Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-10
C.. N. AND A. NJ. WILLIAMSON


nance. You. who had been crammed. oh.
ever so little, for Sandhurst. and then
left there to go to the war when you
were a mere child hardly nineteen-so
brave! And then the thing you did on
the battlefield! OF course you ought to
have had the Victoria Cross. but as 1t
was. the newspapers rang with your
praises and I was besieged for your pho
tographs to publish. That deed alone
would have made you parsonage OF con-
sideration even without your rank
I've told you lots OF times. mater. the
whole thing was sort of accident.
couldn't bear the chap. II I'd stopped to
! think I don't believe I'd have run back
step to drag him out from under fire.
But was there, hauling him away. be-
fore 1 knew what was doing"
Yes. you have told me-and other peo-
pie. But no one believes you. How could
they? They see it's your modesty.' U.ord
Loveland's mother was. perhaps. the one
person on earth who would have at
tributed to him this quality And as
for disliking the young man whose life
you saved at the risk of your own. OF
course that proves you all the more noble.
Everybody must see that
"Oh. we'll. it's a jolly good thing for me
if they do said Val. mechanically pass
ing his hand over the scar on his fore
head which became him like hall mark
Or halo. 1t, together with the South
African brown that never quite faded
had made him still more ornamental In
the eyes of the pretty young married
women with whom he was popular. Also
In the eyes of girls who liked to dance
and fiirt with Lord Loveland. even though
they preferred to marry dukes and
princes. But what are you working up
to SO deliberately. mater?'
ITO your prospects. There's no young
man so liked and wanted everywhere
p - ,l~~f1x
and shoot bit" said Loveland, with
pretense at self-depreciation he was far
from feeling. II get asked to all the
amusing house parties. But you know as
well do. that stopping at such places
Is lot more expensive than staggering
about at the most expensive hotels In
Europe"
II know, dearest sighed the devoted
lady. who by industrious spelling had
made him what he was. Il was only go
of importance: never think you're not
AS for the two or three wretched girls
who have hurled themselves at the heads
Of princes when they might have had you
why our English heiresses are growing
disgustfngly conceited and ambitious
quite unmaidenly, and let them regret
their mistakes-you needn't. Val. you
want my advice. Well, I've had an in
spiration. do believe. a real inspiration
why don't you go to American"
ITO try ranching?'
Good heavens. no. my son. To try
marrying. In America you'll succeed
brilliantly. Why not run over and see
what there is?''
notwithstanding certain failures nearer
home But Loveland's sense Of humor.
which had a real existence, did not al
ways bestir itself when his own affairs
were in question. When things come too
close to the eye one is apt to lose the
point of view. And Loveland did not
laugh at his mothers suggestion.
''Oh. girls!'' he said, distastefully. 'Why
go there for them? Plenty come over
here to collect us
"Ye-es. But think of the competition
There are still unmarried dukes. It's so
annoying there always seem to be dukes
and foreign semi-royalties who might bet
ter stop in their own, countries than prowl
YOUR
That's what you propose my doing in
"Oh. that's different. The Americans
would be the foreigners. not you"
They don't look on themselves in that
light
LET them look at you-the girls
mean-in any light, there, on their native
heath, where practically no competition
can exist. or who ever heard Of an
American heiress marrying an American
man.
Il suppose it must happen sometimes"
said Val.
Its never in the newspapers. No.
dearest, / believe that is why, according
to statistics. there are SO many more men
than women in the states. The girls
marry our men. And really some OF them
are quite presentable."
II any one Of three or four beautiful
and charming duchesses had heard the
tone in which old Lady Loveland said
,, this she would have laughed or sneered,
according to her mood.
"Do you know many Americans, Val?"
his mother went on. thougi1tfully.
Hardly any, except Jim Marlborough,
and-er-his cousin, who has married
Stanforth'
This was another instance of mis-
guided young woman who preferred a
manned nameless between mother and
SOM
"Mr Marlborough would. suppose. give
you letters of Introduction to the right
people over there?"
"Oh. yes, I suppose he would. He
doesn't approve OF me, but he couldn't re-
fuse letters to his wife's cousin
Doesn't approve OF you, indeed! What
impertinence! But perhaps he's jealous
and thinks you were once in love with
Betty. I feared it myself before she paid
that visit to the states which turned out
| such success. Just as m sure yours
| would If you went
| II never was in love with Betty. First
cousins are a bit too near to be interest
| ing Ones generally known them since
! the stage when they were silly over dolls.
Besides, Betty looks too much like me.
| l don't care for yellowhaired. blue-eyed
| girls
'Its just as we'll you didn't care for
Betty. Such a marriage would have
| been disastrous. But she's a sweet girl.
and must have made good many friends
| in the states. There was the young
woman Mohunsleigh married, for in
stance. I believe he met her through
Betty. Oh. Val. you really ought to go
over. I'm sure you'd be the greatest sue