Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-03-08

3ui. crleU MliliCeut, VI SouiSS
sething was done. They could never
te Mr.. Meredith unprotected"
kes," answered Jocelyn quietly,
s. Oscard went up and rescued him.
brother heard yesterday that the
lef had been effected"
Efficient smiled again in her light
Srted way.
IThat is all right" she said. "What
hood thing we did not know! JUST
hk. auntie dear, what a lot OF anx-
we have been spared" =
Hn the height of the season, t0o!
ID Jocelyn.
stYes-es," replied Millcent, rather
bbtfully.
la,ly Cantourne was puzzled. There
something going on which she did
iunderstand. Within the sound
bf the pleasant conversation there was
The cliquetls of the foil; behind the
bottle smile there was the CLEAN OF
kteel. She was rather relieved to turn
at this moment and see Sir John Mer-
hhh entering the room with his usual
burtly bow. He always entered her
Hrawing room like that. All, that little
,Iecret of mutual respect! Some peo-
.jble who are very young now will wish,
Iefore they have grown old, that they
lad known it.
Z He shook hands with Lady Can
with Millicent. Then lie
deferentlal half bow,
the introduction to the girl
ing enough to be his daugh-
to be his granddaughter.
something pathetic and yet
bis old mans unc0mpromis-
nee to the lessons of his
Meredith-Miss Gordon"
- !inning-the thin end Of the
the homely saying has 1t
which we introduce almost
by Of our lives, little suspect
hat it may broaden out.
d. the pleasure of seeing you
ht," said Sir John at once, lat
Fitzmannering'S evening party,
home / believe we call them
A.iays. Some of the guests read
Invitation too much au pied de la
Re for my taste They were so
h at home that I, fearing to In
Sffe, left rather early"
ZMe was beginning to wonder why he
~ been inyited--nay, almost COM
ESQ fad--to come, by an imperious lit
- Ia. aud nf AatS- 1vbnpeyAr Sir
iSlbn began to wonder he began also
q feel old.
: lat that moment the door opened and
(here entered complex Odor of hair
wash and perfumery-a collar which
I must have been nearly related to
Acp1, and pair Of tight patent leather
z@oots, all attached to and somewhat
/overpowering young man.
wAh, my dear Mr.. Grubb," said
Lady Cantourne, "how good Of you
to call so soon! You will have some
.. tea. Millicent give Mr.. Grubb some
tea"
Then Lady Cantourne went to the
conservatory and left Sir John and
pocelyn at the end of the long room
together. There Is nothing like wo-
mans instinct Jocelyn spoke at once.
.'Lady Cantourne," she said. kindly
asked me to meet you today on pur-
bose. live at LoangO; know your
son, Mr.. Meredith, and we thought
ron might like to hear about him and
about Loango."
"Yes," he said, with a strange hest
|tation, "yes, you are kind. or course
i am interested. wonder" he went
lon, with sudden change of manner
III wonder how much you know"
81 know" she answered, that you
have had a difference Of Opinion-but
no one else knows! You must not
think that Mr. Meredith has spoken
OF his private affairs to any one else.
The circumstances were exceptional,
and Mr.. Meredith thought that 1t was
due to me to give me an explanation"
Sir John looked little puzzled, and
Jocelyn went on rather hastily to ex-
nie..,,::- ~
"My brother and Mr.. Meredith were
at Elton together. They met some
where up the coast and my brother
asked Mr.. Meredith to come and stay.
It happened that Maurice was away
when Mr.. Meredith arrived, and l did
not know who he was, 80 he ex-
planned"
81 see," said Sir John; "and you and
your brother have been kind to my
boy. And dare say" he added, with
q somewhat lame attempt at cynicism.
s'that you have heard no good Of meY'
But Jocelyn would have none Of
that. She was no child to be abashed
by sarcasm, but woman, completed
perfected by her love-
kcuse me-" she said sharply, "but
not the truth, and you know 1t.
know as we'll as l do that your
son would never say word against
you"
Sir John was looking at her keenly, |
his hard blue eyes like steel between
the lashless lids.
"You disquiet me-" he said. Il have
a sort Of feeling that you have bad
news to tell me-"
"No," she answered, mot exactly. |
But it seems to me that no one realizes
what he is doing out in Africa-what |
risks he Is running"
"Tell me-" he said, drawing IN his
chair. 81 will not interrupt you. Tell
me all you know from beginning to
end. 1 am naturally somewhat inter-
ested."