The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-03-27
CHAPTER II.
The Duchess Approve


Gus or SO absorbing as to prevent the
eager mothers-who. true to her word,
Lady Galorey had invited dcwn-from
laying siege to Dan Blair. Lady Ga.
lorey asked him:
Dont you want to marry any one
OF these beauties, DAM" And Blair.
with his beautiful smile aud what Lily
called his inspired candor, answered:
Not on your life, Lady Galorey!"
AND she agreed Il think myself
you are too young"
No." Dan refuted, you are wrong
there. l shall marry as fast as I can"
His hostess was surprised.
Why, | thought you wanted your
fling first"
AND Dan, from his chair, In which.
with book, he had been sitting when
Lady Galorey found him, answered
cheerfully:
"Oh. / don't like being alone. want
TO 90 about with some one. I should
like fling all right, but | want to
ming with somebody as 1 co."
The lady Of the house was not a
philosoLher nor an analyst. She had
certain affairs Of her own and was en-.
crossed In them and lived in them. AS
lar as Lady Galorey was concerned
the rest OF the world might 20 and
nang itself as long as 1t didn't do it
at her gatepost. But Blair couldn't
leave any one Indifferent to him very
iong, not unless one could be indiffer-
ent to blaze OF sunlight; one must
either draw tbs blinds down or bask
In its brightness.
she laughed. You're perfectly deli
clOus! You mean to say you want to
De married at once and let your wife
hing around with your"
"Just that"
How sweet Of you, Dan! And you
wont marry one OF these girls here?"
Don't NIL the bill, Lady Galorey."
"Oh, you have sweetheart at home.
then?"
"All OIL" he assured her blithely.
and rose. tall and straight and slender.
The Duchess Of Breakwater had
come tn. indeed she never failed to
when there was any question of find.
ing Blair.
Dan stood straightly before the two
women OF an old race, and the Amer
lean didn't suggest any line of noble
ancestors whatsoever. His features
were rather conglomerate; his mus.
cles were possibly not the perfect elias.
tic specimens that were those muscles
whose strain and sinew had been
made from the same stock for genera.
tions. He was, nevertheless, very
good to look on. Any woman would
have thought so, and he bent his blond
head as he looked at the Duchess Of
Breakwater with something like be.
nevolence, something of his fathers
Kindness in his clear blue eyes.
Neither Of the noble ladies vaguely un.
derstood him. His hostess thought
him "a good Sort" not half bad. a
splendid catch, and the other woman,
only a few years his senior, was in
love with him. The duchess had mar.
ried at eighteen. tired of her bargain
at twenty, and found herself a widow
at twenty-five. She held a telegram
in her hand.
We've got the box for Mandalay to-
night at the Gaiety. and let's motor
in"
Only Lady Galorey hesitated, disap-
pointed.
TOO bad had specially arranged
for Lady Grandcourt to drive over
with Eileen. I thought 1t would be a
ripping chance for her to see Dan"
When at length the duchess had sue.
ceeded In getting Dan TO herself to-
ward the end OF the day In the red
room, after tea, she said:
$50 you won't marry a London
beauty?"
And rather coldly Dan had an.
swered:
why, you talk, all OF you. as IL
had only to ask any girl OF them, and
she would Jump down my throat"
"Don't try It," the duchess answered
unless you want to have your mouth
FULL"
Dan did not reply for a second. but
he looked at her more seriously. con-
scious OF her grace and her good
looks. She was certainly better to
looR At than the simple girls with
their big hands. small wits long faces
and, as the boy expressed II. utter
lack OF get-up." The duchess shone
out to advantage.
why don't you talk to me?" she
asked softly. "You know you would
rather talk to me than the others"
Yes he said frankly; they make
me nervous"
and don't?"
NO. he said. 81 learn a lot every
time we are together"
Learn" she repeated, not particu.
larly fiattered by this What sort of
things"
oh about the whole business" he