The Monte Vista journal., 1915-05-29

up sharply at hail from the dock.
While he waited at top OF the land.
ing stairs for the girl, he wondered
nightly as Alicia Knight lightly
cilmoed beside him. What in the
name OF common sense could this
| young woman want aboard the yacht
at such an hour? And what should
he do? And then Captain Judd did
exactly as most people do when pug
zled. He pointed toward the rail
"here the owner stood dreamily star
ing out to sea.
Lynn was tired, very tired, and the
rest he sought out here upon the
equally troubled sea came not so
readily as he had expected. The very
soul Of him chafed at John Halstead's
bitter mandate that he was to be a
stranger at his home.
Alicia knight A slight smile
curved his lips as he recalled the
beautiful, wild, young creature. Alicia
hnight-untamed rebellious at CON
Ventions. needless of the morrow in
love with life! Why could not Esther
nave some of the
A little laugh, bit timid despite
ltS bravado, made him turn swiftly
1t was as though Merlin had waved
mis- wand and materialized his
thoughts. He could not quite con-
ceal his pleasure at sight of Alicia,
looking at him little defiantly.
little bashfully, as she stood just
Few feet away. He could not quite
cloak the insincerity of his re-
proaches. allowed them to be snufed
out completely as her fingers brushed
llghtiy against his own as side by
side they leaned against the taffrail.
A wisp OF her hair was taken by
the roguish breeze and futtered
across his cheek The perfume of it
intoxicated him. And yet it was but
part Of the night. He reached out
his hand to put the vagrant lock in
place. His finger tips moved across
her cheek and the thrill was but an.
other OF this wondrous nights myriad
phases. Her eyes sought his own,
bathed in the question, the wild, un-
harnessed wonder she read there.
~.
The dazzle of Alica's spirits was
beWildering, the glorious excitement
of the girl so boundless 1t transmit
ted itself to every guest at the recep-
ton. The very air was vibrant with
1t. But Felix Lynn alone seemed I'M
mune, as he moved silently from place
to place, little absent, little apart
from everyone and everything.
But the hostess, try though she
would, could not keep her eyes from
wandering In his direction, could not
repress the little thrilling pride of
possession as she picked him out in
stantly from the throng, nor suppress
the twinge of jealousy that he should
not be with her alone.
Times there were when the brain
of her would halt and a soft, dreamy
expression supplant the eager, rest,
less one in her eyes. And she would
come back to the present, gently put
by the dreams Of the past and future
which had reached out and touched
her, put them by with smile that
gloritied the beautiful face of her,
erasing the thoughtless lines there as
by the passing of huge spiritual
sponge over her countenance.
And Felix Lynn avoided her sed-
ulously. seemed unable to be near
ha
herself 1t was merely another phase
of this strange jealousy that so COM
pletedly possessed her. She was also
keenly delighted to see he avoided
Esther Halstead. She had thought
Esther bit overly interested in Felix.
with gay laugh, ladled glass from
the punch bowl But here eyes were
fastened inquiringly upon her maid
who was just returning from the
phone. Somehow, the dazed, some
what frightened expression on the
girls face alarmed her. She shiy-
cred slightly as though cold, dank
shadow had passed across the sun
light of her happiness.
She would have stopped the maid.
then thrust the impulse aside, though,
as the girl approached Esther, she
could not resist bending her ear in
that direction.
She caught the cold, dazed look that
filmed Esther Halsteads eyes as she
received the message, caught the
meaningless sound Of her voice as she
parroted the words: "My-father-
dead" caueht the sympathetic for