The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-13

Are you going to tan msf-
She shook her head. her eyes
dancing with mischief.
mot until your sister comes bac,
from visiting her sick nsighbor. Its
too, Dramatic story to tell twice.
Meanwhile III % q fascinating mys-
terry. What DO you say?"
He looked down into her laughing
eyes but into his own there crept an
expression which sobered her Instant
ly. She saw something there which
made her glance WAIVER and fall. A
trace Of color crept up into her
cheeks, but she stretched out an i'm
pulsive hand.
The Other.
you've been wonderfully kind"
she said quickly. Il can't ever thank
you. I was 90 frightened the frst
night I spent here In the desert
&. country. Somehow finding you was
just like finding q big brother. There
Is only one other man In the whole
world whom I believe could equal you
in tenderness and protection"
There was . moments silence
then:
mot your husbandr' asked the
doctor quietly. - though he almost
dreaded hearing the reply.
But how did you know" began
Diana
Then her eyes followed the diree-
ton Of his glance and fell upon her
wedding ring.
"oh." she said . little blankiy. and
after Q moment:
"No, not my husbandi I daresay
In my heart AN running away from
him too. And there II poor Lynn
and Ted back home and. 80"
She buried her face In her hands
and her shoulders shook. half with
tears. half with laughter.
"I sound like q terrible person.
don't IT. she said. her voice coming
rnuffled between her fingers.
The touch Of his hand on her
shoulder brought her face up.
You are yourself. dear child. a
very wonderful little girl. Some
where. somehow. you've had q rotten
time Of It. Will you consider that
I am at your command to do anything
can to straighten things out for
you"
But brought all my trouble on
myself"
The doctor looked across his gay
little garden set SO incongruously on
the edge Of the desert country. It
seemed to Diana that his expression
was as inscrutable a. the desert itself.
Most Of US do that, child" he said
quietly.
You known" asked Diana shyiy.
his warm clasp.
sThAp 70 ha~a xxosv rAsIrv hA1y,
should begin at the beginning and
make q clean breast Of things.
shouldn't I? First ought to tell you
my name. am. -. or rather I was
Diana Langley"
The doctor raised his head and his
eyes narrowed as though he listened
across wide intervening spaces to
catch q familiar echo.
Langley?" he unused. That's q
name to be proud Of. Did you ever
know . very beautiful woman called
Marjorie langley" s,..t
"Marjorie?" echoed Diana delight
edly, why. she's my aunt!"
Tho doctor dropped her hand and
stared at her incredulously. 1t
seemed to Diana that he went little
whittier under his tan and suddenly
his eyes were no longer. blue but
the deep intense black Of suddenly
enlarged pupils.
Then" he said. as II he were
measuring his words. "then you
know. Stephen Dale"
INsTALLMENT NO. %.
CONQUEST AND MYSTERY.
know Stephen Dale?" echoed
Diana in amusement In answer to
DR.. Borden's question. why, T.
She checked herself just in time
Shed been about to say:
why. I've loved him all my life"
Instead she said:
Why. Of course, I know him. He's
an old beau of Marjorie's. Were
you"
The doctor shook his head in an
swer to her unfinished question.
Il am a great admirer of Miss
Langley's, though I knew her very
slightly I met her abroad once and
several times I was present when
she was Dale's guest of hoEor on
his yachting parties.
Il knew you didn't belong to
, this" Diana made a vague gesture
toward the trackless sand that
spread beyond the confines of the
little garden. TT was not only be-
cause you and your sister are so
different from the other people
here. Even II I'd never seen either
of you. / should know that some
one from the cultivated East lived
here. Do you realize that in your
little garden you've applied all the
principles of landscape gardening?
This might be a miniature bit OF a
Long Island estate"
The doctor smiled sadly.
In other words. Cynthia and I
wouldn't be very successful at
camoufaging our past. would WEI"
Diana made no comment and the
doctor seemed lost for a while in
thought.
Cynthia Borden! Maxwell Borden!
Where had she heard those names
before? Was IL because they had
been guests OF Dale?. Yet IL she had
once known them well enough to
remember ring on Cynthia Bor-
denis hand. would she not remember
where and when she had met them
before?
Looking across at the doctor,
with his lean, lined face. distin-
guished IN spite Of its tan, and its