The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-02
CHAPTER TX.
Disappointment.

Dan Blair had not been back OIL tnei
scenes at the Gaiety since his first
call on the, singer. Indeed. though he
had told the duchess he pitted Miss
Lane, he had not been able to ap-
proach her very closely, even In his
,own thoughts. When she first ap.
peared on his horizon his mind was
full of the Duchess Of Breakwater, and
the singer had only lowered round his
more profound feelings for another
woman. But Lefty Lane was an at
mosphere in Dams mind which he was
not yet able to understand. There was
so little left that was connected with
his old home, certainly nothing in the
British Isles, excepting Ruggles, and
to the young man everything from
America had its value. Decidedly the
nice girl OF whom he had spoken to
Gordon Galorey, the print-frocked,
bonneted type, the ideal girl that Dan
would like to marry and to spoil, had
not crossed his path The Duchess Of
Breakwater did not suggest her, nor
did any of the London beauties. Dams
first ideal was beginning to fade.
He left osdene Park on protest and
returned the same night to London,
and all the way back to town tried to
register in his mind, unused to analy-
sis. his experience with the Duchess
of Breakwater on this last visit.
He had experienced his first dis
appointment in the sex, and this dis
appointment had been of an unusual
kind. 1t was not that he had been
turned down or given the mitten, but
he had seen one woman turn another
down. A woman had been mean, so
he put 1t, and the fact that the Ouch.
ess of Breakwater had refused to
lend a moral hand to the singer at
the Gaiety hurt Dams feelings. Then,
as soon as his enthusiasm had Gained,
he saw what stupid ass he had been.
A duchess couldn't mix up with
comic opera singer, of course. Still,
he unused, "she might have been a lit
tie nicer about It."
The education his father had given
him about them was put to the test
now; the girl he had dreamed Of, the
nice girl" well, she would have had
tenderer way with her in a case
such as this! Back of Dams hurt feel
ings, there was a great deal on the
Duchess Of Breakwater's side. She
had not done for herself yet. She
hadn't fetched him nearly up to the
altar for nothing, and back Of his dis
approval, there was long list of ad-
vibrations and looks, memories Of
many tete.a.tetes and Of more fervent
kisses which scored good deal in the
favor of Dams first woman. The Ouch.
css of Breakwater had gone boldly on
with Dams unfinished education, and
he really thought he loved her. and
that he was in honor bound to see the
thing through.
That evening, once more in the
box he had taken all to himself, he
listened TO "Mandalay," carried away
with the charm OF the music and car
ried away by the singer. He was in
the box nearest the stage and seemed
close to her and he imagined that
under her paint he could see her
pallor and how thin she was. Moth
ing, however, in her acting or in her
voice revealed the least fatigue. Blair
had obtained card Of entrance to
the theater, which permitted him to
circulate freely behind the scenes,
and although as yet the run of his
visits had not been clear, this night
he had purpose. Dan stood not far
from the corridor that led to Lefty
Lanes room, and saw her after her
act hurriedly cross the stage, big
white shawl wrapping her slender
form closely. She was as thin as a
candle. Her woman Higgins followed
closely after her. and as they passed
Dan, Lefty Lane called to him gaily:
"Hello, you! What are you hanging
around here for?"
And Dan returned: Don't stand
here in the draft. 1t is beastly cold"
ava, Ntt., /" bar woman urPad