The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-01-02
CHAPTER XVI.
AT THE ~UNMAsKING.

When Prue and Robin had left the
conservatory a sufficiently long time to
insure their return to the ball room,
OUT from behind a clump of plants
sllpped Sir Godfrey B~eaudesert. Ob-
serving her exit from the ball room with
a tail and con~spicuously habited masker
ne a followed with the intention Of
l~nterrupting a te~te-a-tete and fore
stalllng n of Prue's little firtations
That, however harmless in themselves,
We're dangerous, as he knew by expert
ence, to anterior claims.
When he found that, avoiding the
well lighted rooms, Prue guided her
to an out of the way re-
treat. where 1T was unlikely h they
would be disturbed by anyone less ia
m1l1ar with the house than herself. his
increased, and with it his
anxiety to know who the favored swain
might be, and when Peggie. with the
good natured intention of giving Robin
or her ~sheepskin, h green eyed mon
ster took complete possession Of Sir
Geofrey and prompted a baseness of
winch. a momen before, he would have
biushed to think himself capable.
The only available concealment
first noting reached him but the
murmur of voices. He could see that
Prue stretched out her hands to her
and that he kissed them
"isi oAooA, pul unCll MS own name
was mentioned, he heard nothing but a
dlsjointed word here and there. Then.
with ears p~reternaturally ~sharpened by
something even, more poignant than
jealousy, he overheard Prue's repudia-
ton Of himself and her companions
expression of relief and gratitude for
the same.
II was fortunate, perhaps. that the
was SO soon brought to an
eha pS peggie,s eagerness to carry her
cousin or to the ball room whittier Sir
GeoffreY followed as quickly as he
deemed wise, only to find Prue already
stand1ng up in a country-dance, and
the tall masker in scarlet missing. He
hunted everywhere for him. but in
vain, n finally withdrew to one of
the card rooms, where he played with
a marked absence Of his usual skill
and also of the luck for which he was
proverbial. 49,
At midnight a flourish of trumpets
that the moment for un-
masking had arrived The dancers
formed a double line and marched past
the dais, each couple unmaskinp as
they saluted the duchess and her roval
guest. Following them came an almost
lnterminable procession of the beauty,
talent n rank of the country, and
among the very last of these, Sir Geo
ffrey,s search was rewarded. The tall
ngure In its scarlet drapery suddenly
appeared, he knew not whence, and
within a few feet of him, doffed domino
and mask n revealed the familiar but
unlooked-fOr person of Lord Beach
combe. "
Instantly there flashed into Sir Geo
nrey's mind an explanation of the
words he had overheard, which reused
nm TO an almost uncomfortable fury.
rms man, once his rival, was still in
love with Prue, and after goading him
into a monstrous wager about her. had
exerted SOM Internal arts or argu-
ments to induce her to play the tilt
once more and thus rob him, at one
stroke, of his bride and his money.
OH he muttered, with intense bit
terness, such a trick is worthy Of a
MA VINO would not pay his own sis
ters dowry until he was sued for it!
He shall answer for this treachery
with his hearts best blood. and as for
her His look BODIED i'll for the flu
ture Of the capricious beauty toward
whom his feeling just then was less
like love than hate. He was forced
INTO s~elf-control. however, by the re-
Iect1on that to provoke a meeting on
this issue would place him in a more
tnan equlVocal position and that it
would be necessary to find some other
cause of quarrel.
Beachccmbe meanwhile. unconscious
of what had happened under shelter
OF his disguise, saluted his hostess and
ms sovereign n passed on with a
bland exterior and a temper in a
highly inf1ammable state.
Sir Godfrey lost no time. in throw
ing himself in Beachcombe's way. They
exchanged greetings and then. How
goes the courting?" asked my lord.
How is it you are not in attendance
on the fair Widow
Sir Geoffrey's fury choked him. Was
ever such impudence as this scoun-
drel's?
do you require an explanation on
the subject" he said, between his
clenched teeth.
Far from it," retorted Beachcombe.
with a jeering laugh. 1T will be quite
enough for me to know that she has
Tilted YOU: I care nothing for the de-
tails. Still. If l We're you, L would not
carry my willow quite so openly"
No doubt your lordship regards it as
quite permissible to prejudice the Wis
countess Brooke against a sutton who
has a wager with you, dependent on
her favor" sneered B~eaudesert.
II hardly fancy it would be diplo-
matte" drawled the other, not having
the clew to Sir Geoffrey's meaning,
and relishing his peevishness as evil
dence of defeat. the lady has
probably never pardoned my speedy
consolation. | doubt not that anything;