Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-07-27

man In the house will be conducive to
carrying out your plans"
"HowY'
.Why, I shall show Lord Edmonston
that I am for your friend, Mr.. Swift.
Edmonston viii accept the inevitable
and be better satisfied to take you
without the fortune since he can't get
it through me. But, Clara, MI. Swift,
knowing you to be Clara Kimball. will
give the plan away"
mot at all. I shall Let him into the
secret"
Affairs of the heart are prone to take
their own course. Mr.. Swift came and,
as Miss Kimball had arranged, devoted
himself assiduously to Miss Dudley.
But the pleasant relations that should
have existed In this quartet were
red by an antagonism on the part of
the two men, which showed itself at
once and developed with amazing ra-
pidity. THIS the girls could not under
stand. Edmonston was devoted to
Clara, and Swift's attentions to Ruth
were very noticeable. Why then should
the men be ~antagonistic to each other?
1t was not long after Swift's arrival
that Edmonston, seeing Ruth alone In
the garden, went out and joined her.
"Miss Kimball," he said, II think
this visit, which has not resulted in
what it was intended for, should come
to al end"
Ruth looked up at him surprised.
when l came here" he continued,
"as soon as I saw you I said to myself
there is the uni I would wish for
my wife irrespective Of her fortune.
From the first you have shown that
you have nc such feelings toward me.
There is no necessity for me to remain
longer. l leave at once. / have the
honor to bid you goodby."
"But," stammered Ruth, you have
been devotlng yourself to my friend"
"a ruse de guerre. l hoped to pique
you"
Ruth stood a picture of conflicting
emotions. What she had feared but
what in her heart she had craved had
happened.
Lord Edmonston," she said, don't
go today. There is something that
needs to be explained to you"
II should be pleased to listen to the
explanation"
mot now, tomorrow"
Edmonston looked at her in%quiringly,
then consented to remain till the next
day.
Ruth went at once into the house to
find Clara, intending to break to her
the news of this lamentable failure of
her plan. AS she passed the library
she saw Swift and Clara there in ear
nest conversation. She passed on to
her own room to wait till she could see
Clara alone. After what seemed to
Ruth from voices in the library below
an earnest conversation there was a
lowering Of voices and presently ST.
lence. In due time Clara's footstep
was heard On the stairs, and she en-
tered Ruth's room. Ruth was still a
volcano of emotion, and Clara seemed
not less perturbed.
"Oh, Claraw
"Oh, Ruthrl'
What l feared when you announced
this plan to me has happened"
"And what l have feared since has
happened"
whats that?''
when Duncan Swift proposed to me
l supposed it was simply to unite III
fortunes"
"WeI?'
HE says 1t wasn't that at all. He
loves me. AS oon as he came here
and found Edmonston here he was
wild"
what did he do?"
why, he says that-oh, Ruth, I can't
say lido you love himY'
Go on"
HE says he devoted himself TO you
to pique me-"
Ruth stared at her friend, but said
nothing.
"Are you crushed at what I tell your"
do you love Swift"
YES: have accepted him But
heavensl How am / to break the mat
ter to EdmonstonY'
Ruth went to her friend and en-
braced her.
"Never mind Edmonston," she said.
IF he wants a fortune he'll have to
find it in another. These two men
have been playing the same game"
What do you mean?" asked Clara.
"Edmonston, in order to pique the
heiress, has been devoting himself to
the heiress' friend"
He loves your"
probably he loves the fortune he
supposes l possess"
THAT remains to be SEEN"
(Which Of us shall confess" asked
Ruth.
"I will confess for BOTH" said Clara.
Edmonston was still pacing in the
garden when Clara found him there.
Lord Edmonston.' she said. II am
not Miss Dudley, as you have sup
posed l am Miss Kimball."
Edmonston looked aStoniShed.