The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-01-02
CHAPTER l.

Ocean hotel and gazed out across
twenty Ave miles Of moonlit bay. 1t
was MOI for lack of partner that she
stood clone. 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 l 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 1t?
That was a question that she herself
could not have answered but that did
not occur to her as a matter for solu-
fiou. so often had a similar impulse
Bnatched her momentarily away from
a crowded world.
Andrea had a past, but very little
aistory She was the only daughter
of Lord Pellor of Pellor, a land-poor
baron who could distribute five titles
among his five sons but very little
cash. As a result Andrea had lived
the life, If life you can call II, of tab
Olated impoverished English gentle
women: Everything thar the traffic
will bear for the men Of the family
and for the girl just enough frocks Mt
1er 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
Nances Of buyers In the marriage mar
ket, for about the brow Of such bud.
dug maidenhood as had been hers
there hangs guardian halo that
bliads the eyes of sane-aged men, but
the o'erleaping onslaughts of youth.
maGdened hearts.
II was In her fifth season that the
arbi:ers of her fate raised the shears
of destiny and clicked them. He who
fell 20 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 q 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 pack Of cheap jewelry,
an oren mind and an easy conscience,
and mad emerged frrer twenty-five
years as one of the few Gentiles in the
combine that controls the worlds dla-
mond output His wealth was so great
that an ultimate peerage was almost
a matter of course. But, as usual, an
aristocratic marriage had to come
first.
The contract was as cold-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
a large and inallenable 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 CON-
pleted 1t was casually submitted to
Andrea for approval. Nobody dreamed
that she would doubt for a moment
that those in family authority were
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
isfied herself that vast sum of money
was destined to the upkeep Of Pellor,
and dreamy-eyed with sudden memo
ries, Npdded her adorable head In con-
sent.
AL; doubtless would have taken its
appointed course had not the Euro
pean war put In Its nightly discon-
certing finger. Surprising things hap
pened in South Africa. Andrea's afff
anced sailed on twenty-four hours no
tice. 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
It turned its entire attention to max
ing munitions and paying for them.
Andrea's betrothed found himself har-
messed to his Job. possibly for the du-
ration OF the war. As a result II was
decided In family conclave that 1t was
incumbent upon Andrea TO take adj
vantage Of providential detail of two
of her brothers on the Nynssaland ex-
peditionary force and accompany
them, surrendering St Georges chapel
for q quiet marriage in the colonies.
II was a blow, but the fact that the
entire set Of tapered allowances
would not start until the sacrihcial
ceremony had taken place more than
offset the loss In pomp. Andrea start
ed 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
% With the two bsys At the last pos