Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-07-21

mitted without murmur or protest.
And Elsa, only dimly aware Of it, was
MORALLY hurt.
ELSA" said Martha, chat frown
will stay there some day, and never go
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 I 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 a far table on the veranda she saw
Craig and Mallow in earnest conversa-
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-
fications 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 abun-
dant self-control. The little veins in
his nnco f11rDod I,,1rpJa E,lco
prophesied they would, but there was
no other indication of how distasteful
the moment was to him. He would
surely warn the consul general, who
doubtless was innocent enough.
They sat down. The colonel blinked.
Fine passage we 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 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 least
one attribute of the cat. It was dig
SluS Ill Cu0 CLAW, udlSluS ny IL, duO
boredly looking about the world to see
what was going on. 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 GEN.
ter of interest; she drew them inten-
tionally. She brought touch Of home
I to the Frenchman, to the German, to
the Italian, to the Spaniard; and the
British official, in whose hands the
| civil business of the Straits settle
ments rested, was charmed to learn
| that Elsa had spent various week-ends
at the home of his sister in Surrey.
And when she admitted that she
| was the daughter Of General Chef
| wood, the man to whom the Indian
government had cause to be grateful,
upon more than one occasion, for the
solidity of his structures, the colonel
realized definitely the seriousness Of
| his cruciiXion. He sat sitter and
| sitter in his chair, and the veins in
his nose grew deeper and deeper in
hue. He saw clearly that he would
| never understand American women.
He had committed an outrageous blum.
| der. He, instead of dominating, had
! been dominated by three faultfnding
old women; and, without being aware
Of the fact, had looked at things from
their point of view. A most inconceiv-
able blunder. He would not allow that
he was being swayed less by the admis-
sion of his objectionable rudeness on
board than by the immediate knovl.
edge that Elsa was known to the Brit
ish officials sister, titled lady who
stood exceedingly high at court.
| Miss Chetwood." he said, lowering
his voice for her ears only.
Elsa turned, but with the expression
that signifed that her attention was
engaged elsewhere.
"Yes?"
Il am an old man. I am sixty-two;
and most Of these sixty-two I have
lived roughly; but I am not too old to
realize that have made a fool of N.Y.
SELF"
Interest began to fill Elsa's eyes.
at has been said" he went on, keep
ing the key, that am man Of cour-
age, but I find that need good deal
of that just now. I have been rude to
you, and without warrant, and I offer
you my humble apologies" He fun.
bled with his cravat as if it had sud.
denly frightened. "Will you accept p
Instantly" Elsa understood the
quality Of courage that had stirred the
colonel But ruthlessly: II should,
however, like your point Of view In re
gard to what you consider my con
duct"
els 1t necessary
II believe it would be better for my
understanding If you made full con
fesslon." She did not mean to be re