Omaha daily bee., 1911-03-12

ceive him. even though she might have
liked to make him suffer a little from the
same uncertainty that veNed her when she
thought OF him.
Neither prince nor knight has the right
to wear token Of mine" she declared
truthfuuy. looking away from him
Then give me the right he pleaded
THAT would mean that [ must have too
much faith in you" Helen declared, shak-
ing her head. III 1 once committed myself
20 any knight 1 should have to believe In
him absolutely, even though all sorts Of
misgivings came to me. Remember that
you shook my confidence in you when you
told me that dinner story
She had retained the bantering tone al
though she knew he had already won
something more than faith and friendship,
III / could find a lady who would re-
main unmoeed by appearances or by III
report" he said III 1 could win her while
l stiu wore my visor down, l think
could perform deeds well worthy OF the
cause"
why you are talking in exact story
book style. / can almost imagine that your
walking stick Is lance The girl laughed
as she slid from the wall and united a
bunch of violets that she wore az her belt
bound with purple ribbon. Hastily dis
engaging the flowers, she tied the ribbon
to the handle OF his stick with mock
soemnity.
Now you have committed yourself
Maxwell asserted Il am not a knight who
can permit a lady to laugh at him, l accept
your token and shall hold you TO the
pledge Il signifies
1t is all a Jest" Helen fastened to say
uncomfortable 81 forgot
that / was talking TO an Englishman who
does not understand our American humor TO
She assumed her most dignifled manner
as they turned back toward the city.
Did you mean what you said about be
, lieving in a person, even though all sorts
OF bad reports might be brought to you'
, Maxwell inquired after they had been
silent long time.
Il was referring to an imaginary knight
Helen answered, with her chin in the air
Let us take the case OF "A person not
imaginary. If a man won your friendship,
would you be able to keep your faith In
his integrity, even though you might hear
rumors that were derogatory?'
, Again she felt that ne was hiding some
thing. She was suddenly afraid of him
! for she felt that he had gained subtle
o mastery over her. She would have liked
to snatch the purple ribbon from his walk
ing stick, but he was wary and kept Il
well out of reach. AS she did not answer
his questions, he answered them himself
"You are like every one else, see, very
, modest about your own good qualities un
: conscious of them perhaps ! knew the frs
l. time l ever saw you that you were not th'
Il kind Of girl to be changed by anything
+, others might say after you had once made
. up your mind. If l once gained your con
fidence, II by some miracle l could VIII
4 your trust nothing but my own actions
: would ever alter you. Am 1 not rght?'
= oh l suppose So" she said lightly. Co.
q have had some very good men friends
a Somehow, l am very lucky that way. Every
!, man l have known has been nice anC
q true and straight
q Indeed You are very fortunate. Few
n girls as attractive as you are escape tn,
q attention of a few black sheep
Il never knew any one who could tell tn,
= mutton OF a black sheep from the muttoi
!, of a white one l suppose 1t is the SAM
q way with people. Beneath the surfac,
:, there is not much difference; but l hat
! those people that are always ready t.
!, believe anything bad they may hear abou
a their friends, and there is nothing make
IS me so mad as to have them repeat it a
70 every opportunity before they are sure
AZ is true-or even then"
but It is because they think It is tru
10 that they believe IT to be their duty TO war
you against the black sheep he urged
smiling at her earnestness.
Yes. Some men have a nasty habit o
= warning girls against their men friends
/, Black sheep don't bite any more thai
:, white ones. 1t is the dogs that are sup
" posed to take care OF the sheep that bite
20 and It is usually the white sheep that &c
bitten. Whenever a person tells me some
., thing nasty about a mutual friend, ! al
!. ways think Of the way they will probabl
=, talk about me some day
20 Then you admit that l estimated you
n character arght?" he said, smiling at he
n admiringly.
~ Il told you once before that ! was yer
M transparent and shallow" she answered
n without looking at him. But we have bee
m talking like two silly children" The 50
nj robustness of his manner disturbed he
somehow. With a womans intuition sh
70 understood that he had the power to max
N her suffer. II was all very well to anus
20 herself with handsome Englishman, bu
10 had she not been rather reckless OF const
20 quences? Had she not presumed on III
f. fact that her parents had received Hard
Maxwell into the family almost on III
footing OF a relative? 1t was as If he wei
=. at least the cousin who had sent him
them Her father and mother had alway
guarded her with old-fashioned ygilanc
y, and she had enjoyed the unwOnted freedo
=, of the last few weeks She realized that 81
=, could not tell them just how far h,
acquaintance with Hardy Maxwell Ia
progressed. with flush OF shame she r.
ls membered how she had urged him to r.
III frain from mentioning the dinner stol
vi and the betting incidents connected wit
OF It which had shocked her SO much,
u" few minutes later and they we
an back in the Brooklyn drawing room, whe
81 they found Mr. and Mrs. Ohlstrom awaitir
On them with the sort Of Impotence tn
We comes OF a delay OF the dinner hour
lis
CHAPTER VI.