The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-04-15

the words OF praise Tor her man VINO
had risked his life to humor her
whim? Already I was DOWN from
the high peaks and standing fiat
footed upon earth. Yet some good
reason given might still lift me to
the clouds once more. 1 rushed
at the door, heard the voice Of
Gladys within, pushed past the star.
ing maid, and strobe into the sit.
ting room. She was seated in g low
settee under the shaded standard
lamp by the piano. In three steps
was across the room and had both
her hands in mine.
Gladys I cried, Gladys
She looked up with amazement in
her face, She was altered in some
subtle way. The expression OF her
eyes, the hard upward stare, the set
Of her lips, was new to me. She
drew back her hands.
what do you mean" she said.
"Gladys!' + cried. What is the
you not-little Gladys Hungerton?"
NO" said she, AZ am Gladys
Potts. Let me introdce you to my
husband"
How absurd life is! I found my
self mechanically bowling and shak-
ing hands with a little ginger haired
man who was coiled up in the deep
armchair which had once been sa-
cred to my own use. We bobbed and
grinned in front Of each other.
Father let's us stay here. We
are getting our house ready" said
Gladys.
"Oh, yes" said I.
You didn't get my letter at Para,
them"
mo, I got no letter"
ooh, what a pity. 1t would have
made all clear"
at is quite clear" said |.
I've told William all about you, >"
said she. I'VE have no secrets.
am so sorry about it. But it couldn't
have been so very deep, could 1t. II
you could go off to the other end
Of the world and leave me here alone.
You're not crabby, are you?"
mo, no, not at all. / think I'll
60"
Have some refreshment." said the
little man. and he added. in a con-
hdential way. Its always like this,
amt It? And must be unless you
had polygamy, only the other way
round; you understand. He laughed
like an idiot, while ! made for the
door.
l was through it. when a sudden
fantastic impulse came upon me, and
I went back to my successful rival,
who looked nervously at the electric
push.
Twill you answer a question:" I
asked
We'll, within reason" said he.
How did you do it? Have you
searched for hidden treasure. or dis
covered a pole, or done time on a
pirate, or flown the Channel. or
what? Where is the glamour of ro-
nance? How did you get it?"
He stared at me with a hopeless
expression upon his vacuous, good
natured, scrubby little face.
Don't you think all this is a little
too personal?" he saaid.
We'll just one question" / cried.
What are you? What is your pro-
fession?"
II am a solicitors clerk" said
he. Second man at Johnson and
Merivale's, al Chancery Lane"
Goodnight" said l. and van
ished, like all disconsolate and
broken-hearted heroes. into the
darkness, with grief and rage and
laughter all 'simmering within me
like a boiling pot.
One more little scene and 7 have
done. Last night we all supped at
Lord John Roxton's rooms, and
sitting together afterwards we
smoked in good comradeship and
talked our adventures over. 1t was
strange under these altered sur
roundings to see the old wellKnown
faces and figures. There was Chal-
| lenger, with his smile of conde-
scension, his dropping eyelids. his
Indifferent eyes, his aggressive
beard, his huge chest, swelling and
putting as he laid down the law to
Summerlee. And Summerlee, too,
there he was with his short briar
between his thin moustache and his
gray goat's-beard his worn face
protruded in eager debate, as he
queried all Challenger's PROPOSE
tons. Finally, there was our host,
with his rugged, eagle face, and his
cold, blue, glacier eyes with always
a simmer of devilment and Of hui
NOR down in the depth Of them.
Such is the last picture of them that
I have carried away.
1t was after supper, in his own
sanctum the room Of the pink ra-
dance and the innumerable trophies
that Lord John Roxton had some
thing to say ID us. From cub
board he had brought out an old
cigarbox, and this he laid before
him on the table
There's one thing" said he,
that maybe should have spoken
about before this, but I wanted to
know a little more clearly where ]
was. No use to raise hopes and let
them down again. But it's facts,
not hopes, with us now. You may
remember that day we found the
pterodactyl rookery in the swamp