Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-07-12

j iiICH WIN HdNC Sdi GU ioi 'S
and have been worth caring about. >
2 she said, gave me up years ago.
{ Knocked at them when they were In
= earnest, scoffed at sentiment, and
told them frankly that when 1 mar
ried it would only be to find q refuge
for a broader life. The right sort
1 wouldn't have anything to say to me
I after that. and ] do not blame them
, And here is the torture Of 1t. I can't
stand the wrong sort near me
: physically, / mean. Mind. l believe
I'm attracted toward people with
} criminal tastes and propensities. be-
lieve that is what first led me to-
wards Sir Timothy. Every taste ]
ever had in life seems to have be-
come besmirched. I'm all the time full
but all the same ! can't bear to be
touched. That's the torment of 1t. I
wonder IL you can understand
Il think l can" he answered. Your
trouble lies in having the wrong
friends and in lack of self-discipline.
If you were my sister I'd take you
away for a fortnight and put you on
the road to being cured"
Then / wish I were your sister"
she sighed.
Don't think I'm unsympathetic."
he went on, because I'm not. Wait
till we've got into the main road
here and I'll try to explain"
They were passing along country
1
hedges, wreathed here and there in
wild roses. brushed almost against
their cheeks. On their left was the
sound of a reaping machine and the
perfume of new-mown hay. The sun
was growing stronger at every mo-
ment. transitory CLEAN of pleasure
softened her face.
1T is ages since I smelt honey
suckle." she confessed, except in
perfumerS shop. / was wondering
what it reminded me Of"
That" he said. as they turned out
into the broad main road. with its
long vista of telegraph poles, lis be-
lcause you have been neglecting the
for their artiticially distilled perfume.
What / was going to try to put
into words without sounding too
lpriggish, Lady Cynthia" he went on.
lis this 1t is just you people who
are cursed with a restless brain who
are in the most dangerous position,
nowadays. The things which keep us
healthy and normal physically
games. farces. dinner parties of
lyoung people. fresh air and exercise
ARE the very things which after a
time fail to satisfy the person with
imagination. You want more out of
life, always the something you don't
understand. the something beyond
| And so you keep on trying new
things. and for. every new thing you
try you drop an old one Isn't II
something like that?"
Il suppose II is" she admitted.
| YEARLY
Drugs take the place of wholesome
| wine" he went on, warming to- his
subject The hideous fascination of
flirting with the uncouth or the i'm
possible some way or another stimu
lates a passion which simple means
the unusual in every way-in food
In the substitution OF absinthe for
your harmless Martini. of cocaine for
your stimulating champagne. There
is horrible wave of all this sort of
thing going on today in many places.
and l am afraid" he concluded, that
a. great many of our very incest
young women are caught up in it."
Guilty" she confessed. Now.
81 could point out the promised land.
but how could I lead you to it?" he
answered.
You don't like me we'll enough"
she sighed.
he assured her. slackenins his speed
a little. We have met, ! suppose,
dozen times in our lives. L have
danced with YOU here and there. talk
ed nonsense once, 1 remember. at a
Il tried to 'fiirt with you then" she
interrupted.
He nodded.
Il was in the midst OF great case"
he said, and everything that hap
pened to me outside it was swept
out OF my mind day by day What
was going to say Is that I have al
ways liked you. from the moment
when your mother presented me to
you at your first dance"
Il wish you'd told me So" she MUIR
INJURED
1T wouldn't have made any differ
Ience." he declared. Il wasn't in a
position to think OF a dukes daugh-
ter, in those days. I don't suppose I
am now"
Try" she begged. hopefully.
He smiled back at her. The re-
awakening Of her sense Of humor was
something.
TOO late" he regretted. During
the last month or so the thing has
come to me which we all look for
ward to, only L don't think fate has
treated me kindly. I have always
loved normal ways and normal peo-
pie, and the woman I care for is diff
ferent."
Tell me about herr" she insisted.
You will be verv surprised when
tell you her name" he said. 1T is
Margaret Hilditch."
She looked at him for a moment in
blank establishment.
Heavens" she exclaimed. "Oliver
Hilditch's wife,"
II can't help that" he declared, a
little doggedly. She's had a miser-
able time, 1 know She was married
her father isn't as bad a one. Those
things don't make any difference"
They wouldn't with you," she said,
softly. Tell me. did you say any
thing to her last nightf"
II did," he replied. II began when
we were out alone together. She gave
Ime no encouragement to speak of,
but, at any rate, she knows"
Lady Cynthia leaned a little for
ward In her place.
He was a little startled.
Down at the cottage, I suppose.
The butler told me that she never
rose before midday"
taken" his companion told him.
Margaret Hilditch left at 6 o'clock
this morning. l saw her. in travelling
clothes. get into the car and drive
iaway."
"she left the cottage this morning
II can assure you that she did,"
Lady Cynthia insisted. 81 never sleep,
amongst my other peculiarities," she
went on, bitterly, land I was lying
on a couch by the side Of the open
window when the car came for her.
She stopped it at the bend of the
lavenue-so that 1t shouldn't wake US
up I suppose. / saw her get in and
drive away"
Francis was silent for several mo-
msntA. Lady Cynthia watched him
"At any rate" she observed. "in
whatever mood she went away this
morning. you have evidently succeed
ed In doing what have never seen
any one else do-breskinE through
thought that anything short Of an
Earthquake would have stirred Mar