Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-04-24
CHAPTER XIV.
Bv the sun-pIai.

movement. From an overwhelming
circle of masculine devotees Katharine
Fargo watched them with a smile that
cloaked an increasing and unwelcome
question.
Katharine had never looked more
handsome; a critical survey of her
mirror at GLADDEN. Hall had assured
her of that. Never had her poise been
more superb, her toilet enraptur-
ing. She was exquisitely gowned in
r~ose-colored mousseline-de-soie, en-
broidered II tiny brilliants laid on in
Greek patterns. From her neck, In a
single splendid loop of iridescence
against the rosy mist, depended those
fabulous pearls-"the kind you sim
ply can't believe" as Betty Page con-
dded to her partner-on whose news
paper reproduction (~actual diameter)
metropolitan shop-girls had been wont
to gaze with glistening eyes; and with
In their milky ~circlet, ON her rounded
breast, trembled three pale g~old-veined
orchids.
Watching that quadrille through her
dropping emerald-tinted eyes, she had
received a sudden enlightening impress.
sion Of Shirley's flawless beauty. At
the tournament her fleeing glimpse
had adjudged the other merely sweetly
pretty. The Chalmers surrey had
stopped en- route for Shirley, but In
her wraps and veil she had then been
all but invisible. This had been Kath.
arine's first adequate view. and the
sight Of her radiant charm had the
effect almost of a blow.
For Katharine, be it said, had wholly
surrendered to the old, yet new. at
traction that had swept her on the
tourney field. And what had lain al
ways in the back of her mind as a half
formed intention, had become a self
admitted purpose during the motor
ride.
In another moment the waltz tainted
out, to be succeeded by a duex-temps,
and presently the host, in his crimson
cloak, was dofing his plumed hat be-
fore her. Circling the polished floor
in the maze, there was something
gratefully like former days in the as
sured touch, the true and ready guild
ance. The intrusive question faded.
He was the John Valiant she had al
ways known, of flashing repartee and
graceful compliment, yet with a touch
of dignity, too-as befitted the lord
of a maffor-which sat well upon him.
After a decorous dozen of rounds, she
took his arm and allowed her perfect
figure to be conducted through the
various rooms Of the ground floor,
chatting in quite the old-time way. till
a new gallant claimed her.
The mellow strings made on their
merry tune, and at length the Wash
ington Post marched all in flushed
unity of purpose to the great muslin.
walled porch with its array of tables
grooming under viands concocted by
Aunt Daphne for the d~electation Of
the palate-weary.
And her once more the waltz-strain
supervened and in the yellow parlor
joy was again ~unconfined.
Again Valiant claimed Katharine
and they glided off on 1.-THE Beautiful
Danube" Her paleness now had q
tinge of color, but nevertheless he
thought she dropped. You are tired"
he said, "shan't we sit 1t out?"
ooh, do you mind?" she responded
gratefully. "It has been a fairly siren
uous day, hasn't it,"
He guided her to a corridor, where
branches of r~hododendron screened an
alcove of settees and seductive cush.
&@1. IIowa hau x.yoortx1oeo aoopnaI nu4
to rout. There was no dropping OF
fringed lids, no d~isconcerting 81
~lences; she chartered with ease and
piquancy.
II have been listening to paeans all
the evening"" she said. And you de.
serve them. It's a fine big thing you
are attempting-the restoring of this
old estate. And | know you have eveD
bigger plans, too"
He nodded, suddenly serious and
thoughtful. There's a lot I'd like to
do. It's not only the house and
grounds. There are . other
things. For instance. back On the
mountain-on my own lands a set
Element they call Hells-Half-Acre
l1OOdDly IL a WOA1 C0AAOA sAAC
name. It's q wretched collection Of
novels and surly men and drabs OF
women and unkempt children, the
poorest of pcor-whites. Not one Of
them can read or write, and they live
like animals. If I'm ever able, / mean
to put a Misunderstanding school up
there. And then"
He ended with a half laugh, sudden
iy conscious that he was talking in a
language she would scarcely under
stand-in fact, in a tongue new to him
self. But there was 40 smile on her
lips and her extraordinary eyes-cool
gray, shot through with emerald
we're looking into his with a frankness
and sympathy he would not have
guessed lay beneath her glacial plar
cidity.