The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-08-27
CHAPTER II.
Playing With Fire.

early UuSluSSS appointment, ieSt
night, with it's music and moonlight,
seemed to him dream-like and un-
real. 1t was all very pleasant while
1t lasted, but in few days he would
quit Paris, and probably never see
Lambert or that wonderfully charm
ing daughter of his again. What
would be the destiny of such a wom-
an so placed? Not happiness, he
feared, if she were all she seemed.
Yet how devoted that queer fish Lam
bert was to her. So far as he could
take care of her he would; but what
perceptions could he have of what
was right and suitable for delicate,
sensitive girl.
With vague curiosity, arising
from very mixed motives, he directed
his steps to the hotel where Mr.. and
Lady Frances Deering lodged, and
found that lady at tea with her son
a pale, delicate, deformed boy-and
a gentleman of middle height, with
a frank, sun-burnt face, and GER
tain easy looseness about his we'll
made clother.
You are just in time for tea, Mr..
Glynn," said Lady Frances, in a soft.
but monotonous voice. do you
know my cousin, Captain Verner?"
Yes, the gentlemen had met before,
and they exchanged few civil words.
SIS this your first visit to Paris?'
asked Glynn, kindly, as he drew his
chair beside The sofa on which the
boy was lying.
"Yes, the very first"
"And how do you like 10"
ooh, so much! 1t is so beautiful
and bright. 1 should like to stay
here always"
"Bertie is So much better and
stronger since we came here, which
partly accounts for his wish to STAY"
said his mother, with a slight sign.
''Why are you hurrying away to
London?" asked Werner. There is
nothing to call Deering back, as he
has lost his seat
''He is not happy out of club-land.
I suppose" said Lady Frances, Sit
ting down beside her son. Il must
say am very sorry he lost the cleo
ton. He deserved better at the
hands of the Denham men, but it was
the radical mining people that turned
him out
do you leave soon?" asked Glynn.
"On Thursday; 1 suppose you will
not come back quite so soon? You
are fond of Paris, think?"
My movements are rather uncer-
tain; 1 may go on to Berlin"
The entrance of Deering interrupt
ed him.
Glow do, Glynn? You still here,
Verner?" He took no notice of Lady
Frances or his son.
Eyes, | want to see the review to-
morrow, and will start by the Lyons
train at night" said Werner, on an
apologetic tone.
Travers Deering was tall, but not
so tall as Glynn, more conventionally
distinguished looking, with regular,
aristocratic features, steel-gray eyes,
and nut-brown hair and mustaches.
He was, on the whole, popular man,
and bestowed a great deal of care
fully yelled cultivation on his popu-
larity. He was considered rather the
type of proud, manly English coun-
try gentleman of a fairly clean life,
though no saint, and little martyr
lied by being tied to so cold and i'm
penetrabIe a wife. Servants and in
significant people of that description
whispered that the steel-gray eyes
could fash with baleful fire, and that
Lady Frances had grown colder and
stiller since the deformity and deli
cacy of her only child had become
perceptible and hopeless; while Mr..
Deering never stayed at Denham
alone with her.
Glynn was conscious of an unac-
countable sense of relief when Deer
ing expressed desire to quit Paris
even sooner than he had at first in
tended.
1t was absurd to imagine that any
evil could arise out of a mere passing
admiration; it could be nothing more,
for a handsome stranger. Yet the
expression Of Deering's eyes, the un-
easiness, wonder, fire, all COM
mingled, which had SO impressed
him, flashed back vividly across his
memory with undiminished disturb
ing force. But Deering was talking.
81 have been round Count de Le-
tours stables this morning. Have
you seen them, Glynn? They are
worth a visit. His studgroom and
head men are all English. l am very
much inclined to back his chestnut
Barbecue, for the Derby. He's q
splendid horse, only, of course, it
isn't always blood or breeding that
wins. There were couple of Amer
leans looking through the stables at
the same time, who seemed deucedly
wide awake, and inclined to back
both Barbecue and filly, Etoile
d'Auvergne, about which I am not sc
sure. l have met one of them, Van,
dervoort, in London. Do you know
him."
Glynn said he thought he did. The
talk became, for a few minutes, OF
the turf, turfy. And while it went on
the boy rose, and, followed by his
mother, who covered his retreat
noiselessly left the room. Glynn,
looking at Deering at this MON ent,
caught an expression or malignant
dislike in his eyes toward his de-
formed son, or his wife, or both,
which surprised and revolted him.
IT was instantaneous, and he contin-
ued to talk lightly and pleasantly,
till Glynn rose to bid Lady Frances
good-morning.
Werner left the room at the same
time, and the two men walked toward
the Place de la Concorde together.
PITY that poor boy is cripple,
said Glynn. speaking out OF his
thoughts. Il fancy Deering is a good
deal cut up about it"