The Washington times., 1922-05-21

my life. My brother and I have
tolerated each other, but there
has never been any affection be.
tween us. Would it be likely?
Put yourself in Aubreys place.
Imagine a young man OF nine
teen. with cold, reserved ma
ture, being burdened with the
care OF a baby sister, thrust
into his hands unwanted and un:.
expected. Was II likely that he
would have any affection for me?
I never wanted II. was born
with the same cold nature as
his. / was brought up as a
boy. my training was hard. Emo
ton and affection have been
barred out OF my life. simply
don't know what they mean. !
don't want 10 know. I am very
content with my life as 1t is.
Marriage for a woman means the
end OF independence. that is, mar.
riage with a man who is a man,
in spite of all that the most
modern woman may say. have
never obeyed any one in my life:
! do not wish TO try the expert.
ment. am very sorry to have
hurt you. You've been a splen.
did pal, but that side OF life does
not exist for me. II had thought
for one moment that nv friend.
ship was going to hurt YOU
need not have let you become sc
intimate, but / did not think.
because II is subject that I
never think OF. A man to me is
just a companion with whom !
ride or shoot or fish; a pal, a
comrade, and that's just all there
is to 1t. God made me a woman.
Why, only He knows"
Her quiet. even voice stopped.
There had been a tone of cold
sincerity In il that Arbuthnot
could not help but recognize.
She meant everything that she
said. She said no more than the
truth. Her reputation for COM
plete indifference TO admiration
and her unvarying attitude to-
ward men were as well known
as her dauntless courage and
obstinate determination. With
Sir Aubrey Mayo she behaved
like a younger brother and as
such entertained his friends. She
was popular with everybody. even
with the mothers Of manageable
daughters. for, in spite OF her
wealth and beauty. her notorious
pecutarities made her negligible
as rival to palmer and less
ell-dowered girls.
Arbuthnot sat in silence. II
was hardly likely, he thought
bitterly. that he should succeed
where other and better men had
failed. He had been a fool to
succumb TO the temptation that
had been too hard for him TO
resist. He knew her we'll enough
to know beforehand what her
answer would be. The very real
fear for her safety that the
thought OF the coming expedition
gave him, her nearness in the
mystery OF the Eastern. night.
the lights, the music. had all
combined to rush to his lips
words that in a saner moment
would never have passed them.
He loved her, he would love her
always, but he knew that his
love was as hopeless as ii was
undying. But 1t was men who
were men whom she wanted for
her friends, so he must take
his medicine like a man.
May I still be the pal, Diana?"
ne Salu quletly'
She looked at him a moment.
but in the dim light of the hang
ing lanterns his eyes were steady
under hers. and she held out
her hand frankly. Gladly" she
said candidly. "I have hosts Of
acquaintances, but very few
friends. We are always travel.
ling, Aubrey and I, and we never
seem to have time 10 make
friends. We rarely stay as long
in one place as we have stayed
in Biskra. In England they call
us very bad ncighbors, we are
so seldom there. We generally
go home for three months in
the winter for the hunting. but
the rest of the year we wander or
the face Of the globe"
He held her slender fingers
gripped in his for a moment.
smothering an insane desire to
press them to his lips, which he
knew would be fatal to the newly
accorded friendship, and then let
them go. Miss Mayo continued sit
ting quietly beside him. Sho v'Ss
in no way disturbed by what haG