Evening star., 1923-10-21


ing-and the last time he saw
her she was laughing, too.
He and a ruddy faced companion
had Jared forth doggedly into the
long summer twilight in quest of
some amusement to dispel the men,
ory of the extravagantly gloomy lit
tie dinner they had shared at the
club, followed by a painful hour over
admirable port and still more ad-
mirable cigars.
1t was midsummer and London was
empty and as dry and dusty as life it.
self. John Saint Michael Beauclerc,
ninth Duke of Bolingham. waved an
imperious hand at a forlorn hanson
Gathering down the silent street. and
with his host, Gaddy Banford, entered
the decrepit vehicle.
He sat cloaked In silence while they
drove, brooding over the sorry trick
that life had played him. He had had
everything-and he had found moth
ing worth having. He had the
greatest fortune in England-and one
Of the greatest names. He had Beat
on House, the Georgian miracle that
was all London's pride-and Gray
that was all England's pride-Gray
Courts that even now held his three
tall, blackbrowed sons who could
shoot and hunt as we'll as any in
the country-yes, even fourteen-year
Roddy. It held the ladies Pamela,
Clarissa, Maud and Charlotte, his good
sisters, too acidulous to find a hus-
band between them. For Six long
years 1t had held the Lady Alicia
Honoria Fortescue, a poor, sad, dull
little creature, married in a moment
Of pity and Illusion when they were
both young.
He sat huddled in the corner of the
hanson. remembering with the same
shock of sick amazement his despair
at the discovery of her fear of him;
it still haunted every tapestried cor
ridor of Gray Courts-every paneled
hall in Beaton House.
Gaddy Banford had two seats in the
first row of stalls.
Spend your valuable time hanging
round the stage door, what?" the duke
inquired audibly. Banford smiled in
gratiatingly.
"Oh, rather not-no, no. She doesn't
go in for stage-door meetings, you
know. I've had the honor of meeting
the lady twice and she's most fright
fully jolly and all that, but
'Ha" the duke remarked with de-
risive infection and turned con-
temptuous eye on the stage. where
the Jolly Joralomons" scampered
light-heartedly off. rolling their Jug
glers' equipment of bright balls be-
fore them.
There was roll of drums. Tilt of
violins, and the orchestra swung tri-
umphantly into the "Biddy Waltz"
And onto a stage that was black as
night, with one great bound as though
she had leaped through infinite space
into a small safe circle of the spot
light. came Biddy O'Rourke, straight
on the tips of her silver toes, with
laughter for a dark world In both her
oustretched hands-and the piece of
the world that faced her rose to its
feet and shouted a welcome. All but
one.
TINE Black Duke Of Bolingham sat
J. square in the center of the first
row Of seats, with the 'Biddy Waltz
rising and falling about him un-
hseded, his eyes fixed incredulously
on the vision in the spotlight. Moth
ing that the duke had heard had pre-
pared him for this.
Who could have told him that a
music hall dancer called Biddy
O'Rourke, late of Dublin, no taller
than q child, could look like a fairy
and an angel. and an imp and a witch
and a dream? Gaddy Banford had
confided to his duke that she was
little and blond and light on her feet
'Little"-you who were more fan
tastically minute than any elf. Biddy!
Blond-oh. sacrilege, to dismiss thus
that foam and froth of curls cresting
and bubbling about your gay head
that skin of pearl beneath which
danced little flames Of rose fire-those
eyes. bluer than anything on earth
Light on your feet-oh, Biddy. you,
who doated and drifted like feather
In the wind, like a butterfly gone mad
like a flying leaf and dancing
start Had ne said that when you
Al%Sy across the dark stage you would
be arrayed in silver brighter than
foam and white more airy than
clouds7 Had he said that you would
dance not only with those miraculous
toes but with your ourls and with
your lashes and with your lips and
with your heart? Had he said that
you would come laughing, little
,Biddy7
High on the tips of those incredible
toes she came-so swift and light and