The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1909-04-02

| she mas waSueu 49, l.a.,,.... -
Joan stared at ,.m with something
like dismay iii her face Her hands
| were pressed against her bosom. and
her eyes shonc with a suspicious
| April brightness
! In moment She lad rallied herself
Does she still think you are broken.
hearted?' she asked. with apparently
irrelevancy.
Upon my word. believe She does.
But he added. 1 did my best
You did not tell her
How could I:-fve minutes after
asking her to marry me-, he ans wer.
ed.
You seem e:ratic enough for mos,
things Joan .dii Nov she added
that chapter is l1ad
Quite
Tell me frankly Jean asked. were
you in love with nor?
No, he said stoutly.
Never
Never, he insisted. But YOU see.
he continued, If very beautiful women
lets man see she is devoted TO him.
you think he might require to borrow
little of Joseph Surfaces morali-
ty?
You mean that Pauline-well. she
threw herself at your head but miss.
ed the mark?
/ fear / let myself go he admit
ted. But, as TO love-I have loved
only one woman iii my life.
Iong-long ago?' she demanded.
Not very long.
Since your return?
Yes he answered.
Joan remained silent few minutes.
then she said
There's another disappointment in
store for you, am afraid, Wray.
am prepared ior that-to be can
did, he retorted.
You always have spoken candidly
to me, you know
somehow he said, you are differ.
ent from other women
SO that YOU can almost forget am
woman she suggested
You are the most womanly woman
In the world Wray insisted
Apart from other considerations
she said. you can hardly expect any
self-respecting woman TO listen to
YOU quite so soon
But | could wait, Joan!
fear YOU must be prepared for
disappointment she answered.
Anyhow he cried, you rejoice at
my blessed failure today?
Joan regarded him curiously her
! expression half-petulant, half-mock.
ing The sunlight fell upon her hair.
she looked winsome as woman
could.
You rejoice?' he insisted.
Does it natter she asked.
Your marriage would certainly mat
ter to me, said Wray
She had no answer for him. and
after few minutes he bade her good
bye
As soon as she was alone. Joan
went to the morning-room Sitting
down at the secretary, without a mo-
ment's hesitation, she took pen.
She gave Bernard an account Of what
had occurred, requesting him to en-
tighten Gilbert. Looking at her watch
when the letter was finished, she saw
that it was too late for the country
post Bernard would not receive the
news until Mondays second delivery
CHAPTER XXIII.
Sir Gilbert Strachan was a prac-
tical man AS soon as Bernard told
him of the contents of Joans letter.
he put from his mind everything but
the essential fact
Pauline had done with Wray Water.
house Gilbert wasted no lamcnta.
tions or regrets over the past: he
thought only of the future: and as his
guest was as eager to return to Lon.
don as himself, they determined to
lose no time
They separated at Charing Cross
station Bernard to go To Regents
Park, where Joan still rcma.n, tx
norant OF his good fortune; Gilbert TO
lose no time in bringing Pauline to
an understanding
Pauline had scarcely reckoned on
such prOmptitude; she wished she had
longer warning. She felt that sn"
had great deal to say. She desired
to make everything as clear To H.,.
bert - :. w&e ." hr"seli Sh" would
Gov ru@j X x ", elk