The Mena weekly star., 1919-11-13

Ocean hotel and gazed out across
twenty-five miles of moonlit bay 1t
was not for lack of partner that she
stood alone She had promised this
very extra to four insistent men, but
had excused herself to one after an
other Of them Just for a moment.
Just while powder my nose"
They had all seen her run up the
stairs In the main hallway; they had
not seen her travel steadily on
through the length of the hotel and
come down the ladder-like exit into
the garden. Why had she done it,?
That was a question that she herself
could not have answered but that did
not occur to her as matter for solu-
ton, so often had similar impulse
snatched her momentariIy away from
q crowded world.
Andrea had past, but very little
history. She was the only daughter
Of Lord Pellor of Pellor, land-poor
baron who could distribute FIVE titles
among his five sons but very little
cash. As result Andrea had lived
the life, if life you can call it, of tab
Mated impoverished English gentle
women: Everything that the traffic
will bear for the men of the family
and for the girl just enough frocks at
her coming out TO dissemble the bait
that clothes the hook that catches the
man with millions.
During her first season offers had
come to her; not the measured adj
yances of buyers in the marriage mar
ket for about the brow of such bud.
ding maidenhood as had been hers
there hangs guardian halo that
blinds the eyes of sane-aged men, but
the o'erleaping onslaughts of youth
maddened hearts.
II was In her fifth season that the
arbiters Of her fate raised the shears
of destiny and clicked them. He who
fell 10 her lot was a man of humble
origin who had reached the ripe age
Of fifty eight without ever having had
time to marry. His life with a diff
ference. had been just as narrow. hide
bound and conventional as had hers
The difference was that he had trav-
eled the stereotyped Dick Wilmington
trail to high finance rather than the
social highway. He had started out in
Africa with a pack of cheap jewelry.
an open mind and an easy conscience,
and had emerged after twenty-five
years as one of the few Gentiles in the
combine Al Ief 81 a r.
mond output. His wealth was so great
that an ultimate peerage was almost
matter of course. But, as usual, an
aristocratic marriage had to come
first.
The contract was as coId-blooded as
any ever perpetrated by royal house.
Allowances, carefully graded, were
stipulated to be paid at fixed times to
Andrea's parents and TO each of her
FIVE brothers. She herself came in for
large and inalienable marriage set
Element and was further secured in
such details as to where the town res
idence was to be located as well as TO
the number and nature of the country
places which were TO be maintained
When the document was finally COM
pieted 1t was casually submitted to
Andrea for approval. Nobody dreamed
that she would doubt for moment
that those In family authority we're
most able to decide what was best for
her and nobody was right. She merely
SKINNED through the typewriter
pages of the prenuptial agreement, sat
istied herself that vast sum of money
was destined to the upkeep of Pellor,
and dreamy-eyed with sudden memo
ries, nodded her adorable head in con-
sent.
All doubtless would have taken its
appointed course had not the Euro
pean war put in its nightly discon-
certlng finger. Surprising things hap
pened In South Africa. Andrea's aft
aneed sailed on twenty-four hours no
lice. The diamond mines closed down,
TOOK a short nap, and then suddenly
awakened to the fact that America
alone was demanding as much of their
product as had the whole world before
II turned its entire attention to MAX
ing munitions and paying for them.
Andrea's betrothed found himself mar
messed to his job, possibly for the du-
ration of the war. AS result II was
decided In family eonelave that 1t was
incumbent upon Andrea to take adj
vantage of providential detail of two
OF her brothers on the Nyassaland ex-
pediuonary force and accompany
them, surrendering st. Georges chapel
ior quiet marriage In the colonies.
II was blow, but the fact that the
entire set Of tapered allowances
would not start until the sacrificial
ceremony had taken place more than
onset the loss in pcmp. Andrea start
cd for Africa escorted not only by the
aforementioned brothers but by old
Aunty Gwen, hale and hearty at sew
enty in spite, or perhaps by reason. of
having been frightened Out of many
years growth So here they were.
Aunty and she. on the point Of part
ing with the two boys at the last pos
sibie port up the coast and whose In
haDitants had seized upon the occasion
20 give grand ball in the mode Of the
English, who have ever danced, courted
and loved best when on the eve Of
battle.
Andrea drew long and quivering
sigh Tomorrow the boys would