Williams news., 1916-04-13

very agreeable men and women, and some of her natural gayety returned. At far table on the veranda she saw Craig and Mallow in earnest conversa- tion.
 She nodded pleasantly to the colo nel 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 nose turned purple, as Elsa 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. 'F'ine 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 a 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 ging in the claw, hanging by it, and 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 cen ter of interest; she drew them inten- tionally. She brought a touch of home 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 Chet- 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 crucifixion. He sat stiffer and stiffer 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. lie nau cOmmlUJeQ an outrageous DIun- der. He, instead of dominating, had been dominated by three faultinding 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 unpardonable rudeness on board than by the immediate knowl- edge that Elsa was known to the Brit ish officials sister, a 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 signified that her attention was engaged elsewhere.
 "Yes?"
 'I 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 my self"
 Interest began to fill Elsa's eyes.
 "It has been said," he went on, keep ing the key, that I am man of cour- age, but find that I need a good deal of that just now. I have been rude to you, and without warrant, and I offer you my humble apologies" He fum- bled with his cravat as if it had sud denly frightened. "Will you accept?"
 Instantly" Elsa understood the quality of courage that had stirred the colonel. But ruthlessly: q should,