Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-04-05

NttsA
to themselves; but what had iLs
pressed her In seeing him with them
was his difference. Was 1t some mem
DRY OF his former life that seeing
these people had recalled to him,
which had affected his manner toward
herr
Again she looked at him
"Nere you sorry to leave the club r.
she asked.
Il was quite ready to leave" he
answered inattentively.
1T must have been pleasant 10 you.
though. TOTO be among the sort of
people again that you-you used to
know. Miss Furden"-she mentioned
one of the girls who had seemed most
interested In him. the sister of the
boy whose place he had taken In the
polo practice-"is considered a very
attractive person. Mr.. Eaton. l have
heard IL said that a man-any man
not to be attracted by her must be
forearmed against her by thought-or
memory Of some other woman whom
he holds dear"
I'm afraid I don't quite under
stand"
The mechanlcalness of his answer
treasured her. II mean, Mr.. Eaton
she forced her tone to be lIght-"Mlss
Furden was not as attractive TO you
as she might have been, because there
has beer some other woman In your
life-whose memory-or-or> the ex-
pectation Of seeing whom again-pro-
fected you
Has been? Oh, You mean before"
yes, of course" she answered has
tily.
"No-none," he replied sin Sly. "It's
rather ungaIlant, Miss Santoine. but
I'm afraid / wasn't thinking much
about Miss Furden."
She felt that his denial was the
truth, for his words confirmed the Inn
preston she had had OF him the night
before. She drove on-or rather let
the horse take them on-for- a few
moments during which neither spoke.
They had come about a bend In the
road, and the great house of her IA
Their doomed ahead. A motor whizzed
Rdot taChg tOAnlitS HUH DSilllu- II
was only Avery's car on the way
home; but Harriet had jumped a little
In memory of the day before, and
her companions head had turned
quickly toward the car. She looked
up at him swiftly; his lips were set
and his eyes gszed steadily ahead
after Avery, and ne drew little away
from her. A catch in her breath
almost an audible gasp-surprised
her. and she fought a warm impulse
which had all but placed her hand
on his.
"Will you tell me something. Miss
SantoineT' he asked suddenly.
"What?"
81 suppose, when I was with MFR.
Avery this afternoon, that IL l had
attempted to escape, he and the chauf-
feur would have combined TO detain
me. But on the way back here-dld
you assume that when you took me
In charge you had my parole not to
try to depart7"
She was silent for a moment,
thoughtful. "Do you mean that you
have been considering this afternoon
the possibilities OF escape?'
"It would be only natural for me to
do that, would 1t not?'' he parted.
mo"
"Why not?"
81 don't lei that you might not try
to exceed the limits Father has set for
you; you might try that, and of course
you would be prevented. But you will
not" (she hesitated, u when she
went on she was quoting her father)
sacrifice your position here"
why not?"
Because you tried to gain tor
If not exactly that, at least you had
some object in wanting to be near
Father which you have not yet gained"
She hesitated once more, not looking
at him. What 1t was that had hap
pened during the afternoon she could
not make out; instinctively, however,
she felt that 1t had so altered Eaton's
relations with therl hat now he might
attempt TO escape.
They had reached the front Of the
house, and a groom sprang to take the
horse. She let Eaton help her down
as they entered the house, Avery
had reached the house only a few
before them-was still In
the hall. And again she was startled
in the meeting of the two men by
Avery's triumph and the swift fare
of defiance ON Eaton's face.
She changed from her afternoon
dress slowly. As she did SO. she
brought swiftly In review the events
of the day. Chiefly 1t was to the polo
practice and to Eaton's dismay at
his one remarkable stroke that her
mind went. Had Donald recognized
In Eaton something more than merely
a good player trying TO pretend igno-
rance Of the gamer The thought sud-
denly checked and startled her. For
how many great polo players were
in American Were there a hum
dred7 Fifty7 Twenty-Five? She did
not know but she did know that there
were so few of them hat their names
and many of the particulars Of their