The Cairo bulletin., 1913-08-09

achievements, drew tile iinsuSDactin
Mrs Medcroft into secluded tete
tete. Ii Is not OF record that he "a,
ever a diplomatic wooer. One In bas,
never is Suffice Il to say Mrs Nal
croft. her cheeks haIaing. her avn
wide with mdlgnationE suddenly .f
the side of the indomjtable Preddi,
and joined the party as the other an,
OF the entresot but not before she no.
said 10 him with unmistakatie ela.r
ness and decision:
You little wretch How dare you
say such silly things 10 me-
The rebuff decisive. Aud he bn5
only meant to be comforting. not IA
say self sacrificing He'd be hanood
II he could understand women now.
adays. not these women at least In
high dudgeon. he stalked from tho
room. In the door he met Brock.
For two cents" he declared say.
agely. as II Brock were TO blame I'D
take the next train for Paris"
Brock watched him down the hall
his pocket. ruefully looking them over
Two cents" he said Hang II all
I've nothing there but pfennigs and
hellers aud confines"
In the course of his wanderings the
disconsolate Freddie came upon Mrs
Odeil Carney and pudgy Mr.. Rodney
They We're sitting In a quiet corner OF
the reading room. Mr. Rodney had
had hard day. He had climbed a
mountainous, more accurately speak
Ing. he had climbed halfway up and
then the same half down. He was
very tired. Freddie observed from his
lonely station that Mr. Rodney was
fast dropping TO sleep. notwithstanding
his companions rapid tiow Of small
talk 1t did not take Freddie long 70
decide. He was an outcast and a par.
iah and he was very lonely. He must
have some one TO talk to- Without
more ado he bore down upon the eou.
pie and moment later was tact.
fully advising the sleepy Mr.. Rodney
to take himself OF to bed-adyice
which that gentleman gladly accented
And so II came about that Freddie sat
face to face with the last resort, at the
foot OF the chaiselongue, gazing with
serene adulation into the eyes OF
woman who might have had q son as
old AS he-if she had had one at all.
She had been coquette In her salad
days-there was no doubt of 1t. She
had encountered fervid gallants in all
parts of the world and In all stations
OF life. But 1t remained for the gal.
liant Freddie Ulstervelt to bowl her
over with surprise for the first time
In her long and varied career At the
end OF half an hour she pulled herself
together and tapped him on the Shout
der with her fan, a quizzica smile on
her lips
MY dear Mr.. Ulstervelt. are you
trying to make lote to me? You nice
Americans. How gallant Won can he!
| am quite old enough to be your
mother. Believe me, thank you for
the compliment I can't tell you how
| appreciate this delicate nattery. You
are very delicious But" as she arose
sraciOusly. I'D follow Mfr Rodney's
example II were you I'd go to bed 4"
Then, with Il rare smile. which could
not have been more chilling. she left
him standing there
by JOve"' he mnttered passing his
hand across his eyes as If bewildered.
What was | saying 10 her? Good
Lord. has Il got to be habit with met
Was making love to herr" lie de-
parted for the American bar.
Mrs. Rodney had but little sleep that
night. She went to bed In state Of
worry and uncertainty. oppressed by
the shadows which Threatened eternal
darkness TO the fair name Of the fam
lily, however distantly removed. Kath-
crimes secret had Ia reality been news
to her: she had not paid enough atten
ton TO the Medcrofts to notice any
thing that they did, so long as they
did not do 1t In conjunction with the
Odell-Carneys. The lECarneys were
her horizon morning, noon and night.
And now there was likelihood of that
glorious horizon being obscured by
sickening scandal In the vulgar fore
ground. Inspired by Katherine's dread
ful conclusions. the excellent lady SET
about to observe for herself. During
the entire evening she fitted about the
hotel and grounds with all the snoop-
ing instincts OF Sherlock Holmes.
She lurked, II that is not putting 1t too
theatrically. From unexpected hooks
she emerged to view the landscape
Ger; by devious paths she led her
doubts to the gates Of absolute certain
ty and then sat down TO shudder to
her hearts content 1t was all true!
For four hours she had been trying to
get to the spot where she could see
With her own eyes and at last she had
come to IL. OF course she had TO ad-
NIT to herself that she did not actually
hear Mr. Medcroft tell Constance that
he loved her, but 1t was enough for
her that he sat with her in the semi
darkness for two unbroken hours,
speaking ia tones so low that they
might Just as we'll have been whisper
ing so far as her taut ears were con-
osaTassSA