Evening times-Republican., 1920-12-20

-i6illy jumped to offer another. "Oh,
thank YOU, she said. She seemed not
to have seen him before.
THAT was Iather nice of you, you
know" lae said grayely.
She locked UP at him.
I'm not really wolf" be con-
tinued, the gravity surrendering to
his likable, warm smile, "and I'm
glad you recognized it,
Her reply took him unawares. II
think you're Splendid said Lady
Claire. II thought so in the bazaars
when Sc'l came TO my help and stood
ZIP to tt;tt beastly German"
"Oh. he wasn't such ,beastly Ger
man. after ali" Billy deprecated
And here I've had message to
You from him and never remembered
TO give il. I he fellow called on me
the next morning in gala attire and
offered every apology and satisfac.
ton in his power--even the salts.
faction OF the duel. il desired it. /
didn't But | promised TO express
his deep apologies to you. He was
horribly shocked at himself He'd
been drinking. he said, to forget a
sadness which possessed him His
lady love had failed to keep her
tryst anG life was Very dark
Il doIt't wonder at her." said Lady
Claire lnforsivingly. I'm sure he
must have been horiid to her."
II rather think she was horrid to
him." Billy reflected. "altho she was
u very Nprigh,ly looking lady love.
He showed me her picture in the
back of lbs watch. :. !. by George"
he uttered Violently.
| W. h;l, is it?'
"Ch--;,n idea, that's all. Some
ing must really attend to before !
this afternoon. mean. Bnt there's
no hurry about it" he added cheerily.
Oh, Billy, Billy. Not even with his
blood hot With thoughts of the even
ing's work. not even with his mem
ory ridden with Arlee's gay witchery,
could he keep his restless young eyes
from laughing down at her. But there
wasn't 1, notion in the back of his
honest fead as to the picture he was
making in Lady Claires eye as he
leaned. long -limi,ed, broad shoulder
ed, lazily at ease against the desk,
his gray eyes Very bright between
their dark lashes. his dark hair
sweeping, back from his Vide fore
head.
Are ycaI sure" size asked OF him
with the smile that he drew from,
her. rs it the inspiration for anoth-
er' picturt,!
NO, llo-that vas my first and
my last. That was the one purple
bloom OF my art have laid my
brushes by. 80 But I'm keeping
yoLfron, that letter you were going
to write
Its Just few lines for Miss FaI.
Iconer. Lady CHI Z unnecessarily
explained We are going to drive out
| to the lezireh Palace Hotel for tea
and she thought her brother nigh,
! like to &c, ont with MS il he came ii
In time
She did not add why Miss Fal.
coner was unable to write her owI
notes, b'it slanted hef blue-hatted
head over the desk and then hastily
Iblotted her blief lines and tucked
the sheet into an envelope. Hest
family size looked Up at Billy.
| ''ffuvu -yo,t been on. to the t5ez1re,
Palace" she very innocently in
| quiied.
| Alone said Billy.
| It's very jolly there" said she
Its so gay-;,nd the music is quite
good"
HIM, meditated Billy. "The con-
demned RAN ate a hearty tea o1
orange l'elloe and cress sandwiches,
he reflected silently. He also reflect
ed that Miss Falcon,a would be fur
ious-ani that invited hm-and that
time was interminable and that this
| expedition was us good a way of get
| ting thru the afternoon as any other
| i'Ihereupon he turned to the English
] girl. with n humorous challenge in
his gaze II wonder if you and Miss
! Falconer would let this be my tea
party?' he suggested.
Miss I's,lconer will be delighted
said Lady Claire mendaciously.
The traces of that delight, however
lay beneath so We'll schooled an ex-
terror that they were decidedly non
apparent. Nor did Robert Falconer's
mienN reveal any hint of JOY when he
returned to the hotel and found the
two ladies starting with Billy. He
| joined them with rather the air of q
watch dog, but that air soon wore
away during the long drive under tho
spell of young Hills frank friendli
ness and gay good l1t,mor For Bill,
was eXtiayagantly in spirits. Excite.
ment stirred in him like wine: hi.
blood w;t:s on fire with Thoughts o
the evening
It's the fool lark of the thing" Ii,
said, hall apologetically, to Falconer'.
wonder when the two young mer
were alone for minute on the
Gezireh verandas. Didn't you eve,
want to he a pirate?"
The red -headed young man nodded
| Yes, but this business doesn't make
I me feel like "A pirate-more like 3
second story mani"
I've left letters with Fritz
Baroff,' said Hill. and if we're no,
back by morning, she's to go to the
| authorities with them"
That won't do us any good" sait
the Englishman grimly
/ But after the ladies returned Il
was very y-seeming tea party
Even Miss Falconer unbent to the
artist, as she persisted in callins
| billy tho he had dutifully enlighten
ed her that engineering was his true
and proper life work. and art but a
random diversion, and she promised
| 70 show him the sketches which she
mad been making, and piled him will
questions about his mysterious
| America
| And Lady Claire was very nretti1,