The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-08-12


! man she does not knew. She IS res
| cued from his attentj ons by VICTOR
Steele, sergeant in the British Army
and the two hope to meet again.
CHAPTER IL.
OF course, she met him again. Has
ings is not very great town, and the
visitors flock mostly to the same
sports. The morning after their first
meeting she saw him riding along the
front. He rode with an ease and nat
uralness that contraste oddly with
the self-conscious pose, of many OF the
riders whom he pas sed. She thought
she had never seen so fine, so dash
ing a cavalier He saw her, too, raised
his cap, and smiled, and shot swift,
curious glace at tine three children
| with her. She bowed, blushed deeply,
and heartily wished that she had sent
her charges down to-. the beach. Harry,
the eldest, piled a. with questions.
"Who was that swell? How had she
got to know him? Perhaps he might
give him ride on his horse?" She told
the boy to mind his own business, and
so incurred his sulky resentment the
rest of the day.
That night she vaant down again on
the esplanade, moved by that curious
superstition common to many OF us
that where something pleasant has
happened to us it may happen again.
And, sure enough he came strolllng
along with fox terrier at his heels.
Both expressed their surprise at
meeting the other. s"You don't mind me
speaking to you again, l hope?' he
asked. searching her face anxiously
~, on6
the right to speak to me, should
think. l rather wondered whether you
cared to-"
She spoke about. his dog, about whose
merits he was enthusiastic, and from
the dog passed to- admiring the horse.
TITS not a bad horse" he agreed,
thoughtfully, Though I've ridden bet
ter"
Then he as'hed abruptly, Were
those boys your. brothers,"
I'm a governess, she said, shortly,
and glanced at him keenly.
"a governess, Ell? l suppose you
know a tremen dous lot" His stiffness
seemed to relax, but he looked at her
with certain 'boyish respect.
They Give Their
Names to Each, Other.
Hadn't we better introduce our
selves?" she said, turning on him with
a bright smile. "My name is Leslie
Morne.'
Mine is Ste.ele-Victor Steele"
She liked the name-it seemd to fit
the personality. He added no sort OF
description of himself. Probably he
had no profes sion.
ITS awfully nice to meet any one
can really talk to down here" she VEN
tured nervous.1y.
They made an appointment for the
next afternoon. She could not sleep
that night fer the pleasure Of antici-
patton and ftr her delight in thinking
about him. Tbe was the very hero she
had dreamed. Of.
Her new Friend proved neither in
quisitive nor communicative about
himself Luckily they found a common
topic of interest in books, though his
reading appeared to be of more Seri-
Gus kind tn an hers. Presently he dis
played an intimate acquaintance with
Egypt and es5en out-of-the-way Cyprus.
Leslie was enchanted. Never before
had she talked with any one who had
set foot outside of the United King
dom.
And this .man had actually trodden
ed up the Great Pyramids. He talked
very well, in a graphic. impersonal
way, about these strange places and
peoples, illuminating his disclosures
with flashes of crude, boyish humor
and considerable power of criticism.
He evinced. though she did not know
it, greater intimacy with the natives
of the Levant and better understand
ing of their character than most tray
ellers attain to.
But all these yarns must bore you"
he said arOlogetically, breaking off in
the midst of a narrative and drawing
cigarette from a little yellow packet
He became invested in her eyes
with the glamour Of the wonderful
lands he described. In his company she
tasted far greater happiness than
she had ever known. They met every
afternoon now, sometimes in the even
ing also.
She was obliged to feign repeated
headaches to the landlady and to hire
girl at her own expense to look after
the children.
They made excursions to Battle Alb
hey, to BeXhill, to Winchelsea, and
took long tramps to the pretty villages
behind the old Cirque Port. She no.
ticed that he always wore the same
suit and that he never recognized any
one.
Then one day, the desire for closer
communion overmastered her, she de-
parted from her reserve and told him
of her ambitions and her discomfort
with her present life. 81 want the best
of everything" she cried passionately,
resting her pointed chin on her hand
and staring out to sea.
Il can't see that life is worth living
if there isn't joy and light in it. When
I see the pretty women coming out Of
the big houses and hotels, and the
lights, and the gaiety, l feel as hungry
as a starving man. If l get another sit
uation I'd only be little better off or
a little worse. I wish l could get on the
stage
Il wouldn't do that" advised Steele, /
looking grave.
Il don't know why you say that.
wish to heavens had the chance. To
get away from those vulgar people. |
Uhr! do hate them!"
You'I Marry Rich