Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-31
NEVILLE OF A WOMAN
By BrunosRuby.

shawl. She seemed greatly aston
ished when d'AlbeYt asked for the
colonel. With a frightened glance
she turned and showed him the way.
A single gas jet illuminated the
anteehamber. D'Albert. relieving him
ception a little funereaL But he was
! too excited to think much about 1T.
The girl opened another door and he
entered. his heart beating. There was
shrill exclamation. then deep
Rrowi. D'Albert stopped short. trem-
bling as he had never trembled un-
der fire. Before him the colonefs
wife. in her dressing gown. was mend
ing some stockings. The punctilious
| colonel, in a bathrobe. one foot in a
towel slipper. The other stretched out
before the crate hre, was smoking a
troopers pipe. Mile. Rirette. very
| captivating in a little rose kimono,
| her uncle's chair. sea serpent, in
PRODUCING himself into this intimate
family sitting, couldn't have created
more of a panic than d'Albert's ar
rival did.
Monsieur cried the colonel. stand
the slipper on his bare foot
Colonel" stammered d'Albert. Il
beg your pardon: There is some mis-
take. l received q card"
Fortunately. he had the fatal card
in his pocket. Taking it out. he handed
1t to his Infatuated superior. The colo
mel read it.
ut is a joke, monsieur practi-
cal joke. Who could have sent you
this?'
That was exactly what the unfor-
tunate d'Aibert wanted to know. But
his eyes met the malicious eyes of
the charming Rirette and suddenly
the mystery cleared. But why had
she perpetrated this annoying pleas
antry? His head was in a whirl He
felt absolutely foolish.
pardon
He turned to the door. But the
eoloners wife. without dropping her
Monsieur d'Albert. it is raining
cats and dogs. You have sent your
cab away. We live so far out of Gre
alton. It is very late. You must dine
He didn't refuse He had no will
Of his own left. In his impeccable
uniform he dined with his colonel. the
latter still wearing his bathrooe.
What wouldn't he have given II only
collar wrinkIed. or something else
in his makeup short of military
standards.
The dinner was solemn. in spite
of the sallies Of Mile. Rirette, who
SeeNneO u uc IN great SOOQ numOr.
D'Alhert hadn't the courage to spend
the evening. He took his leave tive
minutes after they returned to the
salon. Mile. Rirette offered to ac-
company him to the gate. She put on
q raincoat and they walked together
through the garden. They were alone
for the hrst time.
She leaned against him. lifted her
face toward his and said. with a
CLEAN of triumph In her big eyes:
Nov, you see that you had to
come where / wanted you to come.
How disobliEing you are! Do you
think me 10 unattractiver'
He puahed her aside angrily and
disappeared in tho storm. with the
Impression that no had made the
worst sort of q break and that his
third stripe was jrreparAbly lost.
naxt day. that you had to reckon
with q woman's will. But don't be
downhearted. You can pull yourself
out. Get into the family. Marry
her. Marry hsr in spite of her uncle.
She will prove to be the stronger.
Believe me, your career is made"
DiAIbAFt had mulled all night over
the mysteries Of life. He now saw
rising before him Rirette's audacious
image. He answered with a sort of
respect:
"You are right. I will marry herr"
And he began to believe again in
his third stripe.
Copyright. 192o.)