The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-04-20
CHAPTER XII.
Continued.

Rose-where is this fiery-eyed Colo
mel Drewe? If you mean to see him
before we start, you must make
haste about it. 1t IS time for you to
dress already"
"Ah, my dear child, there is the
difficulty. Is it my duty to start at
all?" and then, reckoning Belinda
to her side, and speaking in whis-
pers, Rose unfolds a series of little
Machiavellian plans, by means OF
which she hopes to mystify every
body throughout the remainder of
the day. Roger, in the first place, is
to be told that she is suffering from
headache, and the party must start
for Spain without her. Then Colonel
Drewe is to be admitted-not at first
admitted; the willy Spencer must hold
him at arms length with accounts OF
her mistress suffering condition IN
til his feelings be sufficiently worked
upon. "And then" says Rosie, Il
shall take care, you may be sure, to
put everything before him in a light
rs llIllS "ouAulA5 " LILO '" 'eA&s
as possible. My engagement, FORUM
ately, has never been actually given
out; and I know, when / have him
alone, I can say many things that
will soften the blow to him. Poor,
door Stanley! All, If I could only
persuade him to return quietly to
England by this evenings express!
Roger need never know more about
the visit than I choose to let him
know, and"
And altogether you will have told
one, two, three falsehoods," inter-
rupts Belinda, checking off Roses
"mystifcations" on her finger tips.
''Three leading ~falsehoods and about
q dozen small ones Why have a
headache? Why deceive either of
them? Why not go on straight and
let everything take it's chance?"
when you are a few years older,
child, when you have seen as much
of the ~jealousies Of the human heart
as I have, you will know that going
on straight as you call it, does not
answer. Gentlemen like being de-
ceived if the deceit saves them from
undergoing anything disagreeable,
and those women who know how to
deceive gracefully-gracefully mind
ARE always the most popular"
At the door of the hotel Belinda
finds Roger trying. with poor success,
to look sympathetic, while Spencer
holds forth to him respecting her mis-
tress' headache.
As the comedy proceeds, an Eng
lishman, tall, of military cut, but with
the unmistakable air about him of a
man at odds with fortune Colonel
Drewe must surely have fallen in the
world Of late), peers through the
trellis Of vine and jessamine that
overshadows the salle-a-manger win
dow close at hand, and listens. He
shifts about a little; he turns red;
gets one good stare at the handsome,
unconscious face Of his rival, then
draws back-draws back, but-alas
for military honor that I must con-
fess it-listens still!
And so Rosie cannot go with u.s.
says Roger.
i"Rosie! He calls her Rosie!" The
unseen takes out his pocket hand
kerchief and wipes his forehead.
Belinda, what must we do? Put
of the excursion till another day
Mrs. O'Shea begs you would not
on no account do that, Captain Tenn
ple," says Spencer. 1T is n of her
little headaches, you know, sir"
"Oh, he knows, does he?" thinks
the gentleman behind the vines and
jessamine.
ct am afraid Miss O'Shea and you
was out too late last night, Captain
Temple. Mrs. O'Shea complained of
her cad before retiring"
Roger again does his best to look
co-trite, and again fails signally.
eff Rosie really wishes US to 60, Be-
linda? Rosie is so unselfsh-never
likes other people to be disappointed
perhaps we had better be guided
by, her. We shall be a nice little
party of three, you and Miss Burke
and myself"
and Mr.. JONES'" adds Belinda.
What on earth should make Colonel
Drewe start so oddly at the sound of
the girls voice. Don't forget that
Mr.. Jones has come back from the
mountains"
Jones - ah, to be sure, JONES'
says Roger in an altered tone. ION
second thoughts I don't know that
have courage enough for the expedi-
ton. If Miss Burke were to get me
alone among the ruins and begin to
argue about the suffrage | might be-
come a convert to the Women Of the
Future before I knew where I was.
It will be safer for me to remain be-
hind"
Belinda turns away abruptly,
"Amuse yourself we'll, Captain Tenn
ple," she cries, looking back at him
across her shoulder. Mr.. Jones is
not going to Spain at all; in another
hour Mr.. Jones will be on his road to
England; but never mind, Burke and
/ will have an improving day by our
selves. Good-by. I have not a mo .
ment to lose"
Her slip of a figure trips away out
Of the courtyard, and before she has
Drosressed a doze2 steps Roger Tenn