The Washington herald., 1907-10-20
By FOXCRoFT DAVIS
PART XIII

from Lady CarlyOn saying that Sir Percy
and herself were asked to the White
House TO meet a distinguished English
man visiting the United States and must
therefore, ask to be excused from Mrs
Marchs dinner. Alicia replied with an
equally conventional note. A fortnight
/ later she called at the embassy, and
with her sweetest voice and manner
asked Lady Carlyon TO name another
| date for dining with her Again Lady
| CarlyOn named a date. The morning of
! the dinner, Sir Percy went into his wife s
! boudoir and, after standing silent for a
while with an angry and somber face
said to her:
L can't have you dining with ALICIA
March. I always hated il, and find that
man Cslegrove is at her house a great
deal You must have a headache cold
or something. by which you can excuse
yourself. / viii 90; I am not better than
Alicia March, but you are ten thousand
times better than she"
Usually Lady CaTlyOn could reason
with her husband. but on this occasion
he was quite inuactable Lady Carlyon.
therefore, wrote a note Of excuse ana
secluded herself for the day, alleging
illness. Sir Percy went to the dinner.
and found an odd conglOmeration of
guests. very much like that collected by
the rich man in the Bible for his sons S
wedding. Alicia was perfectly conscious
Of the collection she had made, but bore
herself With her usual dignity and out
ward composure. Even Gen Talbot.
who had felt a secret Uneasiness con
cerning Alicia's reception in Washington,
was conscious that her dinner guests
were of a somewhat mixed variety, and
7 nfrrF q D.. 4.
He even mentioned that CoIegrOve's Wis
/ its to the house might be misunderstood.
Alicia was of the same opinion Cole
grove still possessed for her the interest
q woman feels Tor ii man who is deeply
/ interested in her, and, besides, COlegr0ve
/ was the only man she had ever known
/ who understood her inability 10 make
any income she might have meet her ex-
! peuses. He never scOlded her, bat
seemed to think her continual want Of
money an amiable weakness Neverthe-
/ less. Alicia, growing frightened at the
changing attitude of society toward her.
wrote note TO Colegrove imploring him
not TO come again 10 see her. In reply,
Colegr0ve called 10 ask for an eXpiand-
tiOn. He caught Alicia just as she was
entering the house. Without waiting for
an invitation, he walked into the great
draWing-rOOm. where their last private
interview had occurred, nearly three
years before.
of course" said Alicia, when they
We're out Of hearing, though not out OF
sight, you are trying TO compromise
me"
All is fair in love" replied Colegrove
calmly; you had better let me come
openly, and ask me % dinner"
ATfefa vt-.f1l1 s,s4 l-a mn r,r1r11fce h4ff yvhar
she was alone in her boudoir she re-
fected upon the strangeness of the Amer
lean character. Two Americans loved
her, one had made a stupendous sacri-
flee for her, the other was pursuing her
with an ingenuity Of persistence, a handi-
ness of resource, which was new and
puzzling 10 her English mind. And then
as women do who know how TO think,
/ she began TO consider with kind of sad
wonder why she could not emanCipate
herself from the influence Of COlegrove.
and from that of Sir Percy Carlyon. and.
what was stranEest Of all. from the
memory Of Roger March. and did not
( realize that men only have the art Of
/ forgetting.
No woman, alasl forgets," she thought
I to herself, and rising went 10 her hus-
/ bands rooms, and closing the door after
( her, she walked about them aimlcssly.
/ Roger March had done her a fearful in
/ jury; such quixotism as his could benefit
no one She felt deep resentment
against him. but that was far from for
getting him. In the four years and a
] half of her life with Roger March there
/ had been a continual sense Of discom-
/ fort; his personality, agreeable though IL
/ was. seemed perpetualy Al war with her
/ secret self She had taken him as the
! necessary adjunct of his fortune. and she
should have been glad TO get rid Of him,
! If only she could forget him. But she
found herself continually thinking about
/ him, wondering what kind Of existence he
/ led, and II he ever felt any regret as
I TO what he had done. She had thought
herself the COOlest-headed and best-bal-
anced of women, but she seemed, as she
grew older 10 be losing rather than gain
I ing her possession.
Things had come TO such a pass by the
end Of the season that Alicia was slipping
[ back socially. One thing which she felt
/ necessary for her to do. if she was to
remain in Washington, was 10 have Lady
/ CaTlyon seen at her house. She could not
| forever 90 on giving invitations which
/ were CleveTly evaded. The only thing
/ was 10 seek Lady Carlvon and bring the
matter 70 an issue To do this il would
| be necessary 70 take Lady CarlyOn Un-
awares. for she would certainly excuse
herself II Mrs. March called al the en-
/ bassy at an unusual time. and there
would be no chance for her If she went
/ at the customary visiting hour Alicia.
| therefore. watched for her opportunity
and determined TO seize It anywhere and
at any time. Il came most unexpectedly.
/ One night she and Gen. Talbot were at
/ the theater, and when the first act Of the
/ play was half over, Sir Percy and Lady
/ Carlyon appeared IN an upper box alone.
/ Sir Percy, after seating his wife com
forta6ly, said "A few words and went out.
| carrying his hat and great-cOat. Lady
/ Carlyon, sitting far back in the box
watched the play and was quite unob-
/ served by any one in the audience except
/ Alicia March. When Gen. Talbot went
out OF the thcater after the curtain came
/ down on the first act. Alicia, seeing the
way clear before her. climbed the narrow
stairs TO the box and walked in on Lady
/ CarlyOn. Never did Lady Carlyon have
/ q more unwelcOme guest. or one with
whom She less desired private conver-
sation. She greeted Alicia politely. how
ever. and said:
| Sit Fercy VIII return IN a little While.
/ He had an appointment for half an hour
| this evening. and brought me to the play
/ 10 await him"
| 4 am very glad" replied Alicia IN her
/ sweetest voice that he is absent, be-
cause I wish to ask you question Of the
most private nature.
| Then she took a chair, and the two
women, each perfect mistress Of herself,
] l.
Alicia. softly, whether you have any
real objection 10 entering my house?"
! Lady Carlyon remained silent, and after
/ q minute Alicia March spoke again:
/ Il see you have; I may as well speak
frankly. As an Englishwoman, and
/ strangely situated as ! an, can't expect
! A. rocc---,ltic-, ~ IL LlrlAiel. A---l.--.-