The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-23

! when she chooses to smile, in the
world"
81 should think her a vile temper
Judging by her expression; and as tc
her manners. l have been here some
time, senior. know the girl by sight
and by reputation. She plays boys
games with boys; robs hen-roosts
after dusk, with that dog Of hers;
she ta.ks-swears, some people vii
tell you-like a gamin CT the streets
and"
"And for each and all of these
small oddities l like her the better
interrupts Roger warmly. Belinda
is just the kind of girl to grow into
the most charming of women, II
time"
"a charming woman! After the
pattern of the other lady who is moi
so young, her stepmamma?"
"No, not after that pattern precise
ly, sonora. Your vast experience
must have taught you surely thai
there are more kinds of charming
women in the world than one. Be-
linda has been neg-allowed to run g
little too wild hitherto; but circum'
stances, I am happy to say, will place
her under my guidance now"
will they-will they, indeed, Cap
tain Temple?" interpolates Belinda
mentally. I'VE shall see more about
that by and by"
"She will live in my house, will
stand to me in the position of a
daughter, and I mean to reform her.
"Ah, heavens, how praiseworthy!
How Christian! Reform Belinda?
With the aid of a prim English gov
erness and a staff Of attendant pastors
and masters, of course?"
"Well, no." answers Roger. 81
have no great belief in prim English
governesses, neither are pastors OF
masters very much more to my taste,
1 shall reform Belinda, as much as
she needs reforming, by kindness
alone. 1t strikes me that what the
poor little girl wants is not sternness
but love-"
Belinda turns her head away with
a jerk; her throat swells, the big
tears rise in her eyes. If he had said
anything but this, if he had called
her ugly, wicked, any hard name he
chose, she could have borne it better
Belinda should be extremely
grateful for your-your pity" she
remarks, as soon as she can command
her voice enough to speak. For my
part, I don't in the least value thai
kind Of regard"
mo? And what kind of regard dc
you value, may I ask?" says Roger
Temple, his tone softening.
"Ah-what kind? When I have
known you a little longer than ter
minutes I will tell you"
"The day we visit the Alhambra
together, for instance?"
perhaps. Meantime, in Belinda's
name, I thank you a thousand times
for the pity you are charitable enough
to bestow upon her. Goodnight,
senior. leave you to think over your
fine projects of reformation alone"
And with a hooking reverence LA.
grimas" salutes him; then, assuming
the air of a princess at least, and
with a grand sweep of her rustling
silken train, leaves the, balcony.
She quits him, 1 say, with the all
of a princess; the moment she is out
of sight, turns, peeps through a rent
in the dilapidated Venetian blind, lis.
tens with eager, breathless curiosity
to find out what Roger Temple will
do next.
Captain Temple for a minute OF
two keeps silence. Then Sonora
Sonora Lagrimas," he cries softly.
But no answer comes to his appeal
"Only one word-do you live here?
Is there any chance of my seeing you
again tomorrow night?"
Belinda is mute as fate.
Il shall listen for your voice to-
ward II o'clock. If you do not take
pity on me I shall remain out here all
night, remember, heartbroken."
80 much for all engaged men, ]
say" thinks Belinda. ooh, if I was
really wicked--if I was half as bad
as they give me credit for-could we
not have a comedy in earnest out OF
all this?"
She retreats toward the middle OF
the room, and, under her voice, sings
another verse of the serenade.
Then she steals back to the windoC,
to listen; her heart beating till she
can hear it's beats, her very finger
tips tingling with excitement, so car
ried away is she by this role of temp.
tress that she is playing-.he fascin.
ating'role (save one, perhaps) of the
whole little repertoryof woman's life!
THE balconies are not very far
apart, senora," remarks Roger pres
emily. ct would be quite possible
for a desperate man to leap from one
to the other"
To be Continued.