The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-12-14
CHAPTER ~. (ContInued).

CHAPTER ~. (continued).
The same man. He asked me down
for the shooting-owns country
place across the bay: Tanglewood."
"A very able man; l wish 1 might
nave met him. What Of your
self? What have you been doing these
three years? Have you married?"
I've been too busy to think Of
that. l mean, till lately
"Ah?"
Amber flushed boyishly. There was
q girl at Quain's-a guest
But she left before dared speak. Per
haps it was as WELL"
"Why?"
Because she was too fine and
sweet and good for me, Rutton.'
Like every mans first love-"
The elder mans glance was keen
too keen for Amber to dissimulate sue
cessfully under it. You're right"
he admitted ruefully. It's the first
sure-enough trouble of the sort l ever
experienced. And, of course, it had
to be hopeless"
why" persisted Rutton.
"Because-I've half notion there's
chap waiting for her at home"
"At homer"
I'm England" The need for con-
f1dant was suddenly imperative upon
the younger man. "She's an English
girl-half English, that is; her moth
er was an American, schoolmate of
Quain's wife; her father, an English
man in the Indian service.
Her name?"
Sophia Farrell" A peculiar quail
ty, certain tensity, in Rutton's man
ner, forced itself upon Amber's at
tention. "Why?" he asked do you
know the Farrells? What's the mat
teri"
Rutton's eyes met his stonily; out
OF the ashen mask of his face, that
suddenly had whitened beneath the
brown, they glared, afire but unseeing.
His hands writhed, his fingers twisting
together with cruel force, the knuckles
gray. Abruptly, as if abandoning the
attempt to reassert his self-control, he
Jumped up and went quickly to win
dow, there to stand, his back to Am
Der. staring fixedly out into the storm
racked night. II knew her father"
he said at length, his tone constrained
and odd, "long ago, in India"
Hes out there nova political, I
believe they call him, or something of
the sort"
yes"
She's going out to rejoin him"
What" Rutton came swiftly back
to Amber, his voice shaking. What
did you say?"
why. - =. She travels with friends
by ~ western route to join Colonel
-arrell at Darjeeling. where he's sta
toned just now. Shortly after came
down she left; Mrs. Quain had a wire
day or SO ago, saying she was on
the point of sailing from San Fran
cisco. Good Lord, Rutton!
are you ILL.,"
Something in the mans face had
brought Amber to his feet, a prey to
tnexpressible concern; it was as If q
mask had dropped and he were look
ing upon the soul of a man in mortal
torture.
NO" gasped Rutton. I'm all right.
Besides" he added beneath his
breath, so that Amber barely caught
the syllables. cts too late"
AS rapidly as he had ldst he seemed
to regain mastery of his inexplicable
emotion. His face became again COM
posed, almost immobile, and stepping
to the table he selected a cigarette
and rolled it gently between his slim
brown fingers. I'm sorry to have
alarmed you." he said, his tone a bit
too even not to breed doubt in the
. mind of his hearer. TITS nothing seri-
ous-a little trouble of the heart of
long standing. incurable-I hope"
Perplexed, yes hesitating to press
him further, Amber watched him fur
lively, instinctively assured that be-
tween this man and the Farrells there
existed some extraordinary bond; won
dering how that could be, convinced
in his soul that somehow the entan-
element involved the woman he loved,
he still feared to put his supicions to
the question, lest he should learn that
which he had no right to know 4.
and while he watched was startled by
the change that came over Rutton. At
ease, one moment, outwardly cnmpos-
ed. II absorbed in thought, the Eext he
was rigid, every muscle taut, every
nerve tense as a steel spring. His
head Jerked back suddenly, his gaze
fixing itself first upon the window.
then shifting to the door. And his
fingers. contracting, tore the cigarette
In half.
"Rutton. what the deuce is the mat
fnrf"