The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-15

She Nodded Pleasantly to tho Colonel
mon lot, who permit Impressions in
stead of evidence to sway them. Here
was man.
we have gone far afield," she said,
a tacit admission that she could not
! refute his dissertations. This knowl.
/ edge, however, was not irksome.
Rather have we not come to the
bars? Shall we let them down? In
the civil and military life on this side
OF the world there are many situa.
tions which we perforce must tolerate.
But these, mind you, are settled condi.
tions. 1t is upon new ones which arise
that we pass judgment l knew moth.
ing about you. nothing whatever. So
judged you according to the rules"
Elsa leaned upon her elbows, and
she smiled a little as she noted that
the purple had gone from his nose
and that it had resumed it's accus.
toned rubicundity.
Il go on. A woman who travels
alone, who does not present letters of
introduction, who ;"
Who attends strictly to her own af.
fairs. Go on"
Imperturbably he continued: "Who
seeks the acquaintance of men who do
not belong, as you Americans say"
Not men; one man," she corrected.
"A trifiing difference. Well, it
arouses a disagreeable word, sus.
picion. For look, there have been ex-
amples. 1t isn't as if yours were an
isolated case. There have been ex.
amples. and these we apply to such al
fairs as come under our notice."
And 1t doesn't matter that you may
be totally wrong?"
His prompt answer astonished her
mo, 1t does not matter in the least.
Simmered down. it may be explained
In a word, appearances. And | must
say, to the normal mind :"
THE mediocre mind
ITO the normal and mediocre mind,
appearances were against you OBJ.
serve, please, that / did not know
was wrong, that you were remark.
able young woman. My deductions
were made from what saw as an out.
slider. On the Irrawaddy you made
the acquaintance of man who came
out here fugitive from justice. After
you made his acquaintance, you sought
none other, in fact, repelled any ad.
vances. This alone decided me-"
Then you were dec;ded?" To say
that this blunt exposition was not bit
ter to her taste. that it did not act
like acid upon her pride, would not
be true. She was hurt, but she did not
let the hurt befog her sense of JUS
tice. From his point of view the colo
mel was in no fault. Let me tell you
how very wrong you were indeed"
Doubtless" he hastily interposed.
you enveloped the man in a cloud of
romance"
On the contrary, I spoke to him
and sought his companionship because
he was nothing more nor less than a
ghost"
"Ah! Is it possible that you knew
him in former times?"
No. But he was SO like the man at
home; SO identical in features and
build to the man I expected to 60
home to marry. -"
My dear young lady, you are right.
Mediocrity is without Imagination,
stupid. and makes the world a dull
place indeed. What woman in your
place would have acted otherwise? In
stead of one apology l offer a thou.
sand"
i accept each and all of them More,
believe that you and could get on
capitally. can very we'll imagine the
soldier you used to be. am going to
ask you what you know about Mr..
Warrington"
This, that he is not fit companion
for a young woman like yourself; that
a detracting rumor follows hard upon
his heels wherever he goes. learned
something about him In Rangoon. He
Is known to the riff-raff as Parrot &
Co., and ! don't know what else. All
of us on shipboard learned his previ-
ous history. And not from respectable
quarters, either"
"If had been elderly and withnnt