Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-25

The wedding-ah!" She caught her breath
| like sob in her throat. "My poor Victor
| scorned and refused at the very altar!
Thrown down publicly in the eyes of the
whole world! Will he ever forgive me? All,
Lii, between the two of us what fool we
have managed to make of my poor bo-oy!"
She covered her face with her two hands
and wept. And the bitterness of her heart
broke from her in sudden cry.
"Oh! it serves me just right for having
| trusted to Frenchwoman"
A H! jumped to my feet. Now indeed
she had found words to flick me on the
raw of my skin! Through the whirl of my
exhausted spirit, clear train of thought
came suddenly forcing itself.
So | had imagined had l, that, like the
personages in those modern novels that my
Uncle Porthaven at Brent forbade me to
read, l had changed with my environment,
made for myself new character and new
standard of action? Because had found
America charming and delightful, thought
l had become an American and forgotten
France? l had left behind me in France,
had l, all those wornout traditions, all those
moldy ideas of chivalry, that had brought
more than one Vauquieres to perfectly un-
necessary death, that quite needlessly had
stripped my dear papa of his fortune and
sent his daughter penniless exile to wander
over the earth?
Yes, was an exile; but-the realization
hit me in that instant like stroke-1 was
still French, still Vauquieres. My hand
went to my locket, which on its long, thin
chain hung at my neck. Yes, it was there,
with its bombastic medieval motto, giving
the lie to reason, to all practical modern
ideas, to American law and its clear logical
Interpretation that so short time ago had
tient parolei"
On the one hand stood the image of Henry
| with love in his eyes, and his arms held out
to me. On the other side, outside of reason,
or logic, or law, was just my word-my word
that had given. What would Papa tell me
to choose if he were here? What had he
chosen for himself? The law had not bound
him; but he had kept his word! And | was
a Vauquieres too!
Suddenly Mrs. Cobb broke the silence.
3Lili," she said in voice so hollow and tone
less that it sounded as though she were very
far away or very i'll, "as you notice, make
no scene. l merely remind you of one fact
that no legal bubble could alter, and it is
| this: You gave me your word of honor, and
1 accepted it. Now, that the time has come,
are you going to keep your promise, or are
you going to break it?'
II am going to break it"-no, my lips
would not form the words: they choked in
my throat: it seemed to me that Papa was
listening and could not say them. threw
up my head. dare say my gesture was
little dramatic; but-oh, when my ances-
| tors marched to their death, at least they
were allowed white panache and drum!
| II am going to keep my promise since
you claim it." said. "And now, Mrs Cobb,
as soon as Genevieve has dressed me, will
you please take me homer"
CHAPTER XVII.
INIOW time moves forward week-a
~ miserable week. And Lili-miserable
Lili-moves from Bar Harbor to New York
For Mrs Cobb it was an epoch of tri-
umph. The wedding presents that SO de-
lighted her soul came pouring in from all
quarters with cards that bore, was told,
the most aristocratic names in America. AS
to my own side of the ocean, my Vauquieres
uncles and aunts, on this occasion of my mar
rage with millionaire Though they refused
to cross the ocean,, came forward in very
fine fashion indeed. A beautiful emerald
pendant q look hideous in emeralds; but
| no matter-it came from Cartier 81, a little