Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-26
"yo.,s not really soins-fs' e7s'
and susr7~

-Gn0
least, a wholly pleasant and delightful friend
ship And hope 1t has been SO to you, too.
dearest. sweetest little girl
"H-h-has been?" she stammered, starting.
why of course" he said kindly. "all de-
lightful things come to an end don't they? :?
That's part of the Jest of that abominabe old
cynic, Fate. My delightful time must come to
an end now very shortly. fear, for I-I-er
shall have to leave st. Medbury tomorrow.
Family business, and all sorts Of perfectly rotten
affairs to see to, the matter is worrying me-
Lady Faraday had more than once been a USE
full scapegoat-''to come home to talk matters
over with her"
Roberta was looking at him. astounded,
white faced.
"B-b-but," she stammered. you'll
c-c-come back?"
He sighed deeply.
"Ah, when, wonder?" he said pensvely.
Zone never knows. OF one thing I'm certain,
though. shall never forget my visit to charm
ing, quaint old 50 Medbury. and the happy fort
night I've spent here-or Is it Yes declare,
1t will be nearly three weeks tomorrow! Time
flies so. under perfect conditions. when one is
absolutely and ideally happy, as own have
been. One loses all count of 1t. Your aunt has
been most kind, really. in letting me extend
sort of weekend visit into regular visitation.
night, and my dear lttle-friend. Even II we
were destined never to meet again-one never
knows"
What? What? what?" she almost walled
She had pulled herself away from his arm, and
was staring at him, her eyes wide open In blank
anguish, incredulous amaze, which she made no
attempt to conceal In a moment there flashed
back upon her consciousness disconnected
phrases of her aunts: phrases culled from
shrewd worldly wisdom denied to babes such as
she, phrases that. in her blindness. she raved at
spurning them-"that abominabie thing-a
thorough male airt-a Irritation either side
all the easier to fool poor little"
What do you mean? she breathed rather
than spoke.
my dear little GIRL" he said. biting his lip
in vexed anticipation Of "a scene" that would
be really abhorrent to so sensitive nature as
his what should I mean? What is there in
what I have said to call for this-er-meio
dramatic attitude? You surey-er-have not
d-nisunderstood-O! pray get
up! really cannot"
She had slipped with one Of her character
istic, sinuous movements down from the seat,
and now half knelt, half crouched in the bottom
of the punt, facing him. still staring with blank
eyes, still striving against incredulity, still all
but speechless. Heart and brain were hammer
ing like drums, with great bursting throbs that
choked her, driving the breath in painting gusts
between her parted lips.
Faraday raised his fine eyebrows now in very
real distress.
20 pray get up" he said futilely. He
stretched out the long white hands that a mo-
ment or two ago had been caress she loved.
She struck at them in fury.
"What are you saying?" she panied in a
voice he hardly recognized What are you
saying? Do you mean that all this time-that
all this time-that all this time" She trailed
off into a senseess repetition. you're not real
ly gong-for ever-and ever? She stretched
6opH p,,f- -h,,f- Syo,
She fixed her eyes on his face, reading 1t. and
read 1t like an open book-read what the child
Of a fortnight ago could not have done. but what
to the angushed woman OF this moment stood
out in letters Of fire; read all the contemptible-
ness of him, all the heartlessness. all the DELI
cate cruelty, measured the height and depth of
his utter egoism and blatant vanity. and. though
unable in her experience to define IT, yet felt the
full horror deep down in her writing soul.
Treading close upon the despair Of this first
great love came an uglier passion OF rage
rage incarnate, rage of the south, rage that
swept over her irresistibly. and shrieked out a
terrible vendetta. He had humiliated her.
Knocked her. stolen her blind alteration blndly
given, and put her aside.
"Oh! you!" she crieds 'You-you!-and you
kissed me and kissed you"
my dear little Berta-" he murmured. really
at a loss in face of such unexpected intensity in
this pretty child. you will forget all this
nonsense"
"Forget!" she said, leaning forward and
speaking very quickly. Forget! Never! You
don't know mel And will never forget! Never
forget that hate you-now!" sob broke In
her throat at the lie. "Never forget that-Tll
be revenged! I am cold English girl-to for
get You didn't know whom you were dealing
with when you brought this on me. How dare
you! How dare you! How dare you And I
told you 1 loved you-and-and I kissed you!
o, my God! can't forget! o. II I only had
strength to kill you I'd do Il, I think No:
don't think-I know would. hate you!"
She gathered vehemence. staring at him with
black eyes distended In her white face.
"O." she said. in voice like moan Of
Ill had a man to thrash you for It, you-
you heartless devil!"
She vas beautiful in her fury. but with the
beautyyof tiger-cat gathered for a spring as she
crouehed there swaying little from sheer force
Of compelling emotion.