Evening star., 1911-08-19
CHAPTER XXXVII.
A Protege of Miss Dearmer,

Lesley Dearmer and her aunt were stay
Ing that night at Ashville with their
friends, and next morning everything was
arranged. Loveland explained that. In a
fortnight. at latest, he would certainly be
released from the bondage OF his en-
barrassments. therefore he would take
service as Mr.. Cremers chauffeur only
for that length Of time. thus giving his
employers chance TO find a good man
for q permanent engagement. He re-
ceived from Lesley the two weeks wages
in advance, and the fifty dollars-a far
larger amount than he had touched since
landing-seemed to him respectable
sum. Ten dollars he kept for his own ne
cessities, and the rest he divided among
the members of the broken company.
The profits from the thr.e perform
ances Of Lord Bob" paid the hotel bills
for all and left few dollars over.
Jumped together, there was enough to
take Lille de Lisle. Ed Binney, Miss ST.
Clare and the Winters to Chicago, leav-
ing something to tide each one through a
week or two of idleness.
Lille, Ed and Miss st. Clare could hard
ly express their gratitude to Ioveland.
and the words they said to him warmed
his heart as it had never been warmed
piness in sacrificing himself for others
that came as an absolutely new sensa-
ton to Val. He wondered at 1t, feeling
the glow of 1t, and was dimly conscious
that the hardships he endured had un-
expected compensations
AS for Pa and Ma Winter. they were
less openly grateful. seeming to take what
was done for them more or less as a
right, and they would assuredy have
protested vigorously had Loveland fa-
hiS frfn a ,cla nd -
Binney. beyond what they-the Winters
had received. Their attitude, however,
mattered little to Val They were old arid
unfortunate, and he was sorry for them,
as he was learning to be sorry for those
upon whom the world was hard-besides,
Lille and Ed. and. perhaps. Miss St
Glare, would have refused to accept any
thing beyond what the Winters shared !:
and both assured Val that one day. be-
fore long, they would repay him all.
Lille was in touch with Bill again;
therefore, in spite of the uncertain fu-
ture, she was not unhappy. She had
written to Bill the day after Loveland
joined the company, had sent him a pho
toSraph of herself and collar for Shake
speare, the best that could be bought for
80 cents in Modunk. Bill had answered
to Ashville. and though neither had any
prospects, both had unlimited hope, now
that they were sure OF the love and 10y
atty which had outlived disbursements,
was going to Chicago, and Chicago might
have something to offer. BY and by
who could tell?-she and Bill. 1.-The best
man she ever knew" might come to-
gether. Meanwhile, they could go on low
ing each other.
The girl went off buoyed up with hope;
and Ed Binney had friends in Chicago.
He would rest little and be "all right"
he said to Val, shaking hands over and
over again in the moment OF goodbye
reach ar'e
necessary to travel for an hour in a slow
local train, which fingered lovingly at
each tiny station by the way, and then
to drive for six miles in a carriage. This
last stage OF the journey ended at the
Hill Farm, as Mrs. Ioveland's place was
called, and the Hill Farm lay in charming
country not far from Louisville.
Loveland was instructed to meet the
two ladies at the train and receive his
railway ticket, having seen his friends off
for Chicago. and at noon of the day
after her surprise visit to the theater
Miss Dearmers newly appointed chauf-
feur was waiting for his employer at the
Ashville station.
In his hand was the battered bag which
had called forth the contempt of Jack
Jacobus, and In his heart were shame
rebellion, jealousy and joy, mingled with
several other emotions, none of which he
could have defined-leaSt of all the ioy
He reminded himself that there could
now be no possible satisfaction in his
nearness to Lesley. She did not like him
enough to believe in him. She had prac-
tically admitted that she accepted the es-
innate of strangers and the crcumstan-
tial evidence which made him seem a
fraud She had not denied her engage
ment to Sidney Cremer, whose servant
Loveland had pledged himself to be, and
she even showed-or Val imagined it-a
mischievous pleasure in the situation. She
had not had the grace to say II know
this is all horrd and humiiating to YOU
I'm sorry and will try to help you make
the best of it,
Why should she say SO. indeed, when
she believed him to be no better than an
adventurer. punished for a mean ATTEMPT
at deceiving? Regarded from that point
of view, he ought 10 be grateful to Miss
Dearmer for trusting him far enough to
take him on as a chauffeur. But he was
not grateful. He thought that, on the
contrary, he was very angry; yet he was
not quite sure. And II he We're angry, it
was q strange kind of anger that he felt
He had to wait for some time on the
platform before Miss Dearmer appeared,
and then she came toward him alone.
''Auntie Is saying goodbye to our Ash