Evening star., 1924-04-10


throush an opening between the
trees' OF Ruth herself and Diana on
the lawn beyond. There was q wicker
satG mat stood unlatched. and, avail
ms himself Of this, Sir Rowland tetb
cred his horse in the lane and tbread
ing ms way briskly through the or
: SGnard' came suddenly upon the girls.
medr ,auehter reached him as he ad-
Ndnced, and told him they could know
holhing yet Of Richards danger.
IN ms abrupt and unexpected an
% tlIlop Dlana paled and Ruth flush
20 SLlishtly Whereupon Sir Rowland
been booklearned. OF the axion
Amour qui rougit fleurette: arour
qui paiit: drame du occur"
re dofed his hat and bowed. his
,T ,hlr rihsiets tumbling forward tin
they hid his face, which was exceed
Ruth gave him good morning pleas
ahtly. You London folk are earlier
rlssrs than we are led to think shr
g. Twill be the change Of air makes
or Rowland matutinal." said Diana
aaklng a gallant recovery from her
Il VOW" said he. that had prov.r
Inatutinal earlier had l known VIII
here awaited me-"
waited you?" quoth Diana. and
tossed her head archly disdainfui
! La! Sir Rowland. your modest. viii
be the death Of YOU" ArchneSs he
came this lady of the sunny hair. tin
tilted nose and complexion that ont
NLeWed the apple blossoms. She was
shorter by a half-head than her
darker cousin. and made nm in
sprlghtlineSs what she lacked of
Ruth's gentle dignity The pair ware
! the other. -
p,I protest am foolish" answered
Blake a shade discomited But
Want hot Tor excuse. have ii in the
mater that brings me here" So sol
enn was his air. so sober his y.oicc
! that both girls felt a premonitjon ~
the untoward message that he bore
II was Ruth who asked him TO rx
plain himself.
VIII you walk, ladies'" said RIaEa
ana waved the hand that still held
ms nat rIverward, adown the slopine
laWn. They moved away together
SIT Rowland pacing between his Ioy,
OF Yesterday and his love of TO-DAY
pressed with questions from both. H
shaded his eyes TO look at the river
! uaZZllng IN the morning sunlight tha.
! came over Polden hill. and. standin-g
thus; ne unburdened himself at last
NY news concerns Richard and
MT Wilding.' They looked at him
MISS eStmacotts fine level browS
were Knit. He paused To ask, as if
Suddeniy observing his absence, ~,
Richard not YET risen"''
Not yet" said Ruth. and waited 70.
him to proceed
1T does credit TO his courage that
ne should sleep late on such day''
adroItness wherewith he broke the
news. He quarreled last night witt
Anthony Wilding"
Ruth's hand went to her bosom;
fear stared at Blake from out her
eyes blue as the heavens overhead; a
gray shade overcast the usual warm
pallor of her face.
With Mr.. Wilding?" she cried.
That man And though she said no
more her eyes implored him to go on
and tell her what more there might
be. He did so, and he spared not
Wilding. The task. indeed was one
TO which he applied himself with
certain zest: whatever might be the
outcome of the affair. there was no
denying that he was by way of reap
ing profit from it by the final over
throw Of an acknowledged rival. Ana
when he told her how Richard had
flung his wine in Wilding's face when
Wilding stood to toast her a faint
flush crept to her cheeks
Richard did WELL said she. II am
proud of him.
The words pleased Sir Rowland
vastly, but he reckoned without
| Diana. Miss Horizons mind was ilu-
mined by her knowledge of herself
| In the light of that she saw precisely
| what ca pital this tale4bearer sought
to make The occasion might not be
without its ,opport unities for her: and
! TO begiH with il was no part Of her
intention that Wildirg should be thus
maligned and. finally. driven from the
lists of rivalry with Blake. Upon
Wilding, indeed, and his notorious
masterfulness did she found what
hopes she still entertained of win
ming back Sir Rowland.
Surely; said she, you are li,t2
he were the first gallant that eve"
oasted lady's eyes"
II am no lady of his Diana" Ruth
reminded her, with a faint show Of
heat.
Diana shrugged her shoulders. You
may not love him. but you can't or
. dain that he shall not love you. You
are very harsh. I think. To me ii
rather seems that Richard acted like
a boor"
But. mistress" cried Sir Rowland.
| half out of countenance and sitting
| his vexation. lin these matters it all
| depends upon the manner"
why, yes" she agreed. and what
ever Mr.. Wilding's manner. if ! know
| him at all, ii would be nothing but
/ respectful to the last degree"
My own conception of respect"
| said he, lis not to handy a ladys
! name about a company of revelers.''
"Bethink you. though, you said just
! now, it all depended on the manner"
| she rejoined. Sir Rowland shrugged
] and turned half from her to her lis
| tening cousin. When all is said. poor
| Diana appears-despite her cunning
! Ito have been short-sighted. Aim
| ing at a defined advantage in the
| game she played, she either ignored
! or held too lightly the concomitant
! disadvantage of veXing Blake.
lit were perhaps best to tell us the
! exact words he used Sir Rowland
| she suggested, that for ourselves we
! may judge how far he lacked re-
| Spect."
what signify the words" cried
! Blake, now almost out of temper. Il
| don't recall them. II is the air with
which he pledged Mistress Westma-
| cott."
rritatngy a Es'he We Iea quofh that PaPs bs
Richard threw his wine in Mr. Will
ding's face? What followed then?
What said Mr.. Wilding?"
Sir Rowland remembered what Mr.
Wildtng had said. and bethought him
that 1t were impolitic in him TO re-
peat it: At the same time. not hav-
ing looked for this cross questioning.
ne was all unprepared with any likely
answer. He heSitatcd, until Ruth
echoed Diana's question.
Tell us. Sir Rowland" she begged
him. what Mr.. Wilding said
Being forced to say something, and
being by nature slow-wit and slug
compelled, to his unspeakable chagrin
TO fall back upon the truth
rs not that proof?" cried Diana
in t-il-:-ph. Mr.. Wildi2g was reluct-
ant to quarrel with ItlcnarC. he Was
even ready to swallow such an affront
as that, thinking it might be offered
him under a misconception of his
meaning. He plainly professed the
respect that filled him for Mistress
Westmacott. and yet. and yet Sir
Rowland, you tell us that he lacked
respect
Madam" cried Blake. turning
crimson, that matters nothing il
was not the place or time to intro
duce your cousins name