Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-06
CrOSS-PurpOSeS
CONTINUED from Page 1s,

KNOW.
II should tell Miss Vernon-er-exact
ly how things stand"
would your And what then?"
"Why, then I think should-well, let
matters take their course"
"Oh, would you? Then that shows,
my dear Top, that you haven't thought
things out five minutes ahead. How
can a man say to girl, My dear, l
should like very much to be able to ask
you to marry me, but unfortunately L
can't, for I'm just about as well off as
my chauffeur to whom I've just given
the sack because l can't afford to keep
him any longer Could any man take
advantage of girls affection for him
in that way?" After a pause; 1T
wasn't worth getting better for, Top"
Nonsense! That's the main thing,
after all. The rest is trumpery and
straightforward Where are they stay
ing?"
"Eotel des Anglais."
"Well, after lunch take me round
He did And five minutes observa-
ton was enough to tell me that Twem-
low was right. In Miss Vernon's eyes,
when they rested on him, was tender
light that no man could mistake. And
as for her father, apart from his
marked amiability, the deliberate way
in which he took me aside and left the
other two together was only consistent
with the supposition that he thought
he was accommodating their wishes
and was quite willing to do so.
When he rejoined the others they
were not alone. A very elegant gentle
man had just joined them, and each of
the three looked trife embarrassed as
we came up. 1 was presented to the
Comte de ChenonceauX, polished cos
mopolitan, Personally, 1 did not find
him "sympathique," as he would say.
He was extremely charming, no DOUBT
but though his manners might be per
Lo1
confidence for my taste, and his charm
was of the cultivated kind.
The comte had just come to ask the
colonel and Miss Vernon to go over TO
a pigeon shooting match at Monte
Carlo, and he must have noticed the
little flash of the eyes that passed
between Twemlow and Miss Vernon;
Her eyes seemed to question hls-ano
he turned away.
The following morning Twemlow
popped his head into my room and
said:
"I've had breakfast. If I'm not back
for lunch may be for dinner"
Where are you going to-?
Mind your own business.
Perhaps it was as we'll for him that
1 didn't. I dressed myself with almost
a bridegroom's care and went to the
Hotel des Anglais. Colonel Vernon was
lust sauntering out alone for his
morning stroll. He must have extend
ed his fatherly mood to me, for he
linked his arm in mine, shared his
Tussore sunshade with me and was
soon inquiring about Twemlow.
So l began my little diplomatic talk
It did not come out quite as l had
mapped it out in my mind when driv-
ing down from Cimiez, but it served its
purpose. Colonel Vernon, in fact
helped me out.
Fate" 1 was saying, "has indeed :
played a game of cross purposes with
Twemlow. 1 found him a rising barris-
ter with the beginning of a practice
which his talents would soon have in
creased. Then came the bolt from the
blue, as I have explained. and with It l
the abandonment of all professional
effort just at the most critical part of
his career. Then came the legacy, ana
with it a reckless disregard of all {
worldly prudence-natural enough per-
haps, when there seemed so little need s
for any. Besides, he had just met some {
one to whom, if things had fallen out
differently. But 1 will not dwell on
that. 1t is enough to scay that he real
ized, by that meeting, something of
what fate had denied to him-the su-
premest happiness of life Then, colo
mel, came this complete and magical
restoration to health. But-to keep up
the perversity of things-fate con-
trived that that happy consunnnatioh {
should synchronize with the end of his
dwindling legacy. So that, all through l
what fate has given him with one hand
she has taken away with the other
And now just at a time when"
I stopped eloquently.
L. i. ,.-k 1