Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-01-10


aThere was small excitement All
the inhabitants We're anxious to help,
and took my share. AS matter of
fact, the smash was not disastrous;
the passengers were hurt and fright
ened, but nobody was killed.
He paused and looked at his compan-
ion: but. seeing him Interested. went
on.
Among these passengers was an
Eng.:sh lat.y. OF all concerned in the
business, she was the least upset. When
I came upon her she was sitting on the
shattered door Of one of the carriages
calmly arranging her hat. On seeing
me she looked up with the most charm
ing smile imaginable.
81 have just been waiting for some
body like you she said. My stupid
maid has got herself smashed up some
where in the second class carriages,
and | have nobody to help me find my
dog
ssOf course, that first speech ought to
have enlightened me, but it didn't. /
only saw the smile and heard the voice
| knew nothing of whether they were
deep or shallow So l found the maid
and found the dog. The first expressed
gratitude, the other didn't. | extricat-
ed him with enormous difficulty from
the wreck of the luggage van. and this
was how he marked his appreciation.
He held out his hand and nodded to-
ward the scar.
Chilcote glanced up. 80 that's the
explanationT
Eyes. | tried to conceal the thing
when l restored the dog, but | was
bleeding abonafnahly and | failed.
Then the whole business was changed.
1t was l who needed seeing to, my new
friend insisted; who should be looked
after and not She She forgot the dog
in the newer interest Of my wounded
finger. The maid, who was practically
unhurt, was sent on to engage rooms at
the little inn, and she and l followed
slowly.
ssTbat walk impressed me. There was
an attractive mistiness of atmosphere
in the warm night, a sensation more
than attractive in being made much of
by a woman of ones own class and
country after five years wandering"
He laughed with touch of irony.
tBut won't take up your time with
details. You know the progress Of an
ordinary love affair. Throw in a few
more flowers and a little more sunshine
than is usual, a man who is practically
a hermit and a woman who knows the
world by heart and you have the whole
thing.
.'She insisted on staying in Santasa-
lare for three days in order to keep my
finger bandaged. She ended by staying
three weeks in the hope of smashing up
my life.
ssOn coming to the hotel she had CIV
en- no name, and in our first explana-
lions to each other she led me to con-
.clude her an unmarried girl. 1t was at
the end of the three weeks that learn
ed that she was not a free agent, as l
had innocently imagined, but possessed
a husband whom she had left i'll with
malaria at Florence or Rome.
"The news disconnected me, and /
took no pains to hide it. After that the
end came abruptly. In her eyes | had
become a fool with middle class prin-
ciples; in my eyes But there is no
need for that. she left Santasalare the
same night in a great confusion OF
trunks and hatboxes, and next morning
I strapped on my knapsack and turned
my face to the SOUTH
And women don't count ever after p
Chilcote smiled, beguiled out of him
self.
Loder laughed That's what I've
been trying to convey. Once bitten,
twice shy:'' He laughed again and
slipped the two rings over his finger
with an air of fnality.
"Now, shall start? This is the latch
keyY' He drew key from the pocket
of Chilcote's evening clothes. when
/ get to Grosvenor square am to find
your house, go straight in, mount the
stairs and there on my right hand will
be the door of your-I mean my own
private rooms. / think I've got it by
uedfL. leel luSplISu. - lSSA tAdt
can't go wrong" He handed the two
remaining rings to Chilcote and picked
up the oyercoat.
.sI'll stick on till l get WIRE" he
said. "Then I'll come back and well
reverse again" He slipped on the coat
and moved back toward the table
Now that the decisive moment had
come it embarrassed him. Scarcely
knowing how to bring it to an end, he
held out his hand.
Chilcote took it, paling a little
.'Twill be all right. he said, with a
sudden return of nervousness. Twill
be all right! And I've made it plain
about-about the remuneration? "A
! hundred week, besides all expenses. !
Loder smiled again. Ny pay? Oh
yes, you've made it clear as day. Shall
we say good night now?'
"Yes. Good night"
There was a strange distant note il
/ ~. =