The Red Cloud chief., 1907-07-12

sounded ridiculously commonplace, and
she laughed at him.
"Do you know that you are going
to take me inT" she said. II hope
that you are prepared to be very
amusing. DO tell me which is your
friend
Then Duncombe remembered An
drew, who was standing by his side.
He turned toward him, and the words
suddenly died away upon his lips. An
drcw's tall frame was shaking as
though with some powerful emotion.
He was standing with his head thrust
forward as though listening intently.
Duncombe set his teeth.
"Will you allow me TO present my
friend, Miss Fielding!' he said. "An-
drew, this il Miss Fielding. Mr.. Pei
ham, Miss Fielding!"
She held out her hand and took his
passive fingers.
IL am so glad to know you, Mr.. Pei
ham," she said pleasantly. "Sir George
gave me quite a shock today when he
spoke Of you. | was once very nearly
engaged to an Andrew Pelham In Bal
timore, and l had most distressing VI
sions of all my old sweethearts turn
ing up to spoil my good time here"
Andrews voice sounded odd and re-
strained.
81 have never been in America" he
said.
She laughed.
"You need not be afraid that I am
going to claim you," she declared.
you are at least u foot taller than my
| Andrew. You don't even inspire me
with any tender recollections of him.
Baron, I do hope that you have not
taken too much exercise"
"My dear young lady," he answered,
bowling, 81 never felt better In my life.
Be thankful that 1t is not your hard
fate to be my dinner companion. / am
so hungry that | should have no time
for conversation"
"On the contrary" she declared, II
almost regret it. | much prefer to do
some of the talking myself, but I sell
dom get a chance. Will you promise
to give me n show tonight, Sir
Georgc?"
"As long as you permit me to say
two or three things which are in my
mind" he answered, lowering his
voice Il little. you may do all the
rest of the talking"
Dear me, | am curious already"
! she exclaimed. "What are the two or
three things, Sir George? Why, do you
see, nearly every one has gone she
added suddenly. "Come along.'
She laid her hand upon his arm and
led him away. Soon he was by her
side at the table. Their companions
were embarrassing. Andrew was out
Of sight. Duncombe forgot everything
else in the world except that he was
with her.
Their conversation was of triles, yet
intimate trifles. The general talk buzz
ed all round them. Neither made any
effort to arrest it. TO Duncombe she
seemed simply the image he had Great
ell and worshiped suddenly come to
life. That ii was not In fact her pic
ture went for nothing. There was no
infdelity. The girl who had existed
IA hln - was ll'lN. ~ vas "
her that he had departed from the even
tenor of his ways, for her he had
searched in Paris, for her he had
braved the horrors of that unhappy
week. Already he felt that she be-
longed to him. and in Il vague sort Of
way she, too. seemed to be letting her
self drift, to be giving color to his un-
conscious assumption by her lowered
tone. by the light in her eyes. which
answered his by all those little name
less trltles which go to the sealing of
unwritten compacts.
Once her manner changed. Her IA
Their, who was on the opposite side of
the table, a little way off, leaned for.
ward and addressed her.
"Say. Sibyl. where did we stay In
Paris? I've forgotten the name of the
place"
"LHotel rAthenee," she answered
and mt once resumed her conversation
with Duncombe.
But somehow the thread was broken
Duncombe found himself watching the
little gray man opposite. who ate and
drank so sparlngly, who talked only
when he was spoken to and yet who
seemed to be taking Il keen but covert
interest In everything that went OF
about him. Her father! There was M
iikeb,ss-no shadow of n likeness. Ye
Duncombe felt almost a personal inter
est in him. They would know one an
other better some day, he felt. ,