Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-26

itohy Vibr hti ffoiA Wes' "htNt a'f 1850
contrast with the calm dark brows.
She, for "a ship acquaintance of Mr..
Hardness, was remarkable enough, but
her companions young girl who
could hardly be 20-Awas bewildering.
4 Christopher had never seen a girl
| like her. She was princess out OF a
fairy tale: not just flesh and blood
princess who had strayed into 81 story
OF fairies because 1t was convenient to
have her there. but princess born Of
a fairy spell.
This fancy did actually present it
self to the young mans mind. 80 COM
pletely was he swept off his feet by the
appearance of MIR. Harkness' young
friend; and though he was usually
ashamed II he found himself by chance
being sentimental the girl was so ex-
quisItely romantic a figure that he did
not stop to check his extravagant sim
ilesi
miss Darymplc Miss Nourma
/ Dairymple--let me present Mr. Race, "
4 ratified Off the American, primly and
conscientiously This is the automo-
bile I've been talking to you about. A
beauty, isn't she?"
Then, having discharged what he
/ hAS uutyt hN AtecNb VNti
the luggage as II came out from the
hotel and fused a good deal more
/ about getting the ladies comfortably
seated, tucking light rug of his own
1 over the girl and round the girl, as II
she had been an early crocus to BIO
protected from some blighting furry
! Of SNOW!
! They started and as Race was not
| CARRYING a chauffeur Hardness pro-
posed to sit beside him on the front
seat. But Miss Dalrymple the elder
asked for his company In the tonneau
and he accepted the invitation, shyly,
delightedly, as II IL were favor be-
slowed by royalties Christopher heard
| him telling one or two funny, typi-
cally American stories, which evidently
amused his guests, and II ever ST.
lence fell It was Hardness or the girl
who broke 1t, never the elder OF the
two women, whom Nourma Dalrymple
called Aunt Constance"
| Christopher's simple conception of
James Hardness had now suddenly
and completely changed. The naive
yet brisk little business man had as
sumed In his eyes the Importance Of
mystery. But, after all. was not the
| mystery rather an obvious one--too
obvious? Race asked himself on sec
ond thought.
day that came to take the place of its
dead brother was more exquisite than
the last. Christopher was cordially
invited to have his meals with his pas
sengers- charming picnic
meals. In which the aunt or niece per-
formkd dainty miracles with q some
what battered tea basket. sometimes
meals at delightful. old-fashioned ho-
tells or country inns. Occasionally
Christopher had Nourma Dalrymple to
himself for half an hour at a time on
some short excursion, and II seemed to
him that her mind, her nature, was
as wonderful as her face. She had
thoughts high and clear and light
giving as the stars, and she spoke them
out with apparent frankness, yet ut
the end of week Christopher had
drawn no nearer to the solution of the
mystery which had assembled this
strange party than in the hour of
starting.
He did not even know anything
about the Dalrymples. aunt and niece,
except that the girl has spent most,
II not all. of her life in india, and
that the elder woman had-more or
less lately--gone out there to visit her
brother. who was Nourma's father.
Who the father was, what he did in
India, or where was his home in that
wide land of entertainments. Christie
pher did not hear. nor did he hear
why Miss Dalrymple had taken her
niece to America He knew that they
had been, only because James Hark-
ness had met them on the ship COM
1 Ing back, and this was the girls first
sight OF England, as II was that Of her
new friend Whatever she admired,
he admired, II she SO much as said
of place, "Oh, | should like to see
IT." her host was not happy unless
the vague wish could be quickly graft
fed. He watched over her even more
anxiously than did the evidently de-
voted aunt. He was depressed IL she
appeared absent-minded, as she did
occasionally, or II her lips dropped, or
II she had a far-away look in the dark
eyes, which were almost startllngly
beautiful under the soft frame OF
moonlight-on-wheat hair.
There were always flowers for both
ladies' every morning, even at the most
ont-of-the-way stopping places. and
there were sweets, and any book which
, Nourma Dalrymple had said to her
: abhs VI knew
, little about books-that she would
care to read
So matters went on until they had
been gone for a fortnight, all sut one
, day. and were on their way. back Ia
/ London, which they would reach the
: following evening. They had returned
: by Stratford-on-A Avon, and wandering
! about the beautiful old town Christie.
pher had Nourma Dalrymple beside
him. She was even more than usu.
/ ally sweet and gentle in her manner
that day, though thoughtful ant
I Christopher ought to have been en-.
I joying each moment in the society OF
D such unique and radiant girl, yc
4 somehow he felt troubled and rest
) less, as sensitive women do when tn,
r air is cracking with electricity hefor,
/ thunderstorm. He could not thinl
3 OF things worth saying, though h,
would have liked to be brilliant, ans
a instead of looking at his companion
n he found himself continually watcain,
r the pair who walked ahead-Jamel
: Hardness and Miss Dalrymple.
: They were absorbed. in some yer,
s grave discussion. that was clear, =,
completely absorbed that they Nigh
!. as well have been staring at Londoi
d boardings as gazing upon the beautiful
: beamed walls of Shakespeare's birth
place. Once when Christopher hap
!, pened to catch a glimpse Of the Amer
4 leans face he was startled. The lit
o tie man looked as II he had bee,
!, struck deathblow. But afterward
r his eyes lit up with fevarsh excite
I, ment, or hope. and a spot Of colo
: burned on each OF his rather bigl
h cheekbones.
That night. as Race sat In his room
at the hotel, smoking pipe befor
q going to bed. and wondering what ha,