The Washington times., 1918-07-28
NWher2( (9ve &eade~ by @linor' Gym

soured old woman very much painted and
ridiculous, and she felt sorry for unlovely
old age and ill-temper.
Meanwhile, Lady Bracondale was being
favorably impressed. She was q most pre-
sentable young person, this wife OF the
Australian millionaire. she decided.
Anne took the greatest pains to be
charming to Theodore. They were sitting
together on a sofa when the men came
into the room.
Hector could keep away no longer. He
joined them in their corner, while his face
beamed with Joy to ses the two people he
loved best in the wo' ID apparently getting
on so well together
what have yor been talking aboutT'
he asked.
Nothing. very learned" said Anne.
"Only the children. I was telling Mrs.
Brown how Drdy's pony ran away in the
park this mo ming, and how plucky he had
been about IT,"
They are rather nice infants" said
Hector Il should like you to see them"
and he looked at Theodore. "Mayn't we
Lady Anningford adored her offspring.
and was only too pleased to show them;
but she said:
"Oh, wait a moment, Hector, until SOM
of these people have gone. Lady Harrow
field hates children, and Fordy made some
terrible remarks about her wig last time"
Il wish he would do 1t again." said
Hector ~She took the skin on every one
the whole way through lunch"
''But Colonel Lowerby told me she was
one Of the cleverest women in London!"
exclaimed Theodore; "and surely 1t is not
very clever Just to be bitter and spiteful!"
"Yes, she is clever" said Anne. with a
peculiar smile. "and we are all rather I'M
der her thumb"
at is perfectly ridiculous how you pan
der to her!" Hector said. impatiently. "I
should never allow my wife to have any
thing but distant acquaintance with her
IL / were married." and he glanced at
Theodore.
Lady Anningford's' duties as hostess
took her away from them then, and he
sat down on the sofa in her place.
ooh, how hate all this!" he said. ''How
different it is to Paris! It CRATES and
Jars and brings out the worst in oneA
These odious women and their little, mar
row ways, You win never stay much in
London-will you. Theodora?"
81 have always to do what Josiah
wishes, you know; he rather likes IL. and
means US to come back after Whitsuntide.
l think"
Hector seemed to have lost the power
of looking ahead. Whitsuntide, and to be
with her in the country for that time. ap-
peared to him the boundary of his out
look. What would happen after Whitsun-
tide? Who could say?
He longed to tell her how his thoughts
were forever going back to the day at Yer
sailles, and the peace and beauty Of those
woods-how all seemed here as though
something were dragging him down to the
commonplace, away out of their exalted
dream, to a dull earth. But he dared not
he must keep to subjects less moving.
So there was silence for some moments,
Theodore. since coming to London had
begun to understand ii was possible for
beautiful Englishmen to be husbands now
and then, and that the term Is not neces-
sarily synonymous with bore" and duty"
as she had always thought 1t from her
meagre experience.
She could not help picturing what a
position Of exquisite happiness some nice
girl might have-some day-as Hector's
wife And she looked out of the window.
and her eyes were sad. While the vision
which f1oated to him at tho same momsr-
was OF her at his side at Bracondale, and
the delicious joy OF possessing for their
own some gay and merry babies like Fordy
and his little brother and sister. And
each saw a wistful longing in the others
eyes, and they talked quickly of banal
things.