, 1912-03-21

III Is your lead" SAID the admiral
patiently.
pardon me" contritely. The gen
tie reproach brought her back to the
surroundings. 1T is the motion of the
boat" hazarded Cathewe as he saw
her lead the ace. 81 often find myself
losing count In waiting for the next
roll"
"Mr. Cathewe is very kind" she re-
piled. 'The truth is. however. | am
simply stupid tonight"
Breitmann continued to speak lowly
to Laura. He was evidently amusing.
for she smiled frequently. Neverthe-
less she smiled as often upon FitZ
gerald-never a glance toward the wo
man who held his fortunes. as they
both believed. In the hollow of her
hand. Breitma II appeared to have
forgotten her existence.
When the rubber was finished Ca
THEY'VE cam into the breach by sug-
costing that they two. he and his part
ner. should take the air for awhile.
and Hildegarde thanked him with her
eyes. They tramped the port side. say
ing nothing. but thinking much. His
arm was under hers to steady her. and
he could feel the catch each time she
breathed, as when one stiles sobs that
are fearless. All. to hold her close
and to shield her. but a thousand arms
may not intervene between the heart
and the pain that stabs it. He knew
he knew all about it. and there was
murder in his thought whenever his
thought was Of Breitmann. To be
alone with him somewhere and to fight
1t out with their bare hands!
She had been schooled in the art of
acting. but not In the art of dissimu-
lation. She had been Of the world
without having e worldly. and
sometimes she was as frank and sim
pie as a child. And wordliness makes
a buffer in times like these. Cathewe
thanked God for his own shell. tough
ened as 1t had been In the war of
life.
They paused by the rail. Without
warning she bent swiftly and kissed
his hand. which lay upon the rail
How kind you are to mel"
"Oh. pshaw"" But the touch OF her
lips shook his soul.
Cathewe was one of those sure
quiet men, a star to lean on, that a
woman may find once in a lifetime
They are as n usual thing always low
ing deeply and without success, but
always Invariably cheerful and buoy
ant-genuine philosophers. He knew
that the whole heart of Hildegard,
Won Mitter had yielded to another
But II had been thrown. as 1t were
against a wall. There was this one
hope. dimly burning. that some day
he might catch II on the rebound.
why are not all men like your" she
asked.
"The world would not be half so I'm
teresting. Some men shall be fortu
nate and others shall not. Everything
has to balance in some way"
TO have met you" childishly.
Don't talk like that. 1t always
makes me less sad than furious
Well 90 on ns we have done in tn,
past. good friends. Call me when you
need me. and wherever ! am shal
come"
How p~itifully weak ! must seem t,
YOU
You would be no happier II yor
wore a mask H%ildegarde. what ha
happened: What power has this az
venturer over you? | cannot unde
stand. He was man enough to =:
that you were guiltless OF any wrong
He said that?" turning upon hi
sharply. She could forgive much.
He could not see her face. but IL
the tone OF her voice he knew It had
frightened "Hildegarde." and liz
pressed his hand down hard ov,.I
hers. Il could lind II priest the dn'
we land II you would love me. Yun
will always remember that"
AS If rould ever forget your kind
ness. Much as ! know him there are
still some untitled pages. | would
call him n scoundrcl did ! not know
that in parts he has beer a hero.
What sacrifices the man has made