The Washington times., 1922-05-23

ANhoSAs ANN Voh ~
yourself too much. and you will
want to be in Biskra in time for
dinner" she said as casually as
she could.
He swung toward her. Diana,
it's still not too late TO change
your mind. For Heavens sake.
give up this folly. It's tempting
Providence" For the first time
there was a genuine ring in his
voice, and for a moment Diana
wavered, but only for a moment.
Then she looked at him with
slow smile.
DO fan on your neck and
say, Take me back, dear Guar
dian; | will be good, or do
prostrate myself at your feet ard
knock my head on your boots, and
whine, in the language Of the coun.
try, Hearing is obeying?' Don't
be ridiculous, Aubrey. You can't
expect me to change my mind et
the eleventh hour. It's perfectly
safe. Mustafa All will take care
that everything goes smoothly. lie
has his reputation in Biskra 10
think OF. You know the character
the authorities gave him. he Is
not likely TO throw that away. In
any case l can take care Of myself,
thanks to your training. [ don
mind owning TO being conceited
about my shooting. Even YOU ad-
NIT that | am a credit TO your
teaching"
With a gay little laugh she whip.
ped out the ivory mounted revolver
and, aiming at a low flat rock
some distance away, fired She was
an unusually good revolver slot.
but this time she seemed to have
missed. There was no mark on
the stone. Diana stared at it stu
pidly, a frown OF perplexity creas-
ing her forehead. Then she looked
at her brother, and back 30 the
revolver in her hand.
Sir Aubrey swore. Diana.
What a senseIess piece OF bravo.
do" he cried angrily.
She took no notice OF him. She
was still staring at the smooth
rock face. Il don't understand
it. How could l miss? It's as big
as house" she murmured
thoughtfully and raised the revol.
yer again.
But Sir Aubrey caught her wrist.
For Gods sake, don't make Q
fool Of yourself a second time.
You have lowered your prestige
quite enough already" he said in
low voice, with a glance at the
group of watching Arabs.
Diana terked the little weapon
back into its place reluctantly. Il
don't understand it," she sail
again. 1T must be the light"
She mounted and wheeled her
horse alongside OF Sir Aubrey and
held out her hand. "Good-by.
Aubrey. Expect me a month after
YOU arrive. I will cable 70 YOU
from Cherbourg. Good luck |
shall roll up in time TO be best
man" she added. laughing, and
with a nod TO Mustafa Ali she
turned her horses head south.
ward.
For a long time she rode in
silence. The quarrel with Aubrey
had left a nasty taste in her
mouth. She knew that what she
was doing was considered unconven.
tional. but she had been brought up
TO be unconventional. She had
never even thought, when she
planned her tour. OF possible criti.
cism. ii would have made no diff.
ference to her if she had thought,
and she had been amazed and
amused at the sensation that her
proposed trip had caused. The
publicity to which II had given rise
had annoyed her intensely; she had
been scornful that people could not
occupy themselves with their own
affairs and leave her TO deal with
hers. But that Aubrey should join
in the general criticism and pre-
sent such a complete volte-face TO
the opinions he had always held
was beyond her comprehension.
She was angry with him, and con-
tempt was mingled with her anger.
1t was inconsistent with the whole
Of his lifelong attitude toward her
and the discovery OF his altered ideas
left her rather breathless and more
than ever determined to adhere to
her own deeply-rooted convictions.
Aubrey was responsible for them,
he had instilled them, and II he
chose now to abandon them that
was his lookout. For her own part
she saw no reason to change prin-
Ciples she had been brought up in.
II Aubrey really thought there was