Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22


tell anyone till he heard of the engagement from
else.
He had not spoken of it; but something else had
happened. He had cabled to Lady Maud that he
coming back to England by the next steamer.
He often came and went back suddenly two
three times at short intervals and then stayed away
for many months; but Lady Maud thought there
could not be much doubt to his reason for coming
She knew we'll enough that he had tried to
persuade the prinla donna to marry him during the
previous winter and that if his passion for her had
shown itself much of late, this due to other
causes, chiefly to the persecution of which he had
rid himself just before he went to America, but to
some extent also to the fact that Margaret had not
seemed inclined to accept anyone else.
Lady Maud, who knew the man better than he
knew himself, inwardly compared him to volcano,
quescent just now, far Margaret was con-
cerned, but ready to break out at any moment with
unexpected and destructive energy.
Margaret herself, who had known Logotheti for
years. and had him in his most dangerous
moods we'll in his very best moments would
have thought similar comparison with an elemental
force quite as truly descriptive of him it had oc-
CURED to her. The enterprsing Greek had really
attempted to carry her off by force the night OF
the final rehearsal before her first appearance on
the stage. and had been thwarted only because
royal rival had caused him to be locked up. as if
by mistake, in order to carry her off himself; IN
which he also had failed most ridculously, thanks
to the young singers friend the celebrated Madam
Bonann That was very amusing story. But
another occasion Margaret had found herself
shut up with her Oriental adorer in a room from
which she could not escape, and he had quite lost
his head; and if she had not been the woman she
was she would have Jared i'll. After that he had
behaved more like ordinary human being, and
she had allowed the natural attraction he had tor
her to draw her gradually to promise OF marriage
And she talked to Lady Maud about her gown;
but she still put off naming day for the wedding,
in spite of Logothetls growing 1mpat1ence
THIS was the situation when the London son
broke up and Van Torp landed at Sout hampton
from an ocean greyhound that had covered the dis
lance from New York in four days twenty-five
hours and forty-six minutes.
Five hours after he landed Van Torp entered
Lady Maud's drawing room in the little house on
Charles-st Berkeley Square, where she had lived
with the departed Leven from the time he had
been attached to the Russian Embassy till he
it was already half dismantled. 1t was to see Van
Torp that she in town in the middle of August,
instead of with her father at with friends
in Scotland.
The American entered and stood still moment
to have good look at Lady Maud. He wasa middle
sized, rather thick set man, with rude hands, sandy
hair, an overdeveloped jaw, and sharp blue eyes.
that sometimes fixed themselves In d1sagreeable
way when he was speakng,-eves that had looked
into the barrel of another mans revolver once or
twice without waVering, hands that had caught
and saddled and brided many an unr1dden colt In
the plains mouth like carpetbag when 1t opened
like closed VICE when 1t was shut lie was not a
handsome man, Rufus Van Torp, nor one With
whom anyone short of prize fighter would neddle
nor one to haunt the dreams of sweet sixteen
Well he said advancing the last step after
that momentary pause, and taking the white hand
in both his own, "how have you been! Far to
middng? Well, I'm glad to you, gladder than
a setting hen at sunrise!
Lady Maud laid her left hand affectionately on
the mans right, which was uppermost on hers, and
her voice ripped with happiness. " If you had only
said lark instead of hen, Rufus! she laughed
We could get along great sight better without
larks than without hens answered her TREND
philosophically. But I'll make it nightingale
next time if l can remember, bald eagle, or any
bird that strikes you cheerful.
The terrible mouth had relax almost to gentle
and the fierce blue eyes were suddenly KIND as
they looked into the womans face. She led HIM to
70 side by side