The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-12-23
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER Nv.
And the new beauty? What is she
nke?" drawled a languid young
guardsman.
She's perfect" cried Algy Dosing
er with energy. My dear chap. If you
were only to see her!-and you may
do so tonight at Lady Clothilda's bail.
why. she would awaken even your
sluggish nature into an ecstasy. / met
her last night. L took her in to dinner
at General Bateman's fancy sitting
from soup to strawberries side by side
with a goddess Such luck never came
my way before"
why, Algy. are you in love," laugh
ed an older man, who was listening
with some amusement to the converse
ton It was the man who was so
strangely like, and yet unlike. Rupert
Carroll.
Il should rather think was in love,"
cried the amorous Dessinger raptur
ously, and so would you be. too. Il
you saw her, my boyl"
MY dear fellow" replied Neither
vile. with a languid smile. no more
girls for mel I keep out of their way
nowadays"
And then the others remembered
that Netherville had been Tilted about
q year ago by a girl who had married
his own cousin, and that he was still
supposed to be secretly sorrowing over
the event; although he was well known
to affect the society of certain lively
and somewhat vapid little widow. who
was presumably engaged in pouring
balm into his wounded heart.
he rose and making Soma
excuse. left the rest to the party to
finish their smoke and talk without
him. When he was gone, the others.
who were all younger men. became
more at their ease. and the talk went
on very much as before
Tell us her name, Algy?" persisted
BERTHE Morris Who is she. and what
IS her history"
she is a Miss Garland. She was
brought up in the country, and just as
she grew up her mother died. and her
aunt took her abroad. They have been
away for more than a year; on the
Riviera first. and afterwards they trav-
eled about in Italy; spending last sum-
mer in Switzerland. They came home
I'm May, she and the aunt, and this is
positively her very first appearance in
London"
And who is the aunt?'
Lady Garland is the widow of a
Lord Mayor, or something OF that
kind; a stupid sort of woman, 1 should
say. but didn't speak to her"
The eighteen months since we sa y
her last have worked a great change
I'm Irene Garland. She is older, harder.
and colder. and yet quite as beautiful
as in those old DAYS, long ago, when
she dawdled away the dreamy hours
amongst the water lilies and surren-
dered the whole of her fresh young
heart to Rupert Carroll.
1t is not good for any woman to be
deserted and sighted; still less is il
good for one who has the power of
youth and beauty on her side. 1t makes
q woraan's heart grow hard her judg-
ments on others bitter. her views of
life altogether to become distorted and
unlovely.
Because one man had treated her
badly, Irene was convinced now that
all men were unprincipled and dishon-
ors.b!e. 1t seemed to her that a wom-
an. who had suffered as she had done.
had best turn her hand against them
the wrongs she had endured from the
cruelty of one. upon the rest of his
sex, was only a fair and just retalia-
ton
Many women have felt this. but all
have not the power TO act up to Il.
Now Irene had the power 1t was Ru-
pert himself who had once told her so.
and no sooner was she fairly launched
- tilt Of Ia II
season that she found out by expert
ence the truth of his words
1t was easy to smile and look sweet
to talk pleasantly and even cleverly
I'm order to fascinate the men who
crowded about her. 1t was easy to
make them fall in love with her. and
then to turn round upon them and
laugh, and declare that she had meant
nothing at all-upon her word OF hon
or, nothing at all, 1t was really Il
most amusing game to play at. and
Irene soon learned to play it with ex-
traordinary dexterity.
TT serves them right" she would
say to herself. with a toss of her
scornful little chin. i am very glad
i can trample on their hearts; they
would think nothing OF breaking mine
into ators-if I had any heart left to
break-which, fortunately, / have
aot,"
Yet often and crten the poor child
would lie awake through hours of the
night, her pillow wet with tears. her
hands olenched hard together, her
heart bursting with the sorrow that
she never could quite succeed in cheat
bg away, and in the darkness low