The Washington herald., 1908-01-19


Z hope you have not hurt yourself. ."
she said; but. remembering quickly.
how came you to be hunting? I thought
you were an invald?" Then, with fugi-
tive smile, Indeed, ! supposed you were
still abroad"
Game back three days ago" the man
answered rather shortly. Il suppose
Brenton will not mind putting this animal
up for me? lie can't 90 much farther"
Where are you staying?" asked Ca
milla.
They all moved on together slowly He
mentioned a house that had been taken
for the hunting season by some friend
Of hers.
At this juncture Katherine and the
children walked bTiskly on ahead.
1t IS tea-time, YOU know" the girl
explained. As matter Of fact she was
anxious TO get away.
Sir Samuel had trick OF staring at
any woman he thought worth looking
at IN very embarrassing fashion, and
Katherine Granger was certainly pleasing
to the eye.
The note Of her appearance was sim
plicity Itself, beside the costly elegance
OF Mrs. LauCing but she was slim, and
straight and fresh, and young. and with
such a pair of eyes any woman must
have been attractive
so you are rusticating." Broxburne
said, as he and Camilla We're left 20 them
selves; mot much In your line, is it2
But 1 suppose now that you are going
TO settle down you have turned over a
new leaf entirely. Is the lucky man down
here2"
NO. he has gone to build a hospital. or
buy up a whole county as a thanks
giving for our approaching wedding, 3"
Camilla laughed. Don't you think a
hospital is a very good idea? / expect
he imasines he may want it before 1
have finished with him"
She spoke as lightly as ever, and laughed
with the same ease. but within the warm
embrace of her furs she seemed to
Wither, TO shrink "a little Not half an
hour before she had been longing. pray
ing almost, for some barrier to stand IN
the pathway of her marriage. Now she
knew with the unerring sense Of intuition
that what she had dreaded so much Just
before Christmas, and which of late she
had managed 10 forget almost entirely,
was coming upon her-that her future
was definitely threatened
She had been SO protected OF late. SO
wrapped about with the renderest the
most ChivalrOus care. that she felt this
sudden translation into the old atmOs-
pheTe more keenly than she had ever
felt any Of her former troubles and anxi-
eties- 1t was as though she had been
stripped OF every warm garment, and
thrust shjVering and helpless into the
aching cold of a black frost.
Yet she tried 20 play her part.
You wrote me a very nice letter,
sammy" she said.
He laughed
Yes, didn't Z? Too good by half"
Fate had played Camilla a nasty trick
by bringing her face 10 face with this
man just at this particular moment.
When he had been thrown, his first act
on picking himself up had been to
thrash his horse numerically. That had
relieved him a little, but the poison Of
his anger had not worked off completely.
He had always promised himself the
pleasure of dealing very straightly with
Mrs. Lancing lie was not likely to deny
himself the satisfaction Of doing this
when he felt so much in need of a vent
for his feelings. when, too, he knew that
he had the situation in the hollow Of his
hand.
Il must say he said. with that same
sneering tone in his voice. that I was
taken all aback when I heard what had
happened Always thought you were a
model Of fidelity. that your heart was
buried IN Ned's grave, and that sort of
thing. don't You knOW2 But money
makes q great difference. and there has
never been quite enough money for YOU.
has there. Camilla"
She shivered- There was a Ieer on his
face as he turned and looked at her. She
answered him half-lightly, ha!f-wearil-
oh, I don't know, I think one can
have too much of anything, even of
money"
At this Sir Samuel laughed loudly.
We'll, / must say you are a clever
woman Yes, by Jove. you are. 7 used
10 think in the old days, when Ned was
on the scene, that YOU were a fool and
saint combined. 1 know a little bit better
now"
CamilIas lips quivered She turned 70
him. There was an unconscious entreatv
in her voice.
Dear sammy she said, why are you
so cross with me?'
But he only answered with another
laugh
Yes, in the old days." he went on. ..vou
played the part Of the prude 70 perfec-
ton. Kept a fellow at arms length, and
pretended all sorts Of things"
why so back 10 those old timesY'
asked Mrs. Lancing. in a very low voice
Because l choose to do so: because
there Is something that has 10 be ser
tied between us. and you know that L
suppose YOU think was taken In by the
sweet way YOU treated me when we met
down here in November But it was the
other way about. I took you in.
didn't II"
It was very cold in this damp country
road: all the world seemed gray; the trees
with their bare, seemingly withered
branches stood like specters against the
Camilla's color had faded. She looked
haggard.
Please speak a little more plainly"
she said.
And BrOxbourne answered her
Not ]. There is nothing TO be gained
by telling the truth TO woman, espe-
cially to a woman Ike you"
She caught her breath sharply, almost
as if she had been struck Her mind.
trained TO work with almost Incredible
swifness, fathomed the significance of
these words. She put out her hand and
gripped his arm.
What has 10 be said must be said TO
me, and 20 me only" Then suddenly she
broke down "Oh. SammyF, she said. 'I
know. Don't you believe I know I did
you a great wrong? There is nothing 10
excuse it, except that you can't possibly !
realize what a corner I was in! What
an awful temptation it was. II had all
been so easy for YOU You have never
had to face hard times and black. killing |
difficulties. You can't be expected 10 /
understand what these things mean"
why didn't you ask me?" the man
said surlily; and she answered in that /
same broken way:
II could not First Of all, you had /
gone away and then I was afraid"
She broke off abruptly; he looked at her /
s hon