The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-01
cMAprER !.
Lisa Dru,n,nond'a pnrt

II had come Mt last, the moment ]
had been thinking about for days. !
was going to have him all to myself.
the only person in the world I ever
loved.
He had asked me tp sit out two
dances, and that made me think that
he really must want to be with me,
not just because LIN the pretty girls
:, sister" but because I'm myself, Lisa
Drunimond.
Being what an--aueer and plain
] can't bear TO think that men like
girls for their beauty; yet I can't help
/. liking men better IL they are hand
some.
l don't know IL Ivor Dundas III the
handsomest man ever saw. but he
seems so to me. don't know II he
is very good. or really very wonderful.
although he's clever and ambitious
, enough; but he has a way that ma lSes
women fond of him; and men admire
him. too. He looks straight into your
eyes when he talks to you. as IL he
cared more for you than any one else
in the world. and X were an artist,
painting a picture of al dark young
knight starting off for the crusades.
should ask 1yor Dundas to stand as
my model.
Perhaps his expression wouldn't be
exactly right for the pious young Cruz
aader for 1t isn't at all sanity, really;
still ! have seen just that rapt sort OF
look on his face. 1t was generally
when he was talking TO Dl; but
wouldn't let myself believe that IT
meant anything In particular. lie has
the reputation of having made lots OF
women fall in love with him. That
vas ono of the first things heard
when Di and / came over from Amer
Tea to visit Lord and Lady Mount
stuart. And of course there was the
stPry about him and Maxine de Renzie.
Every one was talking of 1t when we
first arrived In London.
My heart beat very fast as guided
him into the room which Lady Mount
stuart has given Di and me for our
special den. 1t Is separated by an
other larger room from the ballroom
but both doors were open and we could
see people dancing.
told him he might sit by me on
the sofa under DIS book shelves. be-
cause we could talk better there
Usually, don't like being in front
OF mirror, because--welI, because I'm
only the pretty girls sister" But
tonight didn't mind. Ny checks were
red and my eyes bright. Sitting down.
you might almost take me for tall
girl. and the way my gown was made
didn't show that one shoulder is
little higher than the other. Di de-
signed the dress.
thought, II 1 wasn't pretty. did
look interesting and original. looked
MS II 1 could think of things, and as
IL could feel.
And was feeling. I was wondering
why he had been so kind to me lately,
unless he cared. OF course 1t might
be for DIS sake; but 1 am not so
gueer-iooking that no man could ever
be fascinated by me.
They say pity Is akin to love. Per
haps he had begun BY plying me, be-
cause Di has everything and nothing;
and then. afterwards he had found out
that I was intelligent and sympa-
thetic.
He sat by me and didn't speak at
fret. Just then Di passed the far
away, open door of the ballroom.
dancing with Lord Robert West. the
Duke of Glasgow's brother.
THANK you SO much for the book
I said.
(He had sent mo book that morn
ing-one he'd heard me say 1 wanted.l
He didn't seem to hear, and then he
turned suddenly. with one OF his nice
smiles. / always think he has the
incest smile in the world; and certainly
he has the incest voice. His eyes look
very kind. and little sad. I willed
1T made me happy to get It," went
"1t made me happy to send It," he
said.
Does 1T please you to do things for
me?" I asked.
Why. of course"
You do like poor little me tiny
bit, then?" couldn't help adding
Even though I'm different from other
girls?"
Perhaps more for that reason" he
said. with his voice as kind as his
eyes.
"oh. what shall do If you go
away" I burst out, partly because 1
really meant, and partly because
hoped it might lead him on to say
what I wanted so much to hear. Sup
pose you get that consulship at AL
giers.''
II hope may" he said quickly. "A
consulship isn't a very great thing
butts a beginning. l want 1t bad
lyN
81 wish I had some influence with
the Foreign Secretary" said I. not tell
Ing him that the man actually dlslikes
me, and looks at me as II I were a
toad. "Of course, he's Lord Mount
stuart's cousin, and brother-n-law as
well. and that makes him seem quite
In the family, doesn't 1t? But 1t isn't
as II I were really related to Lady
Mountstuart I was never sorry be-
fore that Dl and are onlysstep-sisters
.-no. not q bit sorry. though here
mother had all 1.-THE money, and brought
1t to my poor father; but now I wish
were Lady Mountstuarts niece. and
that I had some of the coaxing, 'girly'
ways/Di can put on when she wants to
: get something out of people. I'd make
the Foreign Secretary give you exactly
what you wanted, even IL 1t took you
far. far from me-"
With that, he 5looled at me, sudden-
~, and his face grew slowly red. under
the brown.
You are very kind Imp" he said.
"Imp'' is the name he invented for me.
loved to hear him call me by 1t.
"kind!" I echoed. "One isn't kind
When neutrality-suspicious."
saw by his ayes Them that he
knew. But / don't care. II only I
GOULD make him say the words Ilong-
ed to hear-even because he pitied me-,
because he had found out how I loved
HIM and because he had really too
much OF the dark-young-cru