Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-26

''Go away!" she said. go away! Leave me!
I've got some pride left It will come back to
me when"
Suddenly exhausted. she flung her arms
forward on tho cushions. laid her black head on
them. and knet thus. very still.
Quite silently Faraday got up and left her.
There seemed nothing else to be done in the
face of this most uncomfortable development
he told himself.
To a very shrewd. but sminently tactful
hostess he explained that wire had summoned
him back to town today. In any case hs had
made up his mind to tear himself away tomor-
row. But she would understand.
He felt uncomfortably that she did.
So 1t fell that the pride that brought Rob
erta in, dry-eyed and smiling at tea time and
sustained her through the eternity OF half
hour. was not called upon to stand the additional
test Of Faradays presence
In the hall afterward as she went through she
picked up glove he had dropped and carried It
away to her room. The Pride swore an oath
OF vendetta over 1t. and the Love kissed 1t. and
cried as 1t fondled It, before putting 1t away in a
shrine of its own. The Love cleft deep into the
sicilian heart that could not forget.
Six years after, when the black -eyed little
siclian girl and dull old St. Medbury were hard
ly memories with him, Faraday met the Cam
bray Stuarts at Brighton.
He was still tho dallying dilettante loafer
whom many women loved and more men de-
itinerant and culled much sweetness from many
flowers. He had on leaving Roberta six years
ago followed pretty peeress half over Europe.
and the blue eyes had displaced the black in his
fckle affections. and between them they nearly
managed a cause-celebre. It was discreetly
hushed up, however, one Of Faraday's skill
full retreats and he returned home to fall in and
out Of love with his mothers latest companion.
This, too, was now hardly q memory with him.
She first attracted his momentary unoccu-
pied attentions at lunch. She sat at q small
table with her husband, huge. healthy, reddish
haired young Scotsman. discussing an attractive
menu with vivid interest that somehow seemed
to suit her. ..... g..
Faraday's table was to her right. where ne
had full and uninterrupted view Of glorious
sweep Of profile and throat and bust After
she had swept in and sat down, and begun her
lunch. all in a careless. regal. unconcerned way.
he ate no more. .-s
At last she turned her head and met his
eyes, and her own, full and black. distended
widely for a moment before the dropping lids
yelled them again dscreetly. His vanity
gagged the effect Of the glance as it listed and
about his shaven upper lip curled slight fine
smile. An adorable woman!
AS she left her table she dropped her ador-
able handkerchief. and he quick to return
it to an adorable hand before her red-haired
husband could perform the Office. She mur-
INJURED thanks and trailed out, leaving with a
faint suggestion that yet hardly was memory.
in the resonant sweet timbre Of her voice.
He looked them up in the visitors book and
went off to the smokeroom to smoke casual
acquaintance with the red-headed young Scots
man through the proffer Of his own unparalleled
cigars, brand he especially imported The
acquaintance soon extended. for Cambray Stuart
was a genial. unsuspiciouly good fellow. That
evening the lover sat next to Mrs. Chambray
Stuart at dinner.
He neglected his soup. feeding on enchant-
ment. Her voice was beautiful, was her pro-
file under the shadowing black hair and the
glorious slender fullness of her perfectly
tured figure With the advent of the fish the
slight memory his neighbor had evoked came
back and puzzled Faraday little. Through
two ensuing courses he pooh-poohed 1t to him.
self and then when the sweets appeared. he
voiced 1t in an apologetic question:
Something like memory is troubling me;
yet could never have forgotten you had We
ever met before"
II do not think we ever have" she said
meditatively. resting her eyes on his face.
With the lie, she was taking him in with a
deliberate scrutiny that tried to be cold, but
could be only ostensibly. She saw him
stouter than six years ago at St. Medbury-a
pang drove through the Sicilian heart that could
not forget-his hair already little thinner
the top. the fine lines of his mouth and chin
thickening. Ideasm was absent from his face
now. Lazness and self-ndulgence and an In
tolerable egoism were making of him something
grosser. Yet the old pang drove into her,
scorching and soaring her. heart and SOUL brain
and body. But the six years that had developed
the pale girl into glorious woman had taught
her also how to dissembe. And so she had lied
boldly.
II do not think we ever have"
mot at-at-at-" he said. racking his
brains.
She held her breath. Would he remember?
No. dear God not that-not that
uho1
ant and little confused, broke over his face.
Were you ever at-at-St. Medbury?" he
asked, turning to her. II think 1t must have
been"
She had herself admirably in hand.
mo, I don't-think so,' she said slowly.
Then, lightly, But one really forgets triflles.
doesn't one? I have such a shocking memory"
"Still thought" he began obviously,
lieved.
. Perhaps" she said, after pause, you met
my-my-little sister there"
"Ah!" he exclaimed This solved a rather
awkward problem really quite satisfactorily;
and he hated to probe. "Ah! that must have
been what was puzzling me. You-you-er-
must have been,very much alike-though see
the difference very plainly now"
She smiled little wry smile, but her teeth
were dazzling. and the bitterness was lost on
him.
"Is she-er-with you?" he ventured further
"She--is dead" said Mrs. Stuart. inde-
scribable hardness sweeping over the beautiful
face.
He looked his panied concern. and voiced It
very gently in his own perfect manner. With
the putting aside Of a painful subject he
happily aware that he might, too. put aside tina,
little momentary uneasiness that was assailing
him. for what, he really hardly recollected on
the instant-no doubt some episode. So the
little sister died? Well. we'll, he remembered =
her. he thought. as rather a-rather pretty
little girl
But this woman was adorable.
Az he talked to her his low voice raised all