Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-01
Iatel Literary Bureau.


lovely face was a trife thinner and
there was an dir of restlessness about
her that Disconnected the dark little
monkey-like man who stood at her ell
bow, chattering.
'MademoiSelle, ah, yes, tees gay
scene-like electromagnetic England
ees what you call tame, dead.'
do you think so. countf" murmured
Pauline iRdifferently.
Hal There is no country like
France, no city like Parish
You have never seen America or
New York." said Pauline over her
shoulder.
II 90 the happiest Of men now to
interview mademoiselle's papa" grin
ned the count delightedly. for it was
quite true that Pauline's sister. the
Countess de Laon, had arranged 4
match between her beautiful sister and
a money hunting little patrician, Count
Servan Lagres. Helen was ACCOM-
panying her sister to New York, and
Lagres had taken passage on the same
steamer.
She tried not TO regret the step she
but every hour of her stay abroad had
been spent to the accompaniment OF
burning remorse and useless regret
She had not given her promise to La
gres. She had not even encouraged
him, but Helen was pushing the affair
in her high handed way, and Pauline
was meekly being led. She blushed
when she thought of what her father
would say when he saw this fourth
foreigner presented as q possible SON.
in-law.
"Mademoiselle is weary. Come and
sit down and / will send a cup of tea"
twittered the count at her elbow.
please 60 awayI' cried Pauline
Grossly.
Pauline moved slowly along the rail
until she could look down upon little
group of second cabin passengers.
Two were separated from the others,
a pale, anaemic looking man and lit
tie pink and white roly poly woman.
The woman was speaking despair
ingly.
George, L don't know 'ow 1t 'appen-
ed; I 'ad the purse sewed tight in my
skirt and now it's gone, every shill:n'
that I've scraped and saved for this
goin'r' Her voice broke Suddenly and
the mans thin hand gripped her shout
der.
Cheer up. Sally, old girl; maybe Joe
! II 'elp us out; e promised to meet US,
you know"
One day during the voyage Pauline
found them out and heard their story.
| 1t was n simple OF e. They had been
engaged for many years. George Mars
ton was butler and Sally was upper
housemaid in the same noble family.
| Georges health had deserted him, and
brother in Canada had offered him
land on which to build a home and
plenty of work If he would come to the
northwest.
When Pauline left them they we're
! riotously happy. Her generous pock'
| etbook had replaced the contents of
Sally's wallet, and they were to repay
| her when they could. They were in
! dependent.
The remainder of the voyage Pauline
went about with shining eyes. Helen
| could not understand the new mood,
and the count broke through his con-
ventionality and proposed outright and
| was refused.
He proposed again and was refused.
and yet again with kindly but monoto-
| nous regularity. When they reached
! quarantine he borrowed funds from
Helen and morosely decided to take
the next boat home without that i'm
portant interview with John Fem.
Roger Gale stood on the veranda Of
his ranch house and looked away over
| the slopes where his sheep were crowd
ed, huddled flocks of dusty gray against
the green gsass. From the fiocks and
! the ripping hills his eyes turned to
the winding trail that led frocI town.
A light blackboard was approaching
the ranch, and he saw that while the
outfit was his own and one of his men
was driving there were two passen-
gers in the rear seat. One was a citi-
fed looking man; the other was a girl
dressed in blue. Now. Roger Dale WAS
not in the habit o; receiving girl WIS.,
| at the sight OF the newcomers. He
stepped into the house to make anxious
inquiries Of the Chinese cook.
When he passed through his sitting
room TO the front porch Pauline Fem
was standing there looking at him with
wet, wistful eyes.
"PollyP' he cried, with unbelieving
eyes.
She nodded. "ROger. ! have come
Father came with me. | cannot he
happy without you. / want to be a
rancher's wife, She never finished
her confession. for Rogers arms were
around her and his bronzed cheek
was against hers.
You are sure. sure you won't regre,
It. love-" he asked over and over again
And Pauline chung closer TO him and
whispered softly what George and Sal
~ had awakened in her heart
II won't regret anything 80 long a
we are together" she said.
|