The sun., 1919-06-08

matter that to her the selling of the
house would always remain not the
struggle of her two sons. each in his own
way. to accomplish a rescue of an i'm
poverished family. but caprice of her
own. rather picturesque, and Of interest
as such TO the world Of her scquaint-
ance.
1t may be after all a mark Of strength
to be able to ignore the truth about
ones self while all the world Is jeering.
Not satisfied with this attempt TO place
herself in n position Of sustained SUI
periority, Mrs. Redfield rambled amiably
on from one topic of drawing room con-
versation to another until 1t seemed too
pathetic to be impressive any more.
Lee Redf1eld sat next her with lines of
worry deep upon his wide forehead and
all his slender nervous strength ex-
pressed in the grip of his hands about
the chair arm. In the face Of his sister
Elisabeth there was much for n sympa-
thetic onlooker to see. Her brown eyes
| were full OF Il tolerance that was per-
I haps tolerance of the heart rather
| than Of the understanding. for there was
! there also much quick flashing curiosity
which was OF the intellect alone. So
mobile and so expressive were her fea-
| lures that the least discerning could sus-
pect her thoughts. Given knowledge Of
dition to the long years of seclusion and
lquiet thinking that had been her life.
! this girl would prove equal to any situa-
! ton. 1t was not little gratifying to
me to see the way she measured the
stature and general appearance OF Har-
riLgton long after her mother had indi-
Gated TO her that he was not n gentle
man for her to know. She sent him a
cusand little glances. all Of which were
very obvious to me. and one or two OF
which he was lucky enough to intercept.
which ocCasioned deep blushing on her
! part. She contributed a little we'll bred
nonsense to the general conversation,
but 1t war plain that her thoughts were
far away and neither shallow nor false.
4 Strong Man shows Indecision.
Phelps Redfield. the outlawed son, sat
between Arabella and Harrington in
moody silence. Much more red blooded
and vital than his older brother, he had
also very ominous strength OF charac-
ter that made 1t possible for him TO
waste no energy either of mind or body
upon tribes. He neither spoke nor
moved except with definite purpose
! Men such Ia he In the days OF duels
struck icy death into the heart of an ad-
versary by the finish and ease with
| which they cooked a pistol But Phelps
Redfield, entangled in the small weaken
ing meshes of the disapproval of a fam
! NY. was surprisingly inert and helpless.
| could understand. as looked at him,
what Arabella had meant that day at
| Croton when she described his vacilla-
/ ton over the business deal in which he
had involved herself and Harrington
when he had advertised the Redheld
house.
| He had been brought unato he defe~en
tial to age. II had hurt him to run
counter to the wishes OF his mother. 1t
burt him more now that she knew, now
that she was behaving to himself and to
Harrington exactly as he always knew
she would behave.
! There has probably never been a
strong man who did not have streak
| OF indecislon In him somewhere.
| Phelps Redheld out in the world OF
men would be a strong and we'll loved
leader How curious that at this tran
sition period he should be as inadequate
as school boy,
l was proud to realize that OF all the
persons in the room the two most vital
were this young man untred in the
world, and by ArabellR, who was shift
ing about In her chair with all the i'm
patience and pouting rudeness of a
child.
II We were each winning our little
game at last we each felt few of the
thrills OF the conaueror
Freeland looked from Arabella to rnt
and back again, hoping | knew. to see
some sign of friendly recognition pass
between U.S. But l knew from expert
ence that Arabella was waiting for g
dramatic climax. and I was willing e
follow her lead.