Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-26

Under the Royal Oak Sat an Arts
! Sketohina.
Lady Diana. With the sketchbook OF
I her knee she indicated with her riding
} crop Dido.
Can you manage to hold her?" she
asked.
The stranger. taking the hound. seat.
ed himself on the corner of the stone
bridge thae SPAWNED little stream
and was link in the highway that
ran by the stables.
.How's that:" be asked.
Just a little more round" she re-
turned. so. that's capital"' then
busted herself with her pencil.
DO you exhibit" she asked, turning
upon him for second an oblique
look. then another upon the drawing.
Very little" he said. with marked
hesitation.
"Whose-whose name am I to look
forE" she inquired. trace of personal
kindliness in her glance.
I'D rather not give my name until
I've done more for my reputation" he
said Il trifle awkwardIy and in some
concern.
'Oh. as you like she said Then.
holding out the sketch toward him. she
went on. There. look; hov's that
by Jove it's splendid, What magic
you can work with just Il touch or
two he exclaimed.
She made him n little bow. with
something not hostile in il, and began
quickly to turn the pages of the book.
"Oh, YOU paint landscapes. too" she
said. and they're very good too,
That's delicious little bit. and that's
the spinny where we killed last fall
and got the brush. And. oh. the old
half fOrtreSs-half tower sort OF place!
II looks as though it might be-
She was looking toward the seat of
the last Earl of Brancaster in the dis
lance. Gimly visible up the glen
The RieverS"' the stranger finished
her sentence. 1T is. Haven't you ever
been there
Nobody about here goes" returned
Lady Diana. You see. it belongs TO
Lord Brancaster. and he hardly ever
visits il. though I've heard he's here
now. Did he give you permission to
sketch it:''
y shouldn't have thought he would
have had much sympathy with artists
or art" she said.
Why notE" he asked. his glance for /
the moment falling.
His tastes are rather-er-notori- /,
Gus. I'm afraid he's rather Il byword - .
abolt here Even the country people 1
call him the wicked earl"
And because lot of yOkelS give a
man an odious nickname" he said 4
tcrsely. won judge him unheard. what
DO You know Of him."
Nothing. thanks" said Lady Diana.
Isn't il bit rough on him to he
ieve-on mere hearsay:" asked the
lrtist.
Il don't. but my grandfather. who
mas a kind word for every one. says
hat his GRANDPA Their was a soldier his
'ather soldier and Il gentleman. but
10 hopes the son viii never darken his
loOrs. And all the world says he frit-
ers away his life and is tiinging await
lis fortune
The stranger smiled with sense %
'ain reflected in his face.
what the world says is often NAL
re." he said. going TO the rescue ot
ord Brancaster. but I'm sorry To
ear what Lord Beverley said No
ody's all bad. Perhaps it's because
ord Beverley doesn't know him that
e thinks so i'll OF him. Perhnps II you
new him you might find-some little
oOd~-
I'm sure hope So" said Lady Di-
ma
But the stranger continued:
I'm sure he'd hope so. II he has
Iayed havoc with his life rnayn't he
epent his folly: Perhaps in sense
e never had n chance-perhaps he
ever had a father or mother in his
outh TO direct hirn-nnd perhaps he'll
Irn out all right now. Perhaps no
bed woman
A softly insidious voice thrust Itself 4
tn the intimacy that seemed about to
aCin between these two young peo- 3
.
-Ah. there you are it said