The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1915-06-04
CHAPTER XIV.
According to the Rules.

stand, selected a sturdy coolie. and
asked to be run to the botanical gar
dens and back. She wanted t be
alone, wanted breathing space, wanted
the breeze to cool her hot cheeks. For
n was angry at the world, angry al
the gentle consul general. above all
angry at herself. To have laid herself
open to the charge OF indiscretion! To
have received a lecture, however kind,
ly intended. from the man she loved
n respected next to her father! TIC
know that persons were exchanging
DDS and whispers behind her back!
1t was a detestable world. 1t was
folly to be honest, to be kind, to be
individual, to have likes and dislikes
unless these 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
merely kindly and human; and if they
wanted to twist and misconstrue her
actions. let them do so.
Once or twice she saw inwardly the
will-o'the-w isp lights OF her soul. But
resolutely she smothered the sparks.
The coolie stopped suddenly.
Go on" she said.
But the coolie smiled and wiped his
shaven poll. Elsa gazed at the hotel
veranca in bewilderment. Slowly she
oct nl1t s,f tho riolrc1n,y onra ,o;l tIo
fare. She had not the slightest recol.
lection of 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, Il
am hopeless. They may be right; !
ought to hare a guardian. l am not
always accountable for what | do"
She dressed ~leisurely and with cal.
culation. She was determined to con
vince everyone that she was a beau.
tiful 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
someone, hurt deeply. 1t was only the
tame in spirit who. when injured. sub.
mitted without murmur or protest.
And Elsa. only dimly aware CT it, was
MORALLY hurt.
Elsa" said Martha. that frown
will stay there some day, and never 60
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, |
sympathize with that brute. He would
have been peaceful enough had they
let him be. If Mr.. Warrington calls
to morrow, say that ! am indisposed.'
Martha evinced her satisfaction
visibly. The frown returned between
Elsa'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 gayety returned.
At q far table on the veranda she saw
Craig and Mallow in earnest converse
ton.
She nodded pleasantly to the colo.
mel as the head boy came to announce
that dinner was served. Anglo-Indian
society had so many twists and rami-
fcations that the situation was not ex-
actly 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 s~elf-control. The little veins in
his nose turned purple, as Elsa
prophesied they would, but there was
nc other indication of how distasteful
the moment was to him. He would
surely warn the consul general. who
was innocent enough.
They sat down. The colonel blinked.
Fine passage VIC had coming down."
Was it," returned Elsa %innocently.
The colonel reached for an olive and
bit into It savAgely. He was no fool.
She had him at the end OF q blind
alley, and there he must wait until she
was ready to let him go. She could
harry him or pretend to ignore him. as
suited her fancy. He was caught.
Women. all women, possessed at Toast
one attribute Of the cat. It was dig
ging in the claw. hanging By 1t, and
boredly looking about the world to see
what was going OF At that moment
the colonel recognized the sting OF the
claw.
Elsa turned to her right and en-
gagged the French consul discursively;
indeed. she gradually became the cen
ter Of interest: she drew them inten-
tionally. She brought q touch Of home
70 the Frenchman. to the German, to
the italian. % tho S~paniard: and the
British oflcial. II whose hands the
civil business nf the Straits settle
ments rested. was charmed to learn
that Elisa had spent various week-ends
the bnye u his sister IN Surrey.
1no when she admitted that she