The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-30
CHAPTER VIII.
Continued.

SOlIluueu.
"A half suppressed, malicious laugh
Is the senora's only reply to this
thrilling suggestion.
"I shall certainly make the attempt
before long, and if 1 fail, mind-if
fail, and am stifled 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 Ter re
ply.
Sonora LaSrimas! 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
gives her breath to speak.
81 recognized you all the time,"
Roger confesses humbly. Il knew
you when I was lighting my pipe;
believe before you saw me at all. Why
in the world should I not recognize
you, my dear child?"
Because I 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 I could have guessed that you, of
all people, would see me! And the
nonsense you talked, sir; the non
m you dared to talk, knowing it
to be mel"
1--WE have been talking very pleas
antly," answers Roger Temple. Il
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"
= "It was a rash speech, I will ad-
NIT. T 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, I mean to
hold you to your word. We are 60
ing to spend a week in Granada to-
, gether, you and l."
"Of course; Rose with us. What
could be pleasanter? Rosie with US,
and"
"And Augustus Jones, too, II you
please" interrupts Belinda, a curious
ly abrupt transition in her voice. I'm
the selfshness. Of your own happiness,
you and RoseS you seem entirely to
forget other peoples. 1 go nowhere
without Augustus, now"
without Augustus" repeats Roger
blankly. "Why, Belinda, is it posi-
ble-can you mean"
81 mean that I 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 lear and dear rela-
tives. AS if you and Rosie did not
know everything about my poor Au-
gustus, just as we'll as I do"
II should be very sorry to know
one thing" says Roger, culpably neg,
ligent Of his future matchmaking
duties as a parent. Il should be very
sorry to know that you cared serious
ly, young, ignorant Of life as you are.
for a person like-Jones!"
It seemed as though the obnoxious
m~onosyllable would nearly choke him
Care! 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 a mar can feel, the
oretically, toward a distractinglH
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
sittart blood runs in her veins, poor
child, and the blood is bad! Scarcs
seventeen yet, and she has the cold
m~ercernary instincts of a woman o.
thirty, and not by any means a goot
woman of thirty, either!
you are slow with your co7gratu
lations-and the match is really {
desirable one, step-papa; not o
course, for a moment, speaking O
Augustus personally. Bran-new villa
at Clapham-if he does leave out {
few of his his, poor fellow, he make!
up amply for them with his r's-villa'
at Chaplain, opera box, diamonds
My appearance is greatly improved
by diamonds, is it not?" holding VI
a pendant of the saints necklace be
tween her fingers.
"Certainly. What lily i: not i'm
proved by a little paint? All tina