Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-08-03


A third she remembered for no rea-
son she could assign. His name was
Quoin--a tall, taciturn man with
quiet voice, a semi-irOnic attitude
toward the Dowager Dragons gush of
spirited inconsequence, and sugges-
ton of reserve. For some reason she
remembered him more definitely even
than she remembered Mrs. Merrilees.
As for the others, they might as well
have been shadows on cinematO-
graph screen.
By ten o'clock, leaving Mrs. Beggar-
staff firmly fixed in the fourth seat
at card table, engrOssed by her one
confessed infatuation, auction bridge,
Miss Carteret was abed and asleep.
A bed Of almost sybaritic luxury 1t
seemed, as it rocked her gently to for
getfulness; but bed Of misery when
she awoke in the chill Of dawn, with
the .Alsatia, for all her immense bulk,
dancing drunkenly to the tune piped
by mad northeastern. And for more
than sixty hours she was held the
victim of mortal weakness and the ele-
ments' immortal rage.
Intervals there were, Of course,
when, her sufferings temporarily abat-
ed, she was able to talk a little with
one or the other of her would-be COM
forters-Mrs. Beggarstaff and the
stcwardess. But on Tuesday a men,
orable conversation took place, neg
ligible though it seemed at the time.
1t was at about six bells in the fore
noon watch when the Dowager Dragon
came below, estensibly 20 find book,
In reality to convey fair tidings.
you're feeling BETTER" she assert
ed, after a shrewd look at the girl.
Propped up in bed, Miss Carteret
moved languidly negative head.
Don't tell me! haven't crossed
this mill-pond thirty times not to
know when a seasick woman's on the
mend. Besides, haven't you noticed
how much steadier the boat has been
this last hour or two?"
II thought must be imagining II"
the invalid murmured incredulously.
Nonsense The barometer's been
rising since midnight. The wind shift
ed at dawn, and now we've clearing
sky and falling sea. Of course
you're feeling better. You'll be on
deck before night"
ooh, please, Mrs. Beggarstaff!"
"Don't worry; shan't carry you off
by force. Bless my inadequate in
come! What's thisT'
The girl turned her head YEARLY to
look.
Mrs. Beggarstaff had been standing
| beside the chest of drawers, hand
abstractedly toying with her protegee's
simple jewelry, and suddenly had
| singled out a brooch for wondering in
| terest.
This brooch was a very beautiful
| thing, an exquisite cameo in sardOnyx
framed in an oval frame of fine dia-
monds; and Miss Carteret treasured it
| above all her possessions.
"Where under the sun, child, did you
pick this up?"
ut was given me on my fifteenth
| birthday
give years agOw
"Just about. Why?"
The Dowager Dragon laughed de-
ughtedly. "My roundabout way Of
asking your age, dear" Sine tufueo
| the brooch over and held it to the
light. "If ever you care to part with
| 1t, don't forget my passion for antique
| jewelry."
"Oh never--I could never part with
til"
Forgive me. I forgot it was pres
ent"
"But that. isn't ALL" the girl ex-
planned with growing animation. "You
see, it was present from my father,
and the cameo-it's a portrait Of my
father himself |"
cts what?" Mrs. Beggarstaff ex-
claimed shrilly. "A portrait Of your
father! Pooh! Absurd! That things
q genuine antiQuity-twO thousand
years old If day!"
II know. / mean, 1t looks like him.
That's why he gave It to me. He