The Washington times., 1922-08-13
CHAPTER XIII.

A ss~ Sess.
r TIS mother thought her Don
II changed.
- Physically he was q splen-
did specimen, and her heart filed
with pride. But he looked anxious
sometimes, was absent-minded and
rather dispirited. The first week
he arrived home he went up to
town, without his mother, three
times, and returned looking unsat-
isfied. He had brought her pres
ents, had a grea. deal to tell her,
and told 1t volubly in the evenings
after dinner, when they sat to-
gether, but his mothers eyes were
not deceived. After his third day
in town: .-... w..
"Don," she said, you're wor-
ried. And, my darling boy, I
should never forgive myself II you
didn't enjoy your leave Is It
debts?"
"No," he answered. mo. I've
been rather careful lately--been
pulling In a bit. It's not money.
Just something that I'm afraid you
couldn't help, mother"
"Try me-" said Lady Warder,
smiling, with an ache at her heart
1T is very hard for mother to
stop-"helping."
He shook his head. mo, no |!
You couldn't dear, thanksw
But In the evening Of the same
day, as they sat in the drawing
room after dinner, on a big couch
drawn up before the fire, he sud-
denly burst out:
Mother! I've been the most
confounded cad on the face Of the
earth"
He had been staring into the
fire, silent, as if oblivious Of every
thing but his thoughts. She had
been watching him quietly. Her
soft old hand reached out and
found his.
"Tell me, can't you, DOM"
He put his hands up behind his
head, stretched out his feet to the
fire and began, staring into it.
"It was nearly year ago, when
we were stationed at Deerut. Our
doctor-a decent chap-had sis
ter coming out. Girl who'd been
awfully hard up, heard after
ward-typed and clerked and
scraped up a living anyhow by her
self in London. Well, she came
out. She was tremendously ad-
mired. I wish I could describe her
to you-simply lovely, and as
plucky as they're made.
81 was more in love with her at
the time than | knew. One real
ICES these things afterward some
times. She-she was, any way,
very kind to me. We were good
pals"-Lady Warder smiled wisely
-'T used to tell her about you
and Charles place, and she al
ways loved to hear. And she
loved that miniature of you I al
ways wear. Well, at the time I
was awf'ly hard up-yes, in spite
Of your generosity, dear, that you
couldn't afford. I didn't know
how to meet my bills. / felt ]
was going under.
"And just then the regiment
gave a dance--a big affair every
body was coming to, including the
Rajah Of Pashawar. She came, of
course, looking like an---an angel.
The Rajah--you know how these
chaps swank-had a tremendous
jewel in his turban, that blazed
like all the stars. Half way
through the evening he and I were
In the smoking room together,
when he stumbled over a rpat and
the jewel simply brushld my
sleeve. put my hand out"--he
made a and-the thing
was in It. The spring opened like
a clock-work. You see, mother,
I was hard up"
Don" gasped Lady Warder,
recoiling.
"Let me 60 on" said the young
man grimly. "He didn't feel me
do Il. knew I'd better cut and
run, bit my next dance was with
her. I went to find her and was
lying about feeling bad-and so
did-and positively having to clear
out, when the loss was discovered
In the ballroom. We were sitting
behind screen. We could hear
the fuss, and people demanded to
be searched, and so on.
"My nerve went. The thing
was in my hand, and she saw It,
and understood. remember now
she put her arm over my shoulder
II didn't seem to feel It then
and said: Give It to me. I'll tell
them I took II for a joke. A girl
can say these things And she
walked out in front of them all,
looking as white as death and said
she took 1t for a joke.
"There was q horrible silence.
couldn't have spoken for my life
Some Of the women turned their
backs. The Rajah simply took the
ruby from her and left. She
looked round at everybody, and a'
me"