The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1911-07-20
APTER w. (continued).

AR Ell IN. (SoHtInueoJ.
me man. He asked me down
shooting-owns a country
SIS the bay: Tanglewood.'
able man; I wish l might
I'D him. What Of your
what have you been doing these
years? Have you married."
We been too busy to think OF
l mean, till lately"
Ah?"
amber flushed boyishly. There was
girl at Quain's-a guest.
But she left before dared speak. Per-
haps it was as we'll"
"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 ever
experienced. And, of course. 1t had
TO be hopeless"
"Why?" persisted Mutton.
Because Eve half a4otion there's
"a chap waiting for her aft home
"At homer"
I'm England" The neeA for con-
f1dant was suddenly imperative upon
the Younger man. "She'sA an English
girl-half English, that iss her moth
er was an American, a schoolmate OF
nra;n,a wife. her father, ain English
man in the Indian service.
"der name?"
"sophia Farrell" A peculiar sauali-
ty. a certain tensity, in Rutton's pan
nesxA=gsa->4tself upon AmbeT at
(Sention "whyx' he asked. you
know the Farrens? What's mat
teri"
Rutton's eyes met ~ 49, ssoaiiy' ~.
Of the ashen mask of hi 'na a
suddenly had whitened gneasn a., ~
brown, they glared afre u. 49, a .n',s4,rs
Bis hands writhed, his 81 So 49,
together with cruel for -. Anuo A :, :
gray Abruptly, as e. aD o,e aone, ' he
attempt to reassert , sehcV - s,i ne
so1, tbs ~ 4 - ~. b, his back to Am
nor stor;nv 49, out into the storm
s Dee, sS"' nies nAe pknew her father"
be said At lenaZhis tone constrained
ma odd ACC, fl India"
mITa,s - &e nova political, /
s,sxas+be,i 'him, or something of
going out to rejoin him.
Et!" Rutton came swiftly back
hber, his voice shaking. What
lou say?"
Why, yes. She travels with friends
1the western route to join Colonel
Ill at Darjeeling, where he's sta
just now. Shortly after came
6 she left; Mrs. Quain had q wire
FAY or SO ago. saying she was on
me point of sailing from San Fran
cisco. Good Lord. Rutton!
Fare you ILL.,"
Something in the mans face had
brought Amber to his feet, prey to
inexpressible concern; it was as IL q
mask had dropped and he were look
ing upon the sSul of a man In mortal
NO." gAsped Rutton, I'm all right.
Besides" he added beneath his
brea4h. SO that Amber barely caught
the syllables, nit's too late.,'
AS rapidly as he had lost he seemed
20 regain mastery of his inexplicable
emotion. His face became again COM
posed, almost immobile, and stepping
to the table he selected cigarette
and rolled it gently between his slim
brown fingers. I'm sorry to have
alarmed you" he said, his tone bit
too even not to breed doubt In the
mind Of his nearer. It's nothing seri-
ous--a little trouble of the heart, OF
long standing, incurableI hope"
Perplexed, yes hesitating to press
him further, Amber watched him fur
lively, instinctively assured that be-
tween this man and the F'arrelIs there
existed some extraordinary bond; won
dering how that could be, convinced
in his soul that somehow the entan-
clement 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 !.
anu Whlle ne watched WAS STARTLED "
the change that came over Rutton. At
ease, one moment, outwardly compos-
cd. il absorbed in thought, the next he
was rigid. every muscle taut, every
nerve tense as steel spring. His
head jerked back suddenly, bis gaze
fixing itself first upon the window,
then shifting to the door. And his
fingers, contracting, tore the cigarette
In hail.
aRmktoA what the deuce II the mat