The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-07
By GEORGE BARR M'CUTCHEON
Opad1noo4y
Copyright. 1908. by Dodd. Mead
 0 Co.

man on the place? Miss Pelham is quite good enough for any one of us. I'd be proud to have her as my wife If lived at Hammersmith Bridge"
 You amaze me, sirr'
 She's very pretty girl," volunteer ed Chase glibly.
 "Oh. she could marry like flash in New York" said Britt. "A dozen men I know of are crazy about her-good looking chaps too" The sarcasm es- caped Saunders. who was fdgeting un- comfortably.
 'tOf course, you know, the breaking of the engagement-I should say the row-wasn't of my doing" he Hubmit ted. pulling at his finger joints nerv- ously.
 I'm afraid it can't be patched up either.. said Britt dolefully. "She's been insulted, you see"
 ''Sannders, we can't have our only romance marred by a breach of prom ise suftsr said his lordship resolutely. ssrhere has simply got to be wedding in the end or the whole world will hate us. So far you have been our prize young lover You are the undisputed hero. Don't spoil everything at the last moment, Saunders Patch it up and let's have a wedding in the last chapter. You should not forget that it was you who advocated multimar- riage. Try it once for yourself, and if you like it, by love, we'll all come to your succeeding marriages and bless you,. no matter how many wives you take unto yourself. D
 Saunders, very much impressed by these condolences, bowed himself out of the room, followed by Britt, of whom he implored help in the effort to bring about reconciliation. He was sorely distressed by BEitt's ap- parent reluctance to compromise the case without mature deliberation.
 The charity ball began at 10 o'clock, schedule time DrusilIa Browne, as- sertfng herself as an American ma fron, insisted that the invitation list should include the lowly as well as the mighty. She had her way, and as result the bank employees, the French maids. Antoine, and the two corporals sof RApp-Thorberg's Royal guard appeared on the floor in the grand maxrh directly behind MT. Britt, MT. Saunders and Miss Pelham.
 "One cannot discriminate at the charity asbaI1,,s Drusilla stoutly main tafned 'sThe hof pollof and the riff ran always get in at home. so why not here P
 q shalI feel as if were dancing with my greensrocer,o lamented Lady Agnes. Later on, when the dancing was at It's height, she exclaimed with all the fervcr of charmed imagina- tion ger feel as the Duchess de What's her-name must have felt, Bobby, when she danced all night at her own ball and then dressed for the guillotine in- stead of going to bed. We may all be shot in the morning"
 The Indian fakers and showmen gave a performance fin the courtyard at mid night They were followed by the Bedouin tumblers and the inspired PersfHns, who danced with frantic abandon. There. was but one unfor- tunate accident. MT. Rivers, formerly of the bank, got very tight and fell down the steps leading to the court yard, breaking his left arm.
 Lord Deppingham and Chase kept their heads. They saw to it that the watch over the grounds and about the chateau was strictly maintained. The former led the grand march with the princess. She was more ravishingly beautiful than ever. HoIlingsworth Chase was dazzled. Something seemed to shout coarse1y. sconngiy into his ear. <eNow do you realize the distance that Hes bskween7 She was made for kings and princes, not for such as you!"
 He waited long before presenting himself in quest of the dance he hun gered for, SO greedily- afraid of her! She greeted him with new, brighter light in her eyes. A culver of delight long in restraint came into her voice. He saw and felt the welcome in her manner. The blood surged to his head He mumbled his request. Then, for the first time, he was clasping her fin gers, touching her waist, drawing her gently toward his heart. Once as they swept around the almost empty ball room she looked up into his eyes. Neither had spoken. His lips parted suddenly, and his fingers closed down upon hers. She saw the danger light in his eyes and knew the unuttered words that struggled to his lips and stopped there She never knew why she did it, but she inyo1untarily shook her head before she lowered her eyes. He knew what she meant His heart turned cold again, and the distance widened once more to the old propor- lions.
 He left her with Bobby Browne and went out upon the cool, starlit bal cony. There he gently cursed himself for fool, dolt, an idiot
 The shouts of laughter and the clap ping of hands on the inside did not draw him from his unhapDy reyerie He did not know until afterward that the official announcements fof the en- < gagement of Miss Minnie Pelham and Thomas Saunders was made by Bobby Browne and the health of the couple drunk in a series of bumpers.
 Chase's bitter reflections were at last disturbed by sound that came sharply to his attention The noise came from directly below where he stood He peered oyer the stone rail-