Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-24

bo,,o ,ueu .SI tuTlously How could Won
"9ye i Jared? Talking Of love to mel,
10 &c stood biting his mustache his ,aco
inhamed He clenched and uncis,,obsi ,ts IaGe i,,e
nands convulsively. He bowed his boa5
ana spoke in a husky voice ''e'u
a. uare say | have surprised Won bu,
US love, l love you For a long tt,,o
nave pretended to myself and to Won that
VIZ, e were Just pals, that you were a school
81. ST. ana l was your uncle and all that
Iot But when you went away 7 co,,Idn't
disguise the truth from myself anv iopsar
III sorry 1 startled you by my olufnsv
,soyeinaking, but you look so very beauti-
full tonight" De'u''-
lnVoluntarily she smiled family. She
could not help being pleased at this trib
uIe TO her beauty She found that she
| was not so much angry with Gilbert az
startled and amazed. She had alwavs
supposed that he and her mother bad
oeen old sweethearts, that even now some
| tenderness existed between them.
But you are In love with mother" she
Certainly am not" He ATTEMPTED
uerislVe laugh. Your mother and
| are old friends-dear friends-we have
no"
Maud shrugsed her shoulders ncredu-
lously WELL l always thought So"
she said.
She sat down and continued to look
at MIN. He had suddenly become much
more interesting person in her eyes.
Does mother know thls-how Won foe,
about me?' she asked.
She may suSpect-as a woman of the
world she is sure to suspect-but no,
haven't told her. | resolved to fight II
down, but tonight-well, you have only
yourself to blame"
OR my dressmaker" she corrected him
dryly. This would be n good advertise
ment for her II 1t were known We'll
Gilbert, you have given me the surprise
or my life-you have, really But you
must never behave in this way again. OF
course, It's immensely fatterng and all
that, but-well, you see, it's no use"
He was as calm as she now and sat
down facing her his arms crossed under
his chin on the back OF the chair. You
mean, l suppose, that you don't love
me2' he said firmly. She nodded. "Oh,
l didn't expect you would. You have
been so long accustomed to regard me
In a certain light-an altogether false
light. My clumsiness has at least broken
the Ice"
"on the contrary, it's frozen it harder
than everr
He dismissed the interruption with
wave OF his hand. You had to be told
sooner or later. Now" he announced
with confident smile, I'm going to win
you"
you won't-neverl"
"why?"
IF It's any consolation to you to know
then, because there's some one else"
He looked at her fxedly She met his
stare with a quiet smile.
"Who?"
Really. don't see why I shouldn't
tell you. In fact. you were silly not to
,koIp 80
He took cigarette out of his case and
smiled cruelty.
'1'he man who killed your father"
THAT is a lie. He never killed my
father. l could strike you across the
mouth for saying It." She rose and made
a step towards him. 80 never say that
again-you hear?"
She was so much taller and stronger
than he that he must be excused for back
ing his chair away from her He
laughed nervously. VERY we'll; 1 will
say the man who was suspected of kill
ing your father. What do you propose to
do-marry him?"
THAT is my intention"
She rose, walked towards the fireplace,
and clasping her hands behind her sur
veyed him proudly, deiantly.
"Arrol is a madman to venture back to
England" he said at length.
1T think he was mad ever to so away
He should have faced the music and set
to work to find out the real criminal.
That is what he is going to do now.''
Again Maud's attention was arrested by
the sound of motor wheels. Both she and
Huron listened They heard the door open
and Mrs Plesseys light football on the
stairs Maud hesltated and then moved
slowly toward the door She looked back
over her shoulder at Huron. II leave II
to you," she said coldly, Ito tell mother
FI,,N
to me-"
What has he said to you?" asked Mrs
Plessey, tripping on the lightest OF heels
into the room. She looked from one to
the other, then broke into not too good
natured laugh. Gracious! Has there
been a love scene?"
There has" said Huron. He rose to
his feet and folded his arms dramatically.
Which 1 will give you two an oppor-
tunity of discussing" said Maud quickly.
She brushed past her mother and bounced
up the stairs.
The discussion, she concluded. was not |
altogether harmonious. She slept imme-
diately above the drawing room, and
while undressing heard her mothers voice |
raised far above its usually high Key She |
was not herself inclined to attach much |
to Mr. Huron's unexpected |
She did not care to attribute |
II even in her own mind directly 20 the |
influence OF champagne, but believed u
TO proceed from an emotional exuberance
consequent on too much tango and late
suppers. She was surprised to ma that
she liked Gilbert Huron rather the better
not because his declaration fiattered her'
hut because It showed him to be some
thing more than her mothers tame cat
and special partner Yet she was sorry
he had used such words to her. II woula
make their Intercourse extremely delicate
I'm the future; II would undoubtedly hurt
her mothers vanity II not her heart.
Maud marveled at his bold admission tlaI
he had been making love 10 her Ihe
voices in the room below were inaudlple
now though she had not heard huron
leave the house Suddenly she became
conscious that she was very sleepy ohe
went TO bed and switched on the hsh''
CHAPTER VIII
NTTTELL. this Is surprise-"hat'
w Jolly glad to see you old ooy' s''
down. What1I you haye?"
Richard Arrol drew his brother TO 'ns
.nuRgest corner of the lounge and pusheu
MIN backward into one Of those COM
portable armehairs for which the Wan
aerers' Club has an enviable reputation.
..,,,t have a whisky ana soda. thanks
N-asa nd