Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-20
CHAPTER XII.
ouRd pro Quo.

ou'd pro Quo.
Il was his blessing that had done
It: up to then she had controlled her
feelings In . fashion worthy Of the
title just bestowed upon her. II only
he had stopped at that, and kept his
blessing to himself! II sounded 70
very much more like . knell that
Blanche had begun first to laugh, and
then to make such fool of herself
las she herself reiterated) that she
was obliged to run away in the worst
possible order.
But that was not tho end Of those
four superhuous words OF hnAl bene-
fiction; before the night was out they
had solved, to Blanche's satisfaction.
tho hitherto impenetrablo mystery OF
Caxalet's conduct.
He had done something in Austria
Ia, something that fixed . gulf be-
tween him and her. Blanche did not
mean something wrong. much less q
crime, least Of all any sort Of com.
plicity in the great crime which had
been committed while no was on his
way home. But she believed the
worst he had done was to emulate
his friend. Mr.. Potts. and to get en-.
gagged or perhaps actually married to
somebody In the bush.
There was no reason why he should
not: there never had been any sort
or kind Of understanding between her
self and him; 1t was only as lifelong
friends that they had written to each
other, and that only once year. Life
long friendships are additionally fatal
to romance. They had both been
Tree % air; and II he was free no
longer. she had absolutely no cause
for complaint even If she was fool
enough to feel 1t.
All this she saw quite clearly in her
very honest heart. And yet, he might
have told her; he need not have flown
to see her, the instant he landed. OF
seemed 80 overjoyed, and such q boy
again. or made 80 much Of her and
their common memories! He need not
have begun begging her. In q minute,
to 90 out to Australia, and then never
have mentioned 1t again; he might
Just rs well have told her II he had or
hoped to have = wife to welcome her!
OF course he saw 1t afterward, him.
self; that was why the whole subject
Of Australia had been dropped 80 sud.
denly and for good. Most likely he
had married beneath him: If so. she
was very sorry, but he might have said
that he was married.
Curiously enough, It was over Mar
tina that she felt least able to forgive
him. Martha would say nothing. but
her unspoken denunciations CT Caza,
let would be only less intolerable than
her unspoken sympathy with Blanche
Martha had been perfectly awful about
tho whole thing. Aad Martha had com.
mitted the final outrage of being per
fectly night, from her idiotic point OF
view.
Now among all these meditations OF
long night, and Of still longer day.
In which nobody even troubled to send
her word Of the case at Kingston. u
would BE- too much to say that no
thought Of Hilton Toye ever entered
the mind Of Blanche. She could not
help liking him; he amused her i'm
nensely; and he had proposed to her
twice, and warned her he would again.
She felt the force Of his warning. be-
cause she felt his force Of character
and will. She literally felt these
forces, as actual emanations from the
strongest personality that had ever
lmpinged upon her own.
In the day Of reaction. such consid-
erations were bound to steal in as
single spies. each with certain con-
ISOLATION, not altogether innocent OF
comparisons. But the battalion OF
Toys's virtues only marched on
Blanche when Martha came to her, on
the little green rug of lawn behind
the house, to say that Mr. Toye him.
self had called and was in the draw
ang-room.
Blanche stole up past the door, and
quickly made herself smarter than she