The Washington herald., 1908-01-12
CHAPTER TX.


concerning Katherine Granger from
his mother. Haverford, of course, never
expected TO receive q prompt answer;
indeed, he was quite prepared to have
no answer at all
He left orders that all his letters
were TO be forwarded TO him while he
was in the north, and Katherine's lit
tie cpistle Travelled thither with the
rest of his enormous correspondence.
It would have been very difficult for
the man to describe why he objected TO
the arrangement that had been entered
into between Mrs. Lancing and Katherine
Granger The girls own argument TO
herself in favor of what she had done was
very sound one Indeed, under the cir
cumstances, most people would have re-
garded the matter as being both lucky
and satisfactory.
But Rupert shared Mrs. BTenton's view
about things done in haste; that for the
first point; the second was that. as he
had put himself out in a certain measure
TO make arrangements for Miss Grani-
ger. he considered that he should have
been consulted before she had made any
definite plans.
To find. therefore. that she had already
assumed au independent attitude and
had taken herself and her immediate Tu-
ture out of mis- hands, annoyed him.
There are very few men who really ap-
precate the spirit of independence in
women, and Rupert Haverford was very
much behind the times in his views con-
cernng the way in which women We're
swarming into the world as bread-win-
ners and wage-eaTuers.
He made no haste 10 reply TO Rather
ines letter As usual he found much to
occupy him when he arrived at the dirty.
smoky, Northern town.
lie confessed to himself that he was
glad 20 be away from London again. even
for q little while, glad 10 dissociate his
thoughts from that element of life which
belonged 10 the world IN which Camilla
Lancing lived Not that he expected to
be able 10 put her out of his thoughts
altogether, for even in the dun pr0saic,
unlOvely surroundings of the factory. re-
membrance Of this woman haunted him
in SO tangible q way that at times he
could almost have imagined she was close
beside him. And on this occasion he ear
Tied with him new matter for thought
where Camilla Lancing was concerned
A new element had crept into his heart:
jealousy.
II he shut his eyes he could see with
painful distinctness Camilla ioatE
round that large room held I'm the arms
OF another mum.
He knew perfectly well that this other
man was 10 more TO her than the floor
on which she danced. but that did not
affect the situation as far as he was con-
CeTned
he WINGED and turned hot as he sat
alone in the railway carriage whirling
away from town, Just as he had WINGED
and grown hot the other night, when
like some graceful white leaf borne on
q wayward wind, she had lightly skim
med past him, brushing him with her
soft, clinging skirts
Her laughing petulant reproach when
he had refused TO dance because he
could not dance, had left a little wound.
she had made him feel clumsy; sud-
denly she had seemed TO Tecede from
him.
It was the first time that he had ever
felt awkward. and at the mere suggestion
that he could look foolish I'm the ewes Of
this woman Rupert HaverfOTd discover
ed that he was very like other men.
some OF whom perhaps he had judged
hardly, and some cOntemptuously.
He had no definite intention in his mind
as TO how he should act Indeed. il
seemed 10 him that the future was not
held in restraint by his hand or his
power, and he laughed once TO himself
little bitterly, as he recalled how he
had gone round and round this subject
OF late, thinking entirely Of his own feel
tngs, and OF how far the bewitchment
That this woman had cast upon him was
20 be permitted to order his life.
IL
Lancing had shown him that he made
too much Of his own Importance.
1t was not exactly his fault that he had
grown critical and reserved where women
were concerned.
II he had met Camilla whom he had
been workinsman, struggling every
hour % advance himself into indepeud-
6nce. he would never have questioned
her right, never have sought to analvze
what went TO form her brilliant person
atty He would have given her undues-
uoning devotion, seeing In her that spirit
OF grace and deliCacy and beauty which
had always been placed in his dreams.
a gift at once necessary and unattain-
able.
But the burden of his great wealth had
changed IN q certain measure Rupert' S
nature; lit had made him cautious il
had made him doubtful. and he was 50
lmbued with that weighty sense Of re-
sponsibility that he never took ster
in any direction without great delibera-
tion, and forecasting as far as he could
the probable results that would accrue
from any act
Mrs Lancing was not the only woman
who fluttered in and out of his life In
these days, who charmed him momen-
tarily and pressed upon him eagerly
sympathy and friendship and delicately
nsinuated homage
lie would have been blind indeed if he
mad not realized that his marriage was
matter of importance and hope to many
women OF his acquaintance, that any
cholce indeed was possible to him
lie was a little impatient with himself
at times when he realized that If shoul6
De this one particular woman who held
him. even now, when she had left him
smarting and uncomfortable. he was fan.
ing back into that old train of anyiou,
thought about her.
OF course, he knew her history as the
world knew IT, Most people We're kind
about Camilla LanCing. There had been
notaing subtle In the way in which hel
husband had WTOnged her.
1t was the knowledge of this wrong done
TO her which drew Haverford To her Sc
surely. He longed to give her protection
10 build up barriers between her and all
those things which had been legacies OF
her married life.
And. OF course. there was only enc way
IN which he could do this.
All at once he realized that he had
ceased to doubt or speculate as TO ne ftl-
ture Of such marriage; hope became de-
hbcTate intention. And still the path was
not clear. He knew his own heart but
what about the wOmaI's heart?
Metaphorically. he stretched out his
hands TO catch tnat dancing laughing
white-robed figure. only to feel that the