, 1915-09-23
CHAPTER XVI.
The Doctor Speaks

The Doctor Speaks.
While the vibrant strings hummed
and sang through the roses, and the
couples drifted on tireless and con
tent, or blissfully sat OUT. dances on
the stairway. Katharine Fargo held
her stately court no less gaily for the
stealthy doubt that was creeping over
her spirit. She had been 30 certain
Of what would happen that evening
that when her father between cigars
ON the porch with Judge Chalmers
out under a hagof-truce, she had sent
him to the right-about. laughingly de
dining to depart before royalty. But
number followed number. and the
knight In purple and gold had not
paused again before her. Now the
scarlet cloak no longer Haunted
among the dancers, and the white
satin gown and sparkling coronai had
disappeared The end Of the next
-round-dancsr found her subsiding
into the howsr-banked alcove sudden.
ly distract amid her escorts sallies. 1t
was at this moment that she saw, en-.
tering the corridor from the garden
the missing couple.
It was not the faint flush on Shir
iey's cheek-that was not deep-noI
was It his nearness to her, though they
stood closely. as lovers might. But
there was In both their faces a some
thing that resurgent conventionality
had not had time to q trem
bling reflection of that Tight that
was. on e or land"-which was
like . death-stab to what lay far deep
or than Katharine'B heart, her pride
She drew swiftly back. dismayed al
the sudden verifcation, and for an in
slant her whole body chilled.
A craving for a glass Of water has
served its purpose q thousand times:
az her cavalier solicitously departed te
fetch the cooling draught. she rose
and ca~relessly humming the refrain
the music had just left on. s~auntered
lightly out by another door to the oper
air. A swift glance about her showed
her she was unobserved and she step
ped down to the grass and along the
winding path to a bench at some dis
lance in the shrubbery. Here the
smiling mask slipped from her face
and with Q shiver she dropped her hot
face In her hands.
There were no tears. The wave
that was yelling W. her was one OF
bitter humiliation. She had shot hel
bolt and missed-she, Katharine Far
goi For three years she had held
John Valiant romantically speaking In
the hollow Of her shapely hand. Nov
she had all but thrown herself at his
feet-and he had turned away to this
namehaired, vivid girl whom he had
not known as many months!
Heavy footballs all at once APPROACH.
ed her-two men were coming from
the house. There was the splitting
crackle Of Q match, and as she peered
out. It's red flare lighted the massive
q and floating hair Of Major Bris
tow. His companions face was in the
shadow. She waited. thinking they
would pass; but to her annoyance
when she looked again. they had seat
Cd themselves ON . bench q few pacef
away.
To be found incoming tn the shrub
berry like q schoolgirl did not please
her. but 1t seemed there was no re
course. and she had half arisen, when
the majors grufI-voiced companion
spoke a name that caused her to sit
down abruptly.
"Bristow. shirley's q magnificent
girl"
Finest In seven countless" agreed
the majors bass.
Whom do Ssa reckon she'll choose
to marryr'
Chilly Lusk. Of course. The boys
been In love with her since they were
In bibs. And he comes "a near being
Mt for her as anybody"
"Hump!" said the other sardonical
~ NO man / yer saw was half good
enough for q good woman. But good
women marry Just the same. 1t isn't
Lnsk. I used to think It would be.
but I've got q pair Of eyes in my
head. II you haven't. It's young Val
liant"
The pearl fan twisted in Katha-
rine's fingers. What she had guessed
was an open secret, theni
The major made an exclamation that
had the effect Of coming after q Jaw
dropped silence IL never thought
OF that!"
The other resumed alowly. some
what bitterly. II seemed to the girl
listening, IF her mother was In love
with Sassoon-"
-kAthaZipe'a haAxt beat fast and then