quite enjoyed il. I have
really In smiling answer to Conyers
skeptical grimace. I don't know now
much I have sold, and I am sure Il is
very good of the people TO buy. for
can't even conceive what "a lot of these
things are meant for" glancin6 round at
the mysterious utilities in crudely color
ed silk or wool, which seem to drift from
bazaar to bazaar. and which. like the i'm
to sell and to sell again until some Un-
known limbo receives them Haven't !
done well? How much have I sold, Mrs.
WotherSpoon?" turning 10 a stout. mid
dle-aged lady. whose comely, kindly face
was overl3id by that look OF mild vicari-
GUS worry which p-Oclaims the minister
wife
My dear, I really haven't had time to
count, but you've done wonders-really
wonders. There's that set of hand-painted
dOilies Lady GTiselda sent-heT own work
she said. and they weren't TO go under
her price. They've lain about all day
and not too fresh to begin with. and old
Mrs Pringle has fingered them ever Sc
often. and she took them from you like
lamb and at the full price, too. When
your dear papa and mamma get their
vote OF thanks fOy all they've done, I'm
sure you should get one. too; and that
Eentleman-what was his name ?-has been
a. great help, too
Mr.. Ashe. if you ike. but I-oh. no
I've only been amusing myself. though
Mr.. Conyers won't believe it," lightly;
and, as l say, everybody has been 50
kind, said Isobel. as Conyers hurried
her away, the smile which gave point q
the last words completing good Mrs
Wotherspoons subjugation.
Mrs Wotherspoon's kindly eyes were
not the only ones which watched the pair
stroll away into the sunshine. Mankind
including its larger portion Of woman
kind, has a perennial interest. prospective
OF retrospective, in such an idyll, which
no repetition can stale II some ewes
were wistful, others We're perhaps not a
little envious. and Miss Rudgeley's fine
Orbs were possibly not quite free from
this taint. as she gaZed after the retreat
Ing pair, and then turned TO face Ashe as
he came up to make his peace with her
It was not unnecessary. as he had been
vigorously acting lieutenant to Isobel in
her new capacity, and he had further to
break 10 his hostess that he was not re-
turning to Balacha!ian that night. as he
had amused old Lady Carruthers so well
for half an hour that she had promised
to got him an invitation To dinner al
StormOnt. the Hon. Evelyn not being over
nice az 10 the means, granting the end
were secured.
Miss Rudgeley not being so wholly mat
ter-of-fact, as 1t was her pose to appear.
had been more fiattered than she cared
TO admit by Ashes assiduous homage
homage deIcately suggested rather than
openly stated: and while with modern
plalnness Of speech she would probably
have said that she did not want Evelyn
Ashe for herself, she most certainly did
not want any other woman TO have him.
That he hadsshown rather much interest
in Miss StOTThOnt probably gave an addi-
tional edge 70 her tone. as she said, nod
ding toward the two retreat!ng figures:
Il shouldn't think you've any chance
there. Basil Conyers seems to have made
up his mind, and, Ike q wise man, he's
doing it as If he liked It, You would
think he really cared for the girl from
the way he scowls at every one who
comes near her. He honored you with a
particularly black one, 1 noticed
Much obliged" said Ashe, Struggling
his shoulders. Not but what I'm inter-
ested in the girl" cOolly; It should Ike
to watch the development OF that little
affair. It Is curious enough at It's pres
ent stage to make one wonder what may
come out Of it.
You've certainly taken every oppor-
tunity Of studying 1t, or her. which, I sup
pose, comes 20 the same thing" said VI
IN a tone Of such undisgused piQue that
Ashe smiled inwardIy.
by the by. I've just heard a very odd
thing about her from Benson, my maid.
] allowed her and some Of our people. -
loftily, Ito come to this affair: I'm sure
I hope they've found it any treat gIanc-
ing disparagingly around, as they crossed
the lawns toward the house "Of course.
she got talking with the other maids
they always dO-and. I suppose. she had
been expressing some doubt about Miss
StOrnont's loss of memory, for her maid
she's a little French girl-got quite ex-
cited, and declared that she didn't even
know what lot Of her toilet things were
for, no more than If she had never seen
them before, she told her.
wi. my love, should we not be going?
The castle people have left already. -
said a wilted little voice. as a wilted lii
tie woman rose from a garden chair and
came forward. She was Overjeweled. over
scented. and so Overdressed that the eve
was caught by the gorgeous gown before
It could take any account Of the depre-
eating face and wizened figure of the
wearer
THE mater always looks as If she was
wearing some one elses frock and was
In a blue funk lest she should be found
out" was Wis usual filial comment on
l. ~