The Washington times., 1913-06-26
CHAPTER xxx.
Joan Strong Finds Her Brother.

Joan Strong Finds Her Brother.
~ OUGLAS threw away his cigar
and held out both his hands
The trouble passed from
Cicely's face. His tone was
full Of pleasure, and his eyere were
radiant
what fortune. Cissy!" he cried
You were the last person in my
found you again.
You are sure you wanted to see
me?' she asked, with some timidity.
Absolutely" he answered.
'T was foolish to run away-thaf
evening"
1T was too bad of you-and to keep
T think that your visitor frightened
me, Douglas"
He laughed.
Then. you need have no more fears. .
he said ''She has gone abroad"
do you have many-ladies 10 see
@she has never been before or SINCE"
he answered.
Ctcely laughed.
II was foolish" she said II will
ask no more questions"
he pointed downward to the gardens
There is an empty seat" he said.
"Shau me go there and sit GOWN
sAnywhere. Joan is out. ] need not
20 home for an hour.
"Still." he asked. with a grim smile.
ciceiy did not smile. 1t was the trag-
edy of her life to see her sister. once
ouick-tongued, cleanly, severe, Caivan-
istic. spend fruitless hours day bJ day
seeking a futile vengeance Joan she
had always thought of as typicai
farmers housevife-severe WIN ea hea
tongue, perhaps. shrewd. and trine
of scold.
But this woman who walked the
streets of London in her solemn black
clothes, pale-faced. untiring, ever Win
that same glitter In her eyes: was d =
revelation. She turned to douglas SUD-
denly. .
for you very much2"
should not have said so," he an
swered- she was willing TO marry me
what our engagement was like. We
were called into the parlor the Sunday
morning before 1-I-you remember ny
trtal sunday at Feldwick? Well he just
turned to Joan and sald. loan ~ Is my my
evidently prepared, for she held out her
IT am willing. Douglas she said.
THAT was all. As for me, was GER
ta.nly weak, but for the hfe OF me me. l
the chapel bell began to ring. and we
were hurried away, and your father
solemuiy announced our engagement as
the people came together. There was
not any love-making, II that Is what
Yet. / think" she said. that Joan
must have cared. / sometimes think
that 1t is not the man whom she be-
Iieyes to have killed father for whom
she seeks-it is the man who sighted
Il hope" he said. grayely. that she
may never find either. Let us forget
that such a person exists"
Willingly" she answered. with a
shall we talk about?"
Ourselves"
-Ffrst of all. then. why are you in
evening dress on a Sunday?"
Been out to dinner" he answered.
He tried to let her understand some
thing Of the period Of depression
through which he had passed, and he
found her, as ever. wonderfully SYM
pathetic quick to comprehend, keenly
interested: They talked Of his novel:
he told her of his new ideas. Of the
fancies which had come dancing into
his brain during the last few hours.
But she was perhaps more moved
than at any time when he spoke of that
wonderful visit of his TO the abbey. He
tried to make her feel what 1t had
meant to him. and in a measure he sue
ceeded. Suddenly he stopped = almost
in the middle of a sentence. He was
astonfshed to realize how pretty she
NOW tell me about yourself" he said.
Have you sent anything to Drexley
YETI
II think Mr.. Drexley is quite the
incest man ] know" she declared gayly.
II sent him three little fairy tales, and
last week he sent me check for them
and asked for more. And do you know
what he said, Douglas? ] asked him to
LET me hear his honest opinion as to
whether could make enough to live on
by such work as sent sent him. and s,s. ne re.
doubt about It. He wants me to write
something longer"
He took her hand-which she yielded
% him frankly-and forgot to restore II.
He was honestly delighted. He noticed.
and their touch-she had withdrawn her
Gloves pleasant thing.
"Cisey," he said, II must see more of
you. We are comrades and fellow
workers. We have begun to do the
things we talked about up among the
Der how ye lay In the heather and the
dreams we had? Actually, I believe
that they are coming true"
Her dark eyes were soft with remints-
cences and her face was brilliant with
smiles.
.It sounds delightful, Cousin Doug
las" she replied. oh IL only Joan
would come to her senses! It seems like
a thunderbolt always hanging over US.
I believe that IL she were TO see US TO-
gether she would go mad"
II have little to reproach myself with
as regards JOAN" he said 'Of course,
that night must always be black
chapter In my life. ! could not get to
London without money. and ! took only
q part of what was my own. ! need not
teiI you. Cicely. that never raised my
hand against your father"