Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-01-19
DISCOVERS
A[MERlGA \

NUWUlUuUWH "
secretly because there was a KIM OF
glory in him as an asset. They were
worldly though good hearted girls to
whom Major Cadwallader Hunter had
introduced his prize. and they foresaw
that handsome Lord Loveland would
be petted, perhaps fought. for, in So
ciety when he had left the little world
of the Mauretania for the bigger world
of New York. There would be an adj
vantage in having known him first in
case he should become the rage as
he was sure to do if not too %insuffer-
ably rude aud offensive. Thinking of
this. each girl chung to her share of
him and refrained from trampling on
the expensive doll. as, for her pride's
sake. she ached to do.
Val was Of the hatred. but
conscious Of the rivalry. and was al
together kept very busy. He forgot to
Marconi to his mother that he had
sailed on the Mauretania, as Jim Har-
borough had thought he might forget.
AS for writing, he had not a
for any such %sedentary employment.
Then presently the hugeness of the
great city doomed monstrous, noun.
famous in purple shadow against such
a blue sky as Italy and New York
know.
A crowd was massed on the dock to
welcome the Mauretania and her pas
sengers, and for the first time since
he had left England Val felt a vague
homesickness stirring in his breast.
Almost every one else on board seemed
to have at least n handkerchief wav-
ing friend, and some had half a dozen,
but all the smiling, eager faces looking
up were strange to his eyes. There
was no one for him, and he had a
sudden, queer sensation of not being
at home in the world-this in spite
of invitations from everybody he had
met on the ship-eXcept one-the one
who mattered.
Mr.. Coolidge and several other ia
theirs and uncles Of pretty girls had ask
ed him to make their homes his home,
but he q taken Jim Harborough's
advice to heart and excused himself
warily. His idea was to let New York
society pass before his eyes in review
before risking a premature entangle-
ment. 10 this course he committed
himself in cold blood. Since he could
not have Lesley Dearmer, all that mat
tered to him in a girl was decent
manners. decent looks and-many mil
lions.
He had planned a moonlight fare
well for the night before, but Lesley
thwarted him by talking the whole
evening long with a sporting youth
whom Val ~wrathfully stigmatized in
his mind as suffering from motor BIZ
cycle face, bridge eye, clutch knee and
tennis elbow. Then when she had tired
of her Irritation she went to bed.
Next morning it was only as the
Mauretania neared her slip that the
girl appeared again. Without seeming
to notice Loveland she stood leaning
her elbows OF the rail not far from
him. 1t occurred to Val that after all
it was a matter of no Importance to
her that their lives were to be lived
apart. And the separation was at
hand. He had thought of this hour,
but now it was here. He was going
Ito love her. Tomorrow and all the
tomorrows he would have no sweet
merry, mysterious eyed friend to ad.
wise him and listen. half amused, hall
in earnest, to his condolences.
Suddenly his heart fell like q large
cold boiled beet root in his breast. He
went and stood behind the girl, dumb
with a strange new misery he could
not understand, and, as though she
had hear the "unerring speech of his
silence, she turned.
At first her beautiful brown eyes
flashed a laughing challenge at him as
if they said: Wouldn't you like tc
make me think you really care? But ]
don't think it and won't. And neither
do you care. We've both been play.
ing"
Then something in his look softened
hers. She smiled kindly, though moi
wholly without guile.
aren't you excitedy" she asked.
why should I be excited?" he
grumbled.
"Because-well, you're a soldier and
know what war is like. I've heard
that the most exciting thing which car
happen is a call to make a sortie In
the middle Of the night, in the midst
Of a dream-and on an empty stomach
But I should think the call to a matri
monial sortie"-
ION an empty purse?"
Eyes, when it's a question Of selling
yourself to I'LL it"
II don't mean to sell myself. I shall
still belong to myself and to one other,
l won't say who that other is, for I've
pretty well told you already"
Its no S pretending not to under
stand. I know what you want me to