The Springfield herald., 1912-05-24
Evelyn, what are you going to do?"

'I-my dear Lord Maclaren-I am
entirely in your hands: you are my
guest. reckon, and even In America
we have some idea of what that
means. Now. would you like to play
cards after dinner. or shall we have
little music?"
The steward entered the cabin at
this moment, and the conversation be-
ing interrupted. Maclaren CHANGED to
see that the companion was free. A
wild idea of appealing to the captain
Of the yacht came to him. and he
made sudden move to mount the
ladder. He had but taken a couple
of steps, however, when lusty young
fellow. perhaps of 25 years of age.
barred the passage. and pushed him
with some roughness into the cabin
again. The man closed the long, PAN
eled door behind him. and then ad-
dressed the unwilling guest.
"Ah. Maclaren. 30 that's you-dev-
ilish good of you to come aboard. l
must say"
The newcomer was Evelyn Leno1s
brother, the owner OF the ketch Bow
cry. He acted his part in the comedy
with more skill than his sister, hav-
ing less personal interest in It; in
deed, amusement seemed rather to
hold him than earnestness. 1t was
perfectly clear to Maclaren. however.
that he would stand no nonsense; and
seeing that further exhibition of
feeling would not help him one jot, the
unhappy prisoner succumbed. When
the dinner was put upon the table. he
found himself sitting down to 1t me-
chanically, and as one In dream. 1t
was an excellent meal to come from
a galley; and 1t was made more appe.
tizing by the wit and sparkle of the
girl who presided, and who acted her
role to such perfection. She seemed
to have forgotten her anger, and
cloaked her malice with consummate
art. She was a well-schooled flirt-
and her victim consoled himself with
the thought, "They will put me ashore
in the morning, and can make a
tale" By ten o'clock he found him
self laughing over glass Of whisky
and soda. BY II he was dreaming
that he stood at the altar in the
church of st. Peters and that two
brides walked up the aisle together.
The next picture that have to show
you Of Maclaren is one which 1 am
able to sketch from a full report of
certain events happening on the even
ing of his wedding day. The yacht
lay becalmed some way out in the bay
of the Somme; the sea had the luster
of a mirror. golden with fawless
sheen of brilliant light which carried
the dark shadows Of smack-hulls and
tapping lug-sails. There was hardly
cupful of wind, scarce an intermit-
tent breath of breeze from the land;
and the crew Of the Bowery lay about
the deck smoking with righteous Wig
or, as they netted or stitched. or In
dulged in those seemingly useless oc-
cupations which are the delight of sail
ors. Often however. they stayed
their work to listen to the rise and
once, when Maclaren's voice was
heard almost in scream. one of
them. squirting his tobacco Juice over
the bulwarks, made the sapient re-
mark, well. the old cove's dander
is riz now. anyway"
The scene below was played vigor-
ously. Evelyn Lenox sat upon the
sofa, her arms resting upon the cabin
table, her bright face positively alight
with triumph. Maclaren stood before
her with clenched hands and gnash-
ing teeth. Arthur, the brother. was
smoking pipe and pretending to read
newspaper, leaving the conversation
% his guest, who had no lack Of words.
Good God. Evelyn he said. "you
cannot mean to keep me here any
longer-to-morrow's my wedding day"
She answered him very slowly.
How interesting! remember the
time, not SO long ago, when my we'd
ding day was fxed-and postponed"
He did not heed the rebuke. but con-
tinued cravenly.-
"You do not seem to understand
that your brother and yourself have
perpetrated upon me an outrage which
will make you detested in every coun-
try in Europe. Great Heaven! the
whole town will laugh at me. 1 shan't
have friend in the place; 1 shall be
cut at every club. as I'm a living
man."
The girl listened to him. her eyes
sparkling with the excitement Of 1t.
"Did you never stop to think" said
she, when you left America like the
coward you were, that people would
laugh at me, too, and should never
be able to look my friends in the face
again? Why, even in the newspapers
they held me up to ridicule when my
heart was breaking. You speak of
suffering; well, have suffered"
Her mood changed, as the mood of
women does-suddenly. The feminine
instinct warred against the actress.
and prevailed. She began to weep hys-
terically, burying her head in her
arms; and painful silence fell on
the man. He seemed to wait for her
to speak; but when she did SO, anger
had succeeded, and she rose from her
place and stamped her foot, while
rage seemed to vibrate in her nerves.
"Why do l waste my time on you?"
she cried; you who are not worth an
honest thought. Pshaw! Lord Mac
laren, illustrious nobienan and great
sportsman she was quoting from
an American paper-"go and tell them
that for ten days you have hunl5led