Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-06-18
CHAPTER V.-Continued.

itv which never failed her The only
ather. person present, handsome, sun
burnt boy, who in some mysterious way
proclaimed himself sailor every inch
of him, was staring and scowling across
at Miss Hesslerigge, and it dawned upon
Verona that she was ostentatiously UNI
conscious of the stare
isn't he gooses" she said petulantly,
and added-"Eric."
Lieut. Pritchardi"
'If you like. It's all the same" She
grew confidentially pathetic. TITS per-
fectly awful, you know, having both of
them in the house."
obi" Verona exclaimed. She was en-
lightened "Then-then it is he, laura &"
"0f course it is" said Laura. She APP
peared surprised that as much has not
been OWNED at once-even a little in
jured. did you ever see anything like
the way the absurd goose glowers at
me? And he simply glares at Lord Mar
tingale. You'll see. He's so jealousl"
Does he know you are really en-
gagedf"
"Of course. AS though anybody could
be with dad for ten minutes and not
know And I've simply screamed it at
him myself. But it doesn't do bit of
good He waits until I've done scream
ing, and then starts boring again exactly
where he left off, It's so aggravating"
1T must be your fault. You told me
almost that you were fond of him."
well, so I am" Miss Hesslerigge ad-
mitted fractiously "And 1 dare say he
knows it-very likely he does. But Pm
not going to marry him. can't; dad
would swallow me-and he knows that
too" She sighed forebodingly. 81 shall
have nice time at dinner, expect, for
have to go with him. Lord Martin
gale will take you. You needn't mind;
he is all right to get on with" ~.
IL don't think l shall mind" Verona
was not in a light mood, but she found
the eonsolatory patronage of the tone
amusing Does not Lord Martingale
see. Laura? You must be careful. He
might quarrel with Mr.. Pritchard"
Quarrel? He wouldn't trouble. He
treats Eric rather as if he were in
knickerbockers. It's swfully rude,
think, if it does serve him right" Her
pettishly resentful tone changed as she
rose. "Here he is at last!" she said
"How late you are! We are all starving
Let me introduce you to Miss Ford. l
made her come after all, you see. Lord
Martingale-Verona. What do you say,
dad? Go in with Eric? Yes, I know-all
right"
As the young lady, with scant cere-
mony, twitehed herself away from the
paternal hand and advanced upon her
still scowling escort, Verona looked up
She did not start in doing SO; one VIC
lent shiver had run over her before the
viscount had reached her side In the
midst of her confused, amazed bewilder-
ment the thought flashed into her head
that it was a good thing that she was
already so pale as she met the bright,
steel-gray eyes, and saw the strapping
OF the wound upon the forehead which
her own fingers had dressed.
This is not my fault" he said hur-
riedly. II have not forgotten what you
said to me. I only came back when l
heard that you would not be here We
must have met sooner or later, suppose.
but would have kept out of your way
as long as | could, and you should not
have been taken by surprise if / could
have helped it" He took her hand and
put it on his arm. "Say as little as you
like now, but give me, will you, chance
70 speak to you presently"
Il am sent over here to talk to you
because you look dull. We are both, l
believe, thought to be incapable of APP
preciating the music" the viscount said.
He dropped his voice to a tone lower
than its already quiet one. "You know
have been waiting and watching for a
chance to speak to you. May l take
this one?"
Verona made a gesture of assent. Seat
ed IN quiet corner of the drawing room,
her eyes upon the magazine she turned
without seeing, she had felt his approach
before he spoke.
She had expected it, knowing that a
better opportunity could not be, and feel
ing that he watched for it. The million
are had left the room on the plea of a
letter to write, Aunt Maria was nodding
IN her chair, at the piano Miss Hessler
lgge ar, the young lieutenant seemed
equally busy, pleased and noisy.
Verona had spoken hardly dozen SEN
fences to her companion, and he had been
almost equally taeiturn. She knew, with
sort of angry amusement, that Laura,
watching her constrained manner, hear
49, 10AAN ut1CA duCC5Y udu OuipIdCSuLlN
and indulgently decided that she was
terribly shy of Lord Martingale, and
quite overwhelmed by his proximity
he took seat over against her, speak
ing at once abruptly. She still turned
the pages of her magazine
i want in the first place" he said ito
tell you that there was nothing in the
least strange or mysterious il my being
on the moor that night. vas simply
motoring over from Exeter-perhaps you
know l have place near there-ard the
car performed the usual trick anu broke
GOWN. As far as | could make out my
bearings | was not much more than i've
miles from here, and judged from my
map OF the moor that could probably
md my way pretty easily. So l decided
70 walk, and left my man to get the car
back as best he could. Anyhow, l lost
my way. as you know, and came to
grief" He paused 81 don't know how
II was that did not explain the matter