The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-08-12

bear malice or are the worse for
it, but it's different with Lydstone;
he's an ill-conditioned cur. and cuts
up nastily when he gets the worst
of it,"
Why do you know such a man"
asked Evelyn Why should you
have him for one of your frients?"
lie shrugged his shoulders and
laughed.
"Oh, as to that a fellow can't
always pick his acquaintances. Lyd-
stone is no friend of mine. never
was, even before We quarrelled: ::
but he's in our set, and one has to
know him."
What did you quarrel about"
He hesitated and she pressed his
arm and added earnestly, why
do you hesitate? You must tell me
everything, Ronnie. Isn't that why
you came?"
That's all right" he said. well,
it's about a woman; l suppose you
have guessed that"
She made a gesture Of assent and
apprehension.
who is she, Ronnie?" she ask
oJ Ia q Lou, ,,oi,a on. I I.,...,. ..p,,.
No" he said promptly curtly.
Shes a Princess, a foreigner, of
course
"oh, Ronnie" murmured Evelyn,
with a sigh.
"No, no." he said quickly. Don't
make mistake. ! know little and
have seen little of her. She got
mixed up in some way or other with
Lydstone, and he married her; I've
met her with him now and again
lately. She seems a decent sort OF
little woman-but there, we don't
want to talk about her. This is
how the trouble came about. There
was a little pary-cards and all
that sort of thing-quite small
party, at one of the clubs. Lydstone
and the Princess We're there: he
lost his temper over the play, and.
like the mean hound he is, roun ed
on the Princess. | dare say he al.
ways bpllies her in private, but he
did it openly that night. and she
felt it--before all of us, you know,
in fact, she cried. When | saw
the tears roll down her sheeks |
wanted to get up there and then
and chuck Lydstone out of the win
dow; never could stand a bully;
and a woman in tears knocks me
silly However, l kept myself in
hand, and pretty hard work it was:
the rest Of the fellows followed
my example, and there wouldn't
have been any row, but, as / was
going out, | happend to knock
against Lydstone-"
oh, Ronnie'"
Give you my word it was an ac-
cident, Evie," he declared, with a
laugh; and l apologized quite nice
ly; but the ill-tempered hound turn
ed on me and declared I'd done
it for the purpose. We jawed a bit
and even then things would have
passed off but the stupid idiot-ha
has the devils own temper-up
with his fist and struck me-"
He laughed grimly but Evelyn
shuddered and gazed up at him with
wide, terrified eyes.
'Of course, l hit him back, anG
for a moment or two there was
sharp bit of sparring. l lost my
head, suppose, and l got in one
before the fellows clung on to me
and separated us 1t must have been
nasty kind of blow-caught him
on the point perhaps-for Lyd.
stone went down as if he'd been
Dole-aXed And he stopped there"
"Ronnie, Ronnie'" gasped Evelyn,
rigid with terror "You-you didn't
kill him."
mo, no." he FASTENED TO assure
her. He wasn't dead-anyhow he
wasn't when / left; but he was I'M
conscious. Don't be in such a funk.
Evie. You made me tell you: you
always do make me tell you. | give
You my word. he wasn't dead; and
| dare say he's all right by this
time-and taking it out of the poor
Princess. poor little woman"
NO, no. hate herr" said Evelyn.
clenching her little hands. "She was
the cause of all the trouble. can
see that But, Ronnie dear. what
will happen? What will you do?"
In the ordinary way" he reDlirF