Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-07
HI
The Palace
of Darkened
w ndows

Il remember noticing you," he
hastily explained. I'm not exactly
a pirate detective, you know,"--the
assurance seemed to leave Miss Fal-
coner cold--''but | do remember peo-
pie. And then l heard you spoken
oil by Miss Beecher.'
The name acted euriously. upon
them. They looked at each other.
Then they looked at Billy. Miss Fai-
coner spoke
Perhaps we cap drop you at your
hotel said she, Wont you set IMP
He got in. facing them little rue
fully with his damaged eountenance.
and snbtiy aware that this access on
OF iriendliness MAS not q gush Of
airy impulse.
yen know Miss Beecher then ~
said Miss Falconer with brisk di-
reotnsss.
slightly" he said aloud. TO him.
self he ADDED. $50 far"
"Ail-in America?
No, in Cairo
Miss Faiconer looked disappointed
"But perhaps you know her family?"
No" said Billy. He added humor-
oilslS. But I'll wager | could guess
| them all right
Can you Americans do that for
! one smother? That is more than we
can venture to do for YOU" said the
lady and Billy was aware OF irony.
I'VE know so little about your life.
You See, the girl softened it for him.
With direct AMI friendly smile, and
then gaaed Materially ut her chap
eron. She was Il nice girl, Billy de-
cided enphaticaily.
-fiow would YOU construct her
famiiy?" was the elder lady's next
demand.
ooh, big people in u small town. -
he hetzarded carelessly. THE kind of
place where the life isn't wide enough
for the girl after all her advantages
land she goes abroad in search OF adj
vontlre.''
Adventure" repeated Miss Fall
coner thoughtfuliy. She seemed to
have an idea, but Billy was certain
ii was not his idea
He FASTENED to clarity the light he
had tried to cast upon his upsetting
little countrywoman. "All life, you
know, is an adventure to the Ameri-
can GIRL" he generaii2ed. "She is a
little bit more on her own than I i'm
agine your girls are" and for the
fraction of a second his eyes wander
ed to the listening countenance of
Lady Claire, and that rather ex-
hilarsttes her. And she doesn't want
things cut and dried--she wants
them spontaneous and unexpected
and people, just as people, interest
her tremendously. l think that's why
she's SO unintelligibie on the Con-
tinent," he added thougllfully "They
don't understand there that giriish
love of experience DIS experience
enjoyment of romance apart from re-
suits"
Romance apart from results" re-
peated Miss Falconer in peculiar
voice
Il don't believe you quite get me-"
said Billy hastily. He felt foolish and
he felt resentful. And if these Eng
lish women couldn't understand the
bright, volatile stuff that Arlee was
made of, he certainly was not going
to talk about it, But Miss Falconer
had 'one more question for him.
when you say big people in a
small town do you mean her father
would be sort of country squire 2"
More probably a captain of indus
try" Billy smiled.
"a captain-Oh, that is one of your
phrases!"
"One of our phrases" he laughed,
and then parted, 81 thought you
were acquainted with Miss Beecher?"
quite slightly" said Miss Falconer
in ar aloof tone. my brother came
over on the same ship with her
he came to joip us here"
Billy experienced a flood OF mem
tai light The brother--at the hotel
~ lit