Evening star., 1914-08-16
Continued from page 6

seems to me, the innocent bystander, that
Tad hadn't any right to pose"
3Don't! We mustn't misjudge him.
You're his friend: surely you ought to make
allowances for him, if I can. I'm sure he
must have had his reasons good enough
reasons, if we only knew. Why must he
take the world into his confdence?"
Dumbfounded, Peter stared; then re-
minded himself that woman nature was
singular thing, its mental processes defying
masculine analysis. 3You're right" he as
serted meekly, after pause 3Of course
you're right I've known Tad Craven a
and 1 know he wouldn't do anything dis
honorable or calculated to hurt ANYBODY
He's not that kind"
Impulsively Lyoias hand went out to
Peters; but in the long instant that they
sat hand in hand and eye to eye, each
smiling trace consciously, signals of dis
tress showed in her wavering glance, and
within his grasp the pressure of her firm
young fingers lessened until reluctantly ne
released them.
"What is it," Peter asked gently.
"Only my presumptuousness- -lnflictlng
you with my troubles, demanding your
sympathy, as if I'd any right whatever"
@Im your fathers friend, at least, Miss
Craven, and-such as am-if you care to
think of me as your friend too, III be very
glad-not to say vainglorious."
She wouldn't have been a human girl
had she lacked coquetry. A suspicion of
mischief lightened the smile with which she
regarded him, head judgmatically inclined
bit to one side. @Mrs. Beggarstaf seems
to think well of you-"
"Ske's ind-hearted- easily amused. y
"How you do continually cry yourself
down! What is one to think?"
@When man has the grace to speak hum
bly, of himself, Miss Craven, listen with
gratitude and amazement: truth is rare
music in this world"
"Yet you urge your friendship upon
me-"
at is all have to Offer" he dropped for
moment his bantering tone: poor cur
rency, perhaps, but not counterfeit; light
weight, but without alloy
Then suddenly she was grave again.
aYou are kind" she averred wistfully, @and
Il need friends"
CHAPTER TX
IN humor as radiant as that of child pre-
sented with a long-coveted plaything,
Craven returned to find his daughter as he
had left her, alone. Lydia! My dear,
dear girl.'
She yielded without struggle to his en-
brace, instantly supple to the spell of that
blind and unquestioning devotion which
never before that night had wavered from
his image In those arms the old enchant-
ment regained full power, doubts and mis-
givings we're all forgotten. Craven became
to her once more the most splendid of men,
and the handsomest, dearest of fathers.
And then he was holding her by the
shoulders at arms length looking her fondly
up and down, wagging an indulgent head.
a,rhe saints preserve US! But you've BIOS
somed out into woman, Liddy my dear,
to turn the heads of half the world! As tall
as your old Dad, as sweet as cherry BIOS
SONS, as lovely as the break of day in
June! It's like seeing your mother again,
the way she was the day we were married.
though she was only eighteen then, and now
you're more than twenty! God forgive 'em,
but the years have magicked me into an
old man before my time! The father of
a woman like YOURSELF can't believe
it,"
4You haven't aged day, Daddy dear"
Craven would have none of that. ats
of grandchildren 1 must be thinking now
Don't hang your pretty head: let me look
my fill of my girl! But you might be SO
good as to tell me how it comes your here.
If you dropped from the skies"
@Surely you know, Daddy" the girl pro-
tested. II ran away-I had to. You know