Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-01

CHAPTER ul-OoNt10Uoo. ~s~s~i
Daddy, call that something like a
man. don't your Her color was high
and her eyes were blazing. She looked
happy when her father echoed her en-
| thusiasm
| Il do. daughter That was the action
of a gallant gentleman There was a
silence of perhaps half minute. Then
tCol. Ogtivie spoke:
But. why, my dear. did you tell this
to me?"
Il had to tell some one. daddy. 1t is
Ltoo splendid to enjoy all ones self. and l
was afraid If told mother she might not
| understand-shes only woman. you
know. and might put wrong construc-
ton on my telling her. and SO worry
| herself about me. And l didn't dare to
tell Aunt Judy, for she's SO chock-full OF
romance that she would have simply gone
crazy and chaffed me out of all reason.
There is no holding back Aunt Judy when
she is chasing after a romance! And,
| besides. daddy dear here she took his
arm and looked up in his face, II wanted
you to know that Lord Athlyne is gen.
| tleman." Her father frOwned.
| Why should ! know. or care?"
| Not on your own part. daddy-but-but
only because l want you to. 1t is hard
to explain, but think you took preju-
dice against him from the first. and you
see it makes, it less awkward to be cou-
pied with a mans name, when the name
and the man are good ones" The COL
onels frown was this time one of puzzle
ment.
I'm afraid don't understand. You
! never saw the man. Why should you
! dislike less to be coupled with him be-
cause he did a brave thing? Besides, the
whole thing Is mere nonsense
"Of course 1t is, daddy. All nonsense.
| But it is better to be good nonsense than
| bad nonsenser'
Look here. daughter-my little girl
I'm afraid you have got or may get too
carer
.'Oh. that's all right, daddy. He is only
an abstraction to me. But somehow he
interests me- Don't you be worrying
will tell you everything hear about him.
Then you can gauge my feelings and keep
tab of my folly
"All right. little girl. There can't be
ANYTHING very dangerous when you tell
your father all about it,
1t was three months before Joy men,
toned the name of Lord Athlyne again to
her father. One morning she came to him
as he sat smoking in the garden at Air.
Her eyes were glistening and she walked
slowly and dejectedly. In her hand she
held copy of the New York Tribune She
held it out. pointing with her finger to
passage.
Read it for me- little girl" In answer
she said with break in her voice:
You read it,. daddy. Don't make me. 1t
hurts me: and / should only break down.
1t Is only dream, / know; but 1t Is a
sad dream and is over all too soon!' Col.
Ogilvie read the passage. which was an
account Of the fighting at Durk river, In
which numbers of the British were carried
away by the rapid stream. the hale and
those wounded by the terrible fire of the
Beers alike. The list of the missing was
headed by a name he knew.
Maj. the Earl of Athlyne of the Irish
Hussars.''
| The old gentleman rose up. as stiff as
at the salute and raised his hat reverent-
| ly as he said:
"A very gallant gentleman. My heart
is with you. my little girl! A dream it
may have been; but a sad ending to any
dream."
A week after Joy sought her father
again in the garden. This time her step
was buoyant. her face radiant and her
eyes bright. The moment her father
| saw he felt that 1t had something to do
with what he called in his own mind
| that Internal fellow When she was
close to him she said in low voice that
thrilled:
wounded and carried down the river and
| was captured by the Beers and taken up
to Pretoria. They have put him In the
oird cage. Beasts! It's all here in the
| Tribune.
| Col Ogilvie was distinctly annoyed.
When he could look on Lord Athlyne as
dead he could admire his bravery. and
even tolerate the existence that had been.
But this chopping and changing-this be-
! ing dead and coming to life again was
disturbing. What sort of a fellow was
he that couldn't make up his mind on
any subject? Couldn't he remain dead
! like gentleman? He had died like one:
| wasn't that enough, Joy saw that he
was not pleased. She was too glad for
the moment to take her fathers attitude
to heart; but every instinct in her told
her not to remain. So she laid the
paper on his knee and said quietly:
I'm leave it with you, daddy. You
can read 1t yourself: it's worth reading.
You are glad. / know. because your little
girl is glad that there is one more brave
man in the world
Just as she was going her father called
her back. When she was close to him
he said in a kindly manner. but with
great gravity:
mo more mentioning names now, little
girl" She put her finger to her lip as
registering vow OF secrecy. Then she
| blew kiss at him and tripped away.