Evening star., 1911-08-21

/ on, as they spun through the country siue
by side, to talk of Bill Willing. of Lille
| de Lisle, of Ed Binney and even of Isl
dora the Acknowledged. or the fire at
| Alexander the Greats she had read in the
| papers and she deigned a few words of
praise for Loyeland's behavior. She was
! curious, also, to hear what happened
| afterward'': and though Val was silent as
to Isdora's part In his next move, wom-
ans wit supplied the missing link.
| Too delicate minded to put her sus-
| picions into words, Lesley, nevertheless,
! contrived tactfully to pluck from Love-
Miss Alexander's encouragement to the
Jewish commercial traveller.
She'll never marry him., the girl an
! nounced authoritativeiy.
II wish could think you were right"
said Loveland. Poor Isidora has a
warm. generous heart. and 1t would be a
beAstly shame to waste her on the oily
creature. But Alexander's hard to beat
once he makes up his mind
when I first knew you it wouldn
have occurred to you that the affairs OF
a common little person like that might
/ be worth bothering about" exclaimed
! Lesley. But now l believe you're really
| interested
Il really am, admitted Val. Il hope
that doesn't disgust your
Exactly the other way. Lesley as
sured him. But you needn'tbe anxious.
| An only daughter. spciie by her father.
is just as hard to beat the most OBJ
stinate and tyrannicaI parent. Isidora
| won't marry the Coh.n man-after all
that's happened. She won't marry any
! one. for a good long time. but by and by
she will. and then it will be somebody
of her own choosing. not her fathers"
What makes you think so?'' asked
| Loveland.
'Oh-because I'm a woman myself"
And then she would say no more on that
subject: but she talked eagerly Of Bill
Willing and his star.
Sidney Cremer would play fairy god
! father to the two. she said, speaking with
| that happy certainty of her lovers mind
| which invariably depressed and irritated
| Loveland.
| There were numerous country COM
| panies ION the road touring with Sid
| ney's pieces in very good towns. Sidney
| would take "Mr. Gordon's" word for
J Lille de Lisle's ability as a soubrette,
and would offer her q part shortly to be
open. owing to the marriage OF the girl
now playing it. AS for that perfect
lamb of BILL place should be found
for him in the same company, that Les
ley would promise. He could travel as a
sort of handy man. to repaint and freshen
up the scenery. and as Sidney would
doubtless guarantee the pair permanent
engagement together they could marry
at once ON the strength Of it.
You had better wait and hear what
Mr.. Cremer says suggested Loveland
! almost bitterly. when Lesley had instruct
ed him to write the good news at once to
Lille and Bill. Ed Binney was also to
be provided for, sent to a convalescent
home and given hope for chance as
property man. with one OF Sidneys
plays when he should be strong enough
to go on tour again.
"Oh. Sidney and l always think alike.
Haven't I told you that before?" was
Lesley's answer There's no need to
wait ] know all about Sidney's business.
And 1 thought it would be pleasure to
you to write and be the means OF making
your friends happy
$50 it would, IL | were the means"
muttered Loveland. But I'm not. It's
Mr. Sidney Cremer. Everything is Sidney
Cremer and he is everything"
Some day 1 may remind you OF tpat
speech said Lesley. Then she laua kNd
In q mysterious little way she had. But
she was letermined that Loveland should
write the letters she desired written: and
learning the lesson OF uneeifishness. he
tried. to rejoice sincerely in his friends
good luck.
ITS a long lane that has no turning
he said to himself as he sealed letters
which would change the face OF the world
for three persons Their turning has
come at last and I'm glad. But my lane
is blocked. Whatever happens that brute
Sidney Cremer will always stand at. the
end and bar my way out"
(To be continued tomorrow1