New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-07-19

D"' ' s"N NV WV 4
One was elderly, the other young
She who was elderly was English an,
the thought that flashed into Christie
pher Races head was that If she had
twin brother he would be a fine, brown
hawk-eyed soldier.
This woman, though womanly, ha,
the eyes of a soldier-steadfast, en-
during; and though she was not We
really old, her hair was white, in fin,
contrast with the calm dark brows.
She, for u ship acquaintance of MI
Hardness, was remarkable enough
but her companion-a young girl wht
could hardly be twenty-was bewilder
ing.
Christopher had never seen a cir
like her. She was a princess out of ,
fairy tale.
Miss Dalrymple-Miss Nourma Dial
rymple-let me present Mr.. Race" rat
tied off the American, primly and con
scientiously. "This is the automobile
I've been talking to you about. A
beauty, isn't she?"
They started, and as Race was not
carrying a chauffeur, Hardness pro
posed to sit beside him on the front
seat. But Miss Dalryinple the elder
asked for his company in the %tonneau,
and he accepted the invitation, shyly,
deIightedly. as if it were Il favor be-
slowed by royalties. Nevertheless, he
was soon laughing and talking, as the
car ran through London streets out
into the suburbs, making for the coun-
try.
C%hristopher'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
Il mystery. But, after all, was not the
mystery rather an obvious Ore-too
obvious? Race asked himself on Sec
ond thought.
Here was Il hard-worked American
taking his first holiday, and bent on
enjoying it. "When the cats away the
mice will play" Naturally it would
occur to MIR. Hardness, who was prob
ably very rich, like most travelling
Americans. that now was the 'chance
of his life' to alnuse himself too, and
he was doing it. That was all except
that two exceptionally interesting
women were ready to help him do it
at his expense.
"Yes, that must be all. And yet
Christopher could not make this OBJ
vious supposition fit the characters in
the little drama which was to be
played in his motor car.
The weather was perfect, and each
day that came to take the place of it's
dead brother was more exquisite than
the last. Christopher vas cordially in
vited to have his meals with his pas
sengers-sometimes charming picnic
meals, in which the aunt or niece per-
formed dainty miracles with a some
what battered tea basket, sometimes
meals at delightful. Old-fashioned no.
tells or country inns. If there was any
sightseeing to be done on foot, he was
expected to do 1t with the others. Oc-
c%asionally Christopher had Nourma
Dalrymple to himself for half an hour
at a time, on some short excursion;
and it seemed to him that her mind,
her nature, was as wonderful as her
She had thoughts high and clear
and light-giving as the stars. and she
spoke them out with apparent frank
ness, yet at the end Of Il week Christie
pher had drawn no nearer to the sOlu-
ton of the mystery which had assem-
bled this strange party than In the
hour of starting.
He did not even know anything
about the Dalrymples, aunt and niece,
that the girl had spent most, if
not all. of her life in India, and that
the elder woman had-more or less
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
did not hear; nor did he hear why
Miss Dalrymple had taken her niece to
America. He knew that they had been.
'nly because James Hardness had met
hem on the ship coming back and
his was the girls first sight of Eng
and. as 1t was that of her new friend.
Whatever she admired. he admired.
f she so much as said Of a place, "Oh,
should like to see It" her host was
lot happy unless the vague wish could
'e quickly gratified. He watched over
Ter even more anXiOusly than did the
Violently devoted aunt. He was de-
IL she appeared absent-mind-
as she did occasionally. or If her
lps dropped. or if she had a far
way look in the dark eyes, which we're
lmost s~tartlingly beautiful under the
oft frame of moonlight-on-wheatfield.
OlOred hair. ,
Altogether, Christopher could not 1
1ake him out at all; o could he
lake out the meaning of the tour, or T.
hat was to come of 1t afterwards, If |
nything.
So matters went on until they had
cen gone for a fortnight, all but one /
ay, and were on their way back to I
'ondon, which they would reach the I
blowing evening. They had returned
v Stratford-On-Avon; and wandering
bout the beautiful old town. Christie
her had Nourma Dalrymple beside 4