Evening star., 1924-04-09

SHsht encouragement.
From the first Il looked as If Ruth
might favor him, and Richards fears
assumed more definite shape. If Wild
ing married her-and he was a bold
masterful fellow, who usually accom-
plished what he aimed at-her for
tune and estate must cease to be a
pleasant pasture land for bovine
making terms with Wilding; the idea
was old; II had come to him when
nrst he had counted the chances OF
his sisters marrying. But he found
himself hesitating to lay his proposal
before Mr.. Wilding. And whilst he
hesitated Mr.. Wilding made obvious
headway. Still Richard dared not do
II. There was a something in Wild
ing's eye that cried him danger. Thus
in the end, since he could not attempt
compromise with this fine fellow
the only course remaining was that Of
direct antagoniSm-that is to say,
direct as Richard understood direct
ness. . Slander was the weapon he
used in that secret duel; the country
side was well stocked with stories Of
Mr.. Wilding's many indiscreti tons. /
do not wish to suggest that these
were unfounded. Still, the country
side, caJoied by its primitive sense
of humor into that ALTERATION have
mentioned, found that having given
this dog it's bad name, it was under
the obligation of keeping up his rep
utation. So it exaggerated Richard,
exaggerating those exaggerations in
his turn, had some details, as inter
esting and unsavory as they were in
the main untrue, to lay before his
sister.
Now. established love. it is well
known, thrives wondrously on SLAM
der. The robust growth of a maids
feelings for her accepted suitor is
but further strengthened By malign
representations OF his character. She
IT.
ing proof Of her great loyalty, and
defes the world and its evil to con-
vince her that the man to whom she
has given her trust is not most
worthy Of IT.. Not SO, however. with
the first timid bud of incipient inter
est. Slander nips it like frost; in
deadliness it is second only to ridicule.
Ruth Westmacott lent an ear to her
brothers stories, incredulous only
until she remembered vague hints she
had caught from this person and from
that, whose meaning was now made
clear by what Richard told her. which,
incidentally, they served to corrobo-
rate. Corroboration, too. did the tale
of infamy receive from the friendship
that prevailed between Mr.. Wilding
and Nick Trenchard, the old ne'erdo-
well. who in his time-as everybody
knew-had come so low, despite his
gentle birth, as to have been one of
company of strolling players. Had
Mr.. Wilding been other than she now
learnt he was, he would surely not
cherish an attachment for a person
so utterly unworthy. Clearly, they
were birds of plumage.
And SO, her maiden purity outraged
at the thought that she had been in
danger of lending willing ear to
the wooing of such a man, she had
crushed this love, which she blushed
to think was on the point of throwing
out roots to fasten on her soul, and
was sedulous thereafter in manifest
ing the aversion which she accounted
it her duty to foster for Mr.. Wilding.
Richard had watched and smiled in
secret, taking pride in the cunning
way he had wrought this change
that cunning which so often is given
to the stupid by way Of compensate
withheld them.
And now what time discounte-
nanced, Wilding fumed and fretted
all in vain. Sir Rowland Blake. fresh
from London and in full flight from
his creditors, flashed like comet
into the Bridgwater heavens He
dazzled the eyes and might have
had for the asking the heart and hand
of Diana Horton, Ruths cousin. Her
heart, indeed, he had without the
asking, for Diana fell straightway in
love with him and showed it, just as
he showed that he was not without
response TO her affection. There were
some tender passages between them;
but Blake, for all his fine exterior.
was a beggar, and Diana far from
rich, so he rede his feelings with
hard grip upon the reins. And then,
in an evil hour for poor Diana young
estJnacott had taken him to Lupton
House, and Sir Rowland had his first
glimpse of Ruth. his first knowledge
Of her fortune. He went down before
Ruth's eyes like man OF heart: he
went~-t4ewn more loWly still before
her possessions like a man of greed:
and poor Diana might console herself
with whom she could.
Her brother watched him, appraised
him and thought that in this broken
gamester he had man after his own
heart; a man who would be ready
enough for such bargain as Richard
had in mind: ready enough to sell
what rags might be left him OF his
honor so that he came by the where
Witha1 to mend his broken fortunes.
The twain made terms. They hag-
gled like any pair of traders out OF
Jewry, but in the end it was settled
by bond duly engrossed and sealed
married Ruth he should make over
to her brother certain values that
amounted to perhaps a quarter of her
possessions. There was no cause TO
think that Ruth would be greatly
opposed to this-not that that con-
sideration would have weighed with
Richard.
But now that all essentials were so
satisfactorily determined, n VeA&LlOn
was offered Westmacott by the cir
cumstance that his sister seemed no.
wise taken with Sir Rowland. She
suffered him because he was her
brothers friend: on that account she
even honored him with some measure
of her own friendship; but to no
greater intimacy did her manner
promise to admit him. And mean
while Mr. Wilding persisted, in tho
face of all rebuffs. Under his smiling
mask he hid the smart of the wounds
she dealt him, until 1t almost seemed
to him that from loving her he had
come to hate her
Continued in Tomorrow's starr