The evening world., 1914-04-09

laid herself open to the charge OF
indiscretionl To have received q lee
ture. however kindly intended. from
the man she loved and respected next
to her fatheri To know that persons
were exchanging mods and whispers
behind her back!
II was a detestable world. II was
folly to be honest. to be kind. to be
individual. to have likes and dislikes.
unless those might be regulated by
outsiders. Why should she care what
people said? She did not care. What
made her furious was the absolute
stupidity OF their deductions. She had
not been indiscreet: she had been
they wanted to twist and misconstrue
her actions, let them do SO.
She hated the word people" 1t
seemed to signify all the useless, In
efficient persons In the world. massed
together after the manner OF sheep
and cattle, stupidest of beasts, always
wanting something and never know
ing what: not an individual among
them. And they expected her to con-
form with their ways! Was 1t neces-
sary for her to tell these meddlers
why she had sought tho companion
ship OF a self-admitted malefactor?
Oh. that could not DO! II
evil were to be found in such q man.
then there was no good anywhere.
What was one misstep?
Was 1t not written that all OF Us
should make one or more?
And surely this man had expiated
his. Ten years in this wilderness, ten
long. lonely years. How many men
would have stood up against tne
temptations OF this exile? Few. II
Dny, among the men she knew. And
they criticised her because she was
sorry for the man. Must she say to
them: Dear people. 1 spoke to this
man and engaged his companlonship
because l was sorry for him: because
he looked exactly like the man have
promised to marry" 1t was ridlcu,
lous. She laughed. The dear people!
Once or twice she saw inwardiy the
will-o'-the- wisp lights OF her soul. But
resoluteiy she smothered the sparks
and bolstered up the pitiful lie.
The coolie stopped suddenly.
"Go on" she said.
But the coolie smiled and wiped his
shaven poll. Elsa gazed at the hotel
yeranda in bewilderment. Slowly sue
got out the slightest recollection or
having seen the gardens. More than
this, it was a quarter to seven. she
had been gone exactly an hour.
Perhaps, after ALL" she thought.
II am hopeless. They may be right:
ought to have guardian. ! am
not always accountable for what DO:
She dressed leisurely and with cal
culation. She was determined TO con-
vince every one that she was q beaut-
ful woman, above suspicion, above
reproach. The spirit within her was
not. however, in direct accord with
this determination. Malice stirred into
life again and she wanted to hurt
some one. hurt deeply. 1t was only
the tame in spirit who, when injured
submitted without murmur or pro-
test. And Elsa, only dimly aware OF
It. was MORALLY hurt a.,
Elsa" said Martha, that frown VIII
stay there some day and never go
away"
Elsa rubbed It out with her finger.
Martha, do you recall that tiger in
the cage at Jaipur? How they leased
him until he lost his temper and came
smashing against the bars? Well. l
sympathize with that brute. He would
have been peaceful enough had they
let him be. Has MIR. Warrington
called to-day"
mo"
well. X he calls Tomorrow say th~
l am indisposed."
Martha evincsd her satisfaction Wis
IDLY. The frown returned between Ell
sa's eyes and remained there until she
went downstairs to Join the Consul
General and his wife. She found some
very agreeable men and women. and
some OF her natural gaiety returned
At a far table on the veranda she saw
Craig and Mallow In earnest CONVEX
sation.
She nodded pleasantly to the colonel
as the head boy came to announce
that dinner was served. Anglo Indian
society had so many twists and rami-
fications that the situation was not
exactly new to the old soldier True,
none had confronted him Identical TO
this,
But he had not disciplined men all
these years without acquiring album
dant self-control. The little veins In
his nose turned purple, as Elsa proph
esied they would. but there was no
other indication OF how distasteful the
moment was TO him. He would surely
warn the Consul General, who doubt
less was innocent enough.
They sat down. The colonel blinked
Fine passage we had coming down
"Was III" returned Elsa innocently
Tho colonel reached for an olive and
bit into Il savagely. He was no fool.