The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-02-06
the mater, and take care of the re-
spectable Adonis. Yours,

spectacle Adonis. Yours,
Ivy. NJ"
The ~colonel's voice quivered a lit
tie as he finished reading.
Lena, slowly slipping her coffee,
looked over her cup toward her IA
Their, with an interested but some
what critical expression on her face.
1T is to be hoped" she said, that
the respectable Adonis will apprecl-
ate the interest shown in his e.
fare"
"Ye-es," said the colonel, vaguely,
as he slowly folded the letter:
"There!" he continued more ener-
getically, as he placed it in his pock-
ct, you know as much as I do
Mrs. Wright slowly raised her eyes
from her plate, and looked across the
table toward her husband.
Except" she said, suggestively'
Gin the matter of Understanding
or other"
Marie Bakovitch-yes, I must tell
you about her. It would interest
you, I think"
Lena Ia still slipping her coffee
indifferently. :
Marie Bakovitch," continued the
colonel, "is a young lady, beautiful
and accomplished. Two years ago
she undertook to remove me from
the face of the earth. She is what
is called in some countries a patriot,
and that is the form taken by her
patriotism. Of course she belongs to
several crack-brained societies, and
one of these was kind enough to in
form. me by letter that 1 was con-
demned, at the same time warning
Mistley. He had the effrontery to
reply to their formal communication,
but I did not see the letter. Since
then I have heard nothing about 1t.
Some time later Mistley received a
threatening letter, and since then this
girl has followed him like a shadow"
Lena slowly set her cup down upon
the table. With one white finger she
began polishing the top CT the silver
coffee pot with peculiar attention.,
like a child who is being gently
scolded.
"By some means" continued the
colonel, "he turned the wrath OF
these mistaken patriots from my
head, and called it down upon his
own. Marie Bakoyitch followed him
to Walso, and actually attempted to
shoot him, down at the BroomWater
one day when he was fishing. She
missed him, and then tainted into
his arms-in the most confding man.
ner, VINEYARD said. The fellow mall
aged to make even that into a funny
story. He generously kept the whole
affair quiet, and succeeded in getting
the girl away from Walso. She even
promised to leave England, but
whether she will keep her promise or
not, I cannot say. He was afraid
that they might have been seen to-
gether, and that gossip would get
about, so he asked me to tell you the
truth about it."
The two ladies were silent. Lena
bent her head over the coffee pot as
if she were short-sighted and wished
to see the result Of her prolonged
polishing. It was only when he
looked across the table and met his
wife's eyes that Colonel Wright fully
realized what VINEYARD Mistley had
done in taking this danger upon him
self.
And you knew this all along?"
said Mrs. Wright, presently, with
gentle severity. She was recalling,
with the unerring memory of a wo-
man for such details, the thousand
passing incidents in which VINEYARD
Mistley and his chief might have be-
trayed their anxiety concerning Marie
Bakovitch and her presence in Walso.
Women usually consider that they
have the monopoly Of the minute dip
lomacy OF everyday life. They love
to comment on the clumsiness and
want of tact with which they are
pleased to endow their husbands,
brothers and sons; and when a rev.
citation comes to them, as it. had now
come to Mrs. Wright, the result is a
trife humiliating. Most women learn
sooner or later in their lives that the
men whom they pride themselves up
IN blindly leading, allow themselves
to be led just as far as suits them,
and not an inch beyond.
Lena must have been thinking OF
this also, for presently, without look
ing up, she said:
CTo be continued.)