The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-04-04

BY VICTOR ROUSSEAU
Copyright, by w. G. Chapman-)


:. g. Chapman-)
"Eleanor!"
Uncle Mark !! It's never you, Uncle
Mark cried the girl. "Why, should
never, never have known yOu!"
But would he have known her, had
he not looked closely inte the clear
eyes to discern the face of the little
waif beneath the beauty of the woman?
He had often and often imagined her,
grown to womanhood,- and dressed as
he would have dressed her, but some
how she had always had the look and
aspect of the child, blended with the
schoolgirl. A sudden chill went through
his heart at her self-mastery, the we'll
bred welcome that had in it little of
real eagerness. And he realized that,
though he had always looked on her as
lost, at the bottom of his heart he
must have hoped to find her again. d.
He stood, a graying-haired, uncom-
Portable, almost middle-aged man, try
ing to feel at home. He saw Keller
man looking at him across the room, as
y
81 hope 1 haven't changed so much
as all that said Mark, trying. to
smile.
"No," she answered, looking at him
with a searching, direct gaze. ''Not
really-only at first appearance. Why,
Uncle Mark, your hair is turning gray.
What have you been doing with your
self?"
He felt that the, unconscious shaft
had gone we'll home. He only answer
ed vaguely. There was a little in
formal dancing, and, as he felt befitted
his age, he waltzed a few turns with
Eleanor and sat back with Mrs. How
ard, surveying the gay crowd, and re-
calling memories-about the most dis
heaEtening thing that he could have
done.
What do you think Of Elean0r?"
asked Mrs. Howard. "You didn't ex-
pect to find the little schoolgirl grown
up like this, did your"
"Nor she me-like this" answered
Mark humbly. But the Colonel's wife
missed the allusion. ~ t..f s.
"She has been crazy to see you,"
Mrs. Howard continued. t"She gave
the Colonel no rest after he told us
that he was trying to get you for the
war office. l believe she had always
had a sort of romantic recollection. of
you, and looked upon you as a sort of
guardian, although, of course, it was
fortunate thing for her and uS-and
you, too-that Colonel Howard did
succeed in inducing you to let us take
her. She. has, been everything to US"
"Of course" said Mark mechanic
ally.
at would have been a terrible life
for her out in the desert" sighed Mrs.
Howard. 81 think that you were very
wise, Captain Wallace. And what
dreadful burdensahd responsibility you
you would have~hadr' "a~- "~1
This time Mark did not attempt to
answer.
"She has been daughter to both of
u.s. pursuedN hts hostess. N'tATd now
I'm afraid-we're both, afraid, Captain
Wallace, that we cannot hope to have
her for long. She was quite the rage
in New York last season."
Wallace. followed the girl with his
eyes. She had just been dancing With
young officer; it had been two
step, and as the band. of three, pieces
broke into the widest and merriest
part of the piece he saw her, with
flushed face and laughing eyes, accept
Kellerman's arm and surrender herself
to the dance.
Kellerman caught Marks eyes across
the room. He looked-stFaight back
with a meaning challenge which was
unmistakable. Mark knew at that
moment that his antipathy to Keller
man had returned, although he was in
clined to believe the other was. not
aware it had ever existed. 30.
Kellerman was Splendid figure,
even in his civilian evening clothes.
Fully six feet tall, with the chest and
limbs of an athlete, florid, with crisp
black hair and q sense of-the possess
sion of power, he looked at least five
years Marks junior, though they had
been born in the same year. Hand
some Kellerman" had been his sobri-
quet in Cuba. Mark remembered it
across the lapse of years, and into his
mind there began to filter, too, stray
stories about him.
Mark did not judge him by these,
but by the intuition which sent cold
wave to his heart as he saw him with
Eleanor. 1t seemed to Inn that Keller
MANS. look, as he turned to the girl.
was one of intentional conquest-in
another man it might have been called
infatuation; and the girl knew it and
was happy in it.
,fhe bitterness of that moment was
like a sword thrust. Had he come
three thousand miles for this? But