Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-27

end. No mean diplomatist herself, Lady
Hilbury understood much that would per.
force be hidden from all save those &C.
quainted with West Africa.
you will permit me to tell Charles?''
came the eager question when he had
finished.
"Of course. Why not?"
There are those in the administration
who are jealous of his record" she said.
'Not every one has his tact in dealing
with natives. 1t is no secret that our
relations with the emirs of the interior
have been strained almost to breaking
point of Late
A motor stopped outside the house and
a bell rang. Lady Hilbury bent forward.
Her voice sank to a new note Of intense
conviction.
"You have been given a great oppor-
tunity, Arthur 1t may come sooner than
you think. Grasp it firmly. Let no man
supplant you and it will carry you far.
Her ladyship's manner no less than her
earnest words told Warden that there
We're forces in motion of which he was
yet in complete ignorance. It was suff1-
GENTLY puzzling to find an under secre-
tary so we'll informed as to the identity
of certain visitors to Cowes, but when q
with her wide experience of the seldom.
seen workings of the political machine
went out of her way to congratulate him
on great opportunity" he was thrilled
Thus. when his hand closed on that OF
Rosamund Laing there was flush on his
bronzed face. CLINT of power and con-
fidence In his eyes. that might we'll be
misinterpreted by woman startled al
most to the verge of incOherence.
When she asked whore Lady Hilbury
was and If she were alone, the footman
merely announced the fact that a gentle
man had called and would make one Of
the luncheon party. Rosamund entered
tI,~ ,10Y,~ vuysfh ~ aha
pulsiveness practiced SO sedulously that
it had long ceased to be artificial. For
once in her life 1t abandoned her. War
denis friendly greeting was such a bolt
from the blue that she faltered. paled and
blushed alternately, and actually stam-
mered a few broken words with the shy
dfffidence of schoolgirl.
The phase of embarra ssment passed as
quickly as it had arisen. Both the man
and the. woman were too well bred to
the present Lady Hilbury. too. rose to
the occasion, and they were soon chatting
with the unrestrained freedom Of old and
close acquaintanceship.
Then Warden discovered that the lively.
impetuous girl, who taught him the first
sharp lesson in lifes establishment. had
developed into beautiful, self-possessed,
almost intellectual woman of the world.
She was gowned with that unObtrusive
excellence which betokens perfect taste
in her costume showed that the memory
of her late husband did not press too
heavily upon her. The fashionable mo-
diste can lend periodicity to grief. and
Mrs. Laing was passing through the hello
trope stage Of WidOWhood.
Her exquisite complexion was certainly
somewhat bewildering to the unframed
glance of the mere male. Warden's recol-
lection. vivid enough now. painted dark
skinned, high-colored girl Of nineteen.
with expressive features. q mop of black
hair. and a pair of brilliant eyes that
alternated between tints of deepest brown
and purple.
The eyes remained. though their arch
ness was subdued. but, for the rest. he
whiteness face of repose, cheeks and
ears of delicate pink. and waved and
plated mass Of hair of the hue known as
Titan red. He found himself comparing
her with Evelyn Dane, whose Drlar-rose
coloring shone through clusters or de-
lightful little freckles and. somehow
the contrast was displeasing.
The conventional smile Of small talk
must have yielded to the strain, because
Rosamund Laing noticed his changed ex-
preston.
asked They were seated at table, at the
end of a pleasant meal and the talk had
wandered from recent doings to a long
forgotten point-to-point steeplechase won
NV Warden on q horse which Rosamund
herself had nominated.
He recovered his wandering wits in
TT is not anything that you have said. |
are worrying me-" he said. II have been
trying to dodge the unpleasant knowledge |
that'I must gather up my traps and fly |
to Waterloo. Lady Hilbury knows that |