Evening star., 1922-11-19
BY
VICTOR.
BRIDGES.

dissipation"
$50 am I, Mary" .chimed in Mrs
Fawcett. IT shall come with you.
II don't want to drag you OF.
Grace" went on Lady Bulstrods
turning to Astarte. Perhaps your
stop and play Guy q game OF BILL
liards."f
Eyes, please do, Miss Conway"
said. ITS against my principles &c
turn in before ten. and ! shall be
frightfully lonely II you desert me
too"
Every well,'' said Astarte quietly
but I expect you're too strong for
me-"
Lady Bvlstrode accepted the candle
I offered her.
Don't you believe her, 6uy." she
said. Grace is a sort of female John
Roberts. She beats all the men we
have here"
Mine will be an easy scalp. then
I returned IT haven't touched cue
for two years"
.I am sorry for YOU" said Mrs
Fawcett kindly. Good night"
Goodnight" I replied. opening the
door. AT least one can die grace
fully"
For a moment after they had gone
out we both stood silent and still
Then I closed the door and came VI
to where Astarte was standing under
the big lamp.
my dear" said. 'oh. my dear
And taking her hands ] gazed stead
lily into her wide gray eyes.
Dear Stephen" she said gently
Then she released her hands and pu'
them behind her back. Il want te
make things quite clear" she added
II suppose Lady Bulstrode has to,e
you who am"
nodded.
We'll, in way that explaini
everything. You see. I spent three
years with father before he wal
killed, and the whole OF that time
we were either sailing about in the
Hyacinth or else making little expe'
ditions into places like Patagonia oI
New Guinea. You can imagine whai
effect life like that would have or
a girl Of seventeen. By the time
| was twenty I'd almost forgotten thai
there was any other way Of livina
except in a ship or in a tent. AS fo'
wanting anything else" she shrugged
her shoulders. L don't suppose tive
/ people have ever been happier to-
gether than father and I were"
EoR a moment she paused. Then
Il she went on, a little YEARLY. 'h
was killed. can't tell you what tha'
| time meant to me. You see. someho"
or other I had never thought of life
without him. He was SO strong ant
brave and splendid it seemed impos
sible that he could die like other peo
pie. I was trying to think things out
| trying to make up my mind what II
| do, when Lady Bulstrode wrote to m
and asked me to come here. So
came, and here I've been ever since.
And you've been-been happy!
asked, for want of a better word.
"Oh, yes. Who could help beint
happy with Lady Bulstrode? Shei
the dearest, kindest. jdliest soul il
the world, and 1 owe everything t.
her. Still, as you see, don't alwayi
tell her the whole truth. After all
there was no harm in it," she wen
on. IF you and Rufus hadn't turnet
up no one would ever have been an,
the wiser. That did complicate mat
| ters.''
You make me feel like one 0
Georges official explanations" l pro
tested. I'D have gone, you know, i
you'd insisted on it,"
II didn't want you to go bit Hot
see, I thought 1 should never see yot
again and that it wouldn't matter
Well" she looked UP. smiling. "w'
must just forget all about it," sh'
added.
II don't think we can do that"
answered. You see. I want to go q
Kerrin Island for part of our honey
moon.'
She made slight movement, but
went on.
"My' dear heart" I said. do yo,
imagine that I'm going to let you 6,
again unless you absolutely send M
away from you?"
You're a dear, Stephen" she salt
softly: you're a dear. but-but
can't bel"
And why not?" demanded.
"Oh." she said pitifully. Then. will
an effort, you see. I don't love you
Stephen"
looked steadily into her eyes.
That's not true" 1 said calmly
IT think we'll tell each other thi
truth. dear. whatever it is"
VERY we'll" Her gaze me
mine unfiinchingly. Il do love you
Stephen" she said. ''but I'm not goini
to marry you because I know al
about you"
I'm sorry for that I said. "It.
certainly enough to prejudice an
one"
She smiled a wan little smile.
"Oh, my dear. I didn't mean any
thing unkind. only meant that Lad
Bulstrode has told me all about you
career and your ambitions. and hov
necessary 1t is you should marry
rich woman. Do you think I'm goin,
to spoil your life because I'm fond .
your"
mo, 1 DON'T" 1 returned, but
| think you would II I gave you half
chance" Then I paused. "As it is
I went on, II shall simply buy map
riage license and a good secondhand
thirty-ton boat and come and CARR
you OF by force"
81 won't. stephen-I won't! I'm sin,
ply not going to ruin your career 70
YOU"
my career" I echoed. "Do yo
! think I want to sit on a stuffy gree
bench and listen to people like dea