Evening star., 1912-11-18
CHAPTER XVII.
Lionel and Kate.

What an appalling little bounder.'
Kate's face was expressive as she famed
the air with her apron.
Lionel shut his eyes and shifted. I
can smell his handkerchief yet"
Don't she implored. I'm trying to
forget it,
Fitz- Brown turned his attention to the
rose bush. The flowers hung their heads
dejectedly. as if conscious of their guilty
secret.
How about the floral Offering he
asked.
countess.
Thanks. awfully. l say, Kate Lionel
went on. Il don't mind telling YOU had
all l could do to keep my hands off that
half crown. | give you my word If the
fellow had brought out half sovereign
i should have snatched it before he knew
where he was
Don't be too sure laughed Kate, Il
was nearer to him than you were, and
have good long reach, too See if
haven't"
She stretched out her arm bare to the
elbow, i'll bantering challenge. AS they
faced each other the creamy curve of
her forearm lay close along his fanneled
biceps. and her slender finger tips pressed
lightly against his neck. Lionefs hand,
like a bronze epaulet. closed over her
shoulder. and she felt the heat of his
palm through the thin muslin, as. with
Ever since that unforgettable night on
the golf links. over a week ago Lionel
had kept his resolution to be no obstacle
TO Kate Clendennin's prospects. To his
idolatrous mind, kate's ultimatum that
she was going to marry Robert Baxter
settled the matter. To put her alto
gether out Of his thoughts, out of his
dreams, was an impossibility, but he had
kept away from her as much as possible:
he had even '"funked'' the morning and
evening handSh2Ep Whppaper he could
And now the curve of her warm shoulder
in the hollow of his hand, the touch of
her finger tips, the white curve of her
wrist SO near his lips, stirring a forbidden
memory with its subtle fragrance. this
was more than Lionel had bargained for.
1t brought to bear on his resolution a
pressure beyond its guaranteed ca
pacity. And inasmuch as when steam
boiler eXplodes If Is the engineer and not
the boiler that is held to blame. SO Lionel
must not be censured for what was be-
yond his control AS for the engineer, in
this case Mr.. Ferdinand Spooner. he was
blown to metaphorical atoms by the force
of the explosion. a w11iff of appalling
scent and the clink of q vanished half
sovereign being the only fragments pre-
served in the minds Of Kate and Lionel.
Kate with the supersentience Of her
sex. felt 1t coming before Lionel had the
least idea of it. and as she waited second
| by second for the moment when her lover
would press his lips passionately to her
wrist. all power to draw away left her.
| She felt his kisses on her bare arm, up
and up, and still she did not move, and
when at last his lips came to hers, and
for a moment he held her unresisting in
his arms. Lionel had no disturbing delu-
sion. as on a former occasion, that Kate
Clendennin had tainted.
When Kate recovered. and by the mys-
terious power of unreasoning possessed
only by women. had made Lionel desper-
ately ashamed OF having done just what
she had wanted him to do, and when
Lionel had sufficiently humbled himself
she lifted him to a second-best heaven by
allowing herself tmuch against her wilD
to be persuaded not to renounce him for
! ever. Then. discovering that the air was
sitting in the conservatory. she an
| nounced her intention OF taking a walk.
No, On no account would she let Lionel
accompany her. He might go anywhere
in the world except with her. She was
going down by the lake and she wanted
TO he alone.
Lionel watched her deiectedly as she
crossed the lawn and disa appeared through
the frs For ten minutes. fifteen minutes
he waited. and then. unable TO endure it
any longer and choosing to brave her dis
pleasure rather than remain away from
her another minute Lionel followed the
| path Kate had taken, and found the
sternly expectant lady sitting i'm the sum-
/ mer house at the end of the little rustic
pier.
The countess rose as she heard Lionel
coming, and seemed about to depart: then,
| for some reason she sat down again and
| Lionel sat down beside her.
Il say, Kate" he plunged right in, Il
| can't stand this. I'll have to clear out
/ thought l could 60 through with 1t a
week ago, but it's too much for me-
/ When l acted like brute just now, and
and kissed you. IT was because l was
! such a beastly ass as to think chap like
| me could make YOU happy on nothing a
| wear. love in a cottage and all that. But
| that's what I'm going to do, Kate only
without the love-just plain cottage
''yes?
The fact is. he fioundered on, i've be-
gun 10 feel differently about things about
| money and all that. Old Baxter's right
| Work is the only thing, and-I've made
up my mind I'm going to take up farm
| ing. You know that place | told you of.
Kate. | can get 1t for next to nothing.
| IT belongs to that uncle j told you about
| at NORWOOD Scrubbs-the disgustingly
rich one-y0u know. You see I'm hts "a.