Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-08

really going on under their eyes. They
only saw that Lady Maud was making
dead set at the count, and II 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
ly do, my dear. myself could never
understand how one could marry
again. 1 should always feel that dear
Mr.. Rushmore was in the room. 1t
quite makes me blush to think of it!
Yet it is an undeniable 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, 1 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
4S, and nearly half as much again as
the Ertnna could have done at her
highest speed. As Mr.. Van Torp had
predicted. his engines had warmed
up" ana were beating their own
record. The gale made by the vessels
way was stronger than a woman could
stand ia with any regard to her ap-
pearance, but as the weather contin-
ued to be calm 1t 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-
flowed 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 1t.
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, 'T
have really had enough now, and if
you win promise to finish your walk
alone. think will go and sit with
the others"
He left her with Margaret and Van
Torp and went 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 if
it had been daylight they could not
have been seen except by some one
coming from aft
Il want to speak to you" she said,
in low. steady voice. please listen
quite quietly, for some of them may
begin to walk again"
Kralinsky bent his head twice, and
then inclined it towards her. to hear
better what she was going to say
ut has pleased you to keep up this
comedy for "a hours" she began.
He made a slight movement, which
was natural under the circumstances. !
81 do not understand" he said, in
his oily voice. What comedy? real.
ly have no"
Don't go on" she answered, inter ,
rupting him sharply. Listen to what
I am going to tell you, and then de-
eide what you will do. I don't think
your decision will make very much
difference to nae, but it will make
difference to the world and to your /
self. 1 saw you from window when |!
you brought Mr.. Van Torp to the /
hotel in Bayreuth. and I recognized |
you at once. Since this afternoon I |
have no doubt left"
Il never saw you till last night"
said Kralinsky, with some little sur
prise in his tone, and with perfect as |
surance.
do you really think you can de- |
cefve me any longer?" she asked. 81
told you this afternoon that if you !
could come back from the dead, and |
know the truth, we should probably |
forgive each other, though we had |
many differences. Shall WEI" She |
paused a moment, and by his quick |
change of position she saw that he /
was much moved. IT don't mean that
we should ever go back to the old life,
for we were not suited to each
other from the first, you and l.
You wanted to marry me because
was pretty and smart, and 1 married
xyrNF1 l.