Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-26

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1 said, Roberta. have duty before me and I
intend to perform 1t. You are staying here
under my protection, dear, and 1t Is incumbent
upon me to see that you don't make little
fool Of yourself with Charlie Faraday-"
Roberta started; her olive cheeks flew a
danger signal
You're SO terribly earnest and unsophisti-
Gated" Mrs. simmonds-smith pursued.
Aunt" said Roberta, so is"
"Pooh" said Mrs. Smmonds-Smith briskly.
He Is neither, my dear child. He falls in and
out Of what he calls love average about
once month, II not oftener. He is, grant,
amusing, but 1t is not the sort OF amusement
for you. He's that really abomnable thing, a
thorough male firt and absolutely conscience
less, nature having blessed him with face that
is delight to look at and pretty gift Of
tongues-why. it's all the easier for him to fool
poor little"
How dare you?" Roberta almost screamed.
She jumped up. two scarlet spots flaming in
her cheeks. her hands clenced at her sides.
How dare you? Do you think Ill don't
know"
my poor, dear child" said Mrs simmonds-
Smith. thoroughly shocked and startled for once
in her easy life, you must not fall in love with
Charlie Faraday You must not indeed. II
had thought it was more than filtration on
either side"
ut is" said Roberta. swaying a little and
white now, "a Irritation on neither side-on
neither side-no-on neither side"
She went to the door. walking a little un-
certainly. When she reached it, she turned
round and stood erect.
"Roberta!" said Mrs. Simmonds- Smith, strug-
Cling up from her deep chair to intercept her.
II love him!" said Roberta.
The poor child flew out of the room, sobs
strangling in her throat, down through the sun
lit garden, at the bottom Of which the lazy
river the moored punt rocked gently She
sprang in with the swift agility Of a wildcat,
and, crouching at the bottom Of the craft. laid
her arms upon the red cushions and her black
head upon them-madly awake now.
There Faraday found her, an hour later,
white heap upon the red cushions, but with
beautiful picturesqueness Of abandonment in the
chaos that struck his esthetic eye with a certain
sense of pleasure, even while he was hurrying
across the intervening garden to reach her.
He leaped into the punt.
She started, shuddered and looked up.
my own dear little girl" he said, putting
out his hands with a caress and lifting her.
She allowed him to lift her to the seat be-
side him, and leaned her head against his
shoulder The overhanging bank effectively
screened them from the vantage point Of win
dows and, knowing this, he slipped an arm
around her waist. Gle always made discretion
play large part in his affairs. hence his un-
scathed escapes
my dear little girl-what?"
'N-n-notn1ng Really notn1ng.
But as she spoke she opened her big southern
eyes wide on his face. and in them he read the
woman's soul he had evoked-the woman's
soul which had finally supplanted the careless
child soul. How charming! he reflected. Then
he reflected that matters had reached the stage
when 1t behooved him to be careful.
His carefulness, however, was always man.
aged with considerable amount Of finesse. It
was not In him to be what is termed brutal
His whole fastidious being would have revolted
at the bare suggestion. There was nothing
crude about his retreats They were always
graceful. and came about naturally that they
really seemed indefinable such. He was al
ready wearying little of the situation, and OF
st. Medbury. and his hostess, and the cathedral
services. The itinerancy fever. disease.
in his blood. He felt himself ready to absorb
something new, in need Of fresh sensations. The
two weeks had been very pleasant, and the little
girl beside him had been a wholly delightful
companion, but-but-
But the thing was decidedly beginning to
pail. That was the sober truth. which there
blinking. Also, Mrs. Simmonds- Smith this
very morning had said something about Roberta
which had seemed most alarmingly like at
tempt at probing. His sensible discretion had
taken fright; valour was = negative quantity
with him. Love.making, however, with charm
ing little Roberta was easy; moreover. 1t had be-
come q second nature with him, and he felt It
would meet the occasion now, and smooth the
path Of the announcement that he had intended
to make Of his near departure. AS usual he
expressed the love-making more in the subtle
infection Of his we'll modulated voice. in the
tender pressure Of the encirclfng arm, than in
actual words, which bear repetition.
"N-n-nothing" He Knocked her very gen.
tie. 20. my dear little Berta. but think there
is. You going to tell me?"
Her pale face lay against his shoulder. tear
stained. the red lips tremulousy vibrating. He
bent and kissed them. and she returned his
caress with abandonment Of passion that
she showed now. poor child for the first time.
never doubling.
With the same absolute faith she told him,
too the wherefore Of her tears. and waited, con-
hdent.
Your aunt?" he repeated lightly. What an
absurd idea of hers wasn't It? AS II there was
any possible harm In what has been to me, at