Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-03-03
CHAPTER XIii.-Continued.

Neither Margaret nor Mrs. Rush
more had ever seen Leven, and they
had not the least idea of what was
really going on under their eyes. They
only saw that Lady Maud was making
a dead set at the count, and if Mar
garet wondered whether she had mis-
judged her friends character, the ell
der lady had no doubt as to what was
happening
MY dear child" she said to Mar
garet, your friend is going to console
herself. Widows of that age general
Iy do, my dear. | myself could never
understand how one could marry
again. | should always feel that dear
Mr.. Rushmore was in the room. 1t
quite makes me blush to think of it,
Yet it is an undenable fact that many
young widows marry again. Mark
my words, Margaret, your friend is
going to console herself before long.
If it is not this one, it will be an
other. My dear, I am quite positive
about it"
When the sun went down that even
ing the yacht had passed Otranto and
the cape, and her course had been
changed to head her for Cape Sparti-
ventO and the Straits of Messina,
having done in "a hours as much as
the little Italian mail steamers do in
AS, and nearly half as much again as
the Erinna could have done at her
. highest speed, AS Mr. Van Torp had
predicted, his engines had warmed
up" and were beating their own
record. The gale made by the vessels
way was stronger than a woman could
stand in with any regard to her ap-
pearance, but as the weather contin-
ued to be calm it was from dead
ahead, and there was plenty of shell
ter on the promenade deck abaft the
wheelhouse, on condition of not going
too near the rail
After dinner Kralinsky and Mrs.
Rushmore walked a little. as on the
previous evening, and Lady Maud sat
with Margaret and Van Torp But
before the two walkers went off to sit
down in the quiet corner they had
found yesterday, Lady Maud rose,
went half way aft, and deliberately
placed herself where they were obliged
to pass close to her at each turn,
standing and leaning against the
bright white side of the engine sky
light, which was as high as the wheel
house itself, and broke in aft, where
the big ventilating fans were situated,
making a square corner inward.
She stood there, and as it was not
very dark in the clear starlight, Kra-
linsky saw in passing that she fol-
lowed his face with her eyes, turning
her head to look at him when he was
coming towards her, and turning it
very slowly back again as he came
near and went by. 1t was impossible
to convey more clearly an invitation
to get rid of his companion and join
her, and he was the last man in the
world to misunderstood it,
But Mrs. Rushmore saw it too, and
as she considered him a lion, and
therefore entitled TO have his own
way, she made it easy for him.
my dear count" she said blandly,
after passing Lady Maud twice, Il
have really had enough now, and if
you will promise to finish your walk
alone, l think | will go and sit with
the others"
He left her with Margaret and Van
Torp and weat back to Lady Maud
who moved as he came up to her
made two steps beside him, and then
suddenly slipped into the recess
where the farmhouse joined the engine
skylight. She stood still, and he In
stantly ranged himself beside her
They were quite out of sight of the
others, and of the bridge, and even il
it had been daylight they could moi
have been seen except by some one
coming from aft.
81 want to speak to you" she said
in a low, steady voice. Please lister
quite quietly. for some of them may
begin TO walk again"