The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-04-19
CHAPTER VIII.
Continued.

tJCAOA Y AOAE5S anu IL ld1lt - 4
fail, and am stifed down in all that
harbor mud below, mydeath plain
lively will be upon your con-
science
A laugh, rather more malicious,
rather louder than before, is her re-
ply.
Sonora Lagrimas! for the last
time, will you or will you not come
out and speak to me?"
And once more Belinda's silence
says No
81 give you three chances, Sonora
Lagrimas.."
Silence.
"Lagrimas!"
Silence
Belinda, my dear!'
She flashes out upon him like a
storm wind; her lips apart, her eyes
cleaning, so that they eclipse the
saints diamonds on her throat.
"You-you dare to say you recog-
nized me all the time?" This she
asks him as soon as her indignation
6AtCo A1Cl plCdNL1 W OPCdhs
ST recognized you all the time, :"
Roger confesses humbly. II knew
you when was lighting my pipe;
believe before you saw me at all. Why
in the world should I not recognize
you, my dear child?"
Because | had been fool enough
to disguise myself under this rub
bish." With a fierce little gesture
she apostrophizes Miss Burke's fine
silk. "Because-oh, if I had known,
If could have guessed that you, of
all people, would see me! And the
nonsense you talked, sir; the nom
sense you dared to talk, knowing it
to be mel"
1--WE have been talking very pleas
antly," answers Roger Temple. 81
cannot say I remember talking any
particular nonsense"
What, not when you told me to
my face that circumstances had put
me under your guidance, that you
meant to reform me? You to reform
mel"
ut was rash speech, will adj
init. am not so sure that it was
nonsense"
"And then our tour in Spain-but
you shall keep to that, you shall keep
to that, Captain Temple. Whatever
Rose says, and whether the scheme
is up to the Miss Ingram standard of
propriety or beneath it, l mean to
hold you to your word. We are 60
ing to spend week in Granada to-
gether, you and l."
lot course; Rose with us. What
could be pleasanter? Rosie with US,
and"
"And Augustus Jones. too, If you
please" interrupts Belinda, a curious
ly abrupt transition in her voice. SIN
the selfishness of your own happiness,
you and Rose, you seem entirely to
forget other peoples. / go nowhere
without Augustus, now"
Without Augustus, repeats Roger
blankly. "Why, Belinda, is it posi-
ble-can you mean"
Il mean that / will go nowhere
without Mr.. Jones. Now come, Cap
tain Temple, or, as we are discussing
family matters, let me call you by a
sweeter future name-come now,
step-papa, don't pretend! No con-
cealment between near and dear rela-
tives. AS if you and Rosie did not
know everything about my poor Au-
gustus, just as well as. I dol"
al should be very sorry to know
one thing" says Roger, culpably neg
ligent Of his future matchmaking
duties as parent. II should be very
sorry to know that you cared serious
ly, young, ignorant of life as you are,
for person like-Jones!"
1t seemed as though the obnoxious
monosyllable would nearly choke him.
"Carel And pray, who said any
thing about caring, sir? I am going
to marry Mr.. Jones-we settled the
whole affair to-night-marry, not
care for him"
Marry, not care for him. AS much
repulsion as man can feel, the.
oretically, toward a distractingly
pretty little girl. not five feet distant
from him in the moonlight, Roger
feels at this moment toward Belinda
O'Shea. Rose was right. The Van.
ssittart blood runs in her veins. poor
child, and the blood is bad Scarce
seventeen yet, and she has the cold
mercernary instincts of a woman Of
thirty, and not by any means good
woman of thirty, eitherl
You are slow with your congratu
lations-and the match is really Z
desirable one, step-papa: not o.
course, for a moment, speaking o.
Augustus personality Bran-new villal
at Clapham-if he does leave out {
few Of his his, poor fellow, he makes
up amply for them with his r's-villal
at Chaplain, opera box, diamonds
My appearance is greatly improved
by diamonds, is it not?" holding III
a pendant OF the saints necklace be
tween her fingers.
Certainly. What lily IL not i'm
proved by a little paint? All tina
glittering finery is Mr.. Jones frs
Offering, / presume
NO. answers Belinda calmly
There has not been time,sI am sorr.
to say, for offerings yet. He walked
home with me after / left you ant
Rose at the Casino (poor Augustus
felt, as | did, that our company wa.
not wanted), and invited him in
Just to keep me company while at
my supper. And he proposed.
ale nrOnosed And vnu-D