Evening star., 1926-02-02

replied. "Violet told me little. The
rest is pretty obvious. What's her
father say about it?"
We'll, of course. he knows how
we've been going on Robert confided,
but he hasn't said anything So far.
To tell you the truth, sir. l think that
UP till now Sadie has pretty well man.
aged both her father and mother just
as she liked How things are going TO
turn out now l haven't any idea. /
can honestly say l never bothered
about Sadie'S money. | took to her
from the first. l didn't even know
her people were anything but moder-
ately we'll off. l just liked her. and
she seemed to like me. Now-well, l
suppose so far as we two are con-
cerned we are practically engaged.
She's promised to marry me. Shed
marry me next week II she could
and I'm going to see the old man in
day or two. Sadie thought I'd better
leave him alone this week. He's over
here on u matter of business which
isn't exactly going right"
We'll have this matter out thor
oughly." Harsrave said, leaning over
to rack, selecting pipe and care
fully filling it. "A month or so ago
you were in love with Violet"
II suppose I was sir Robert adj
mitted, but it was a different sort of
thing You see. / was born in the
same village. My father was a land
agent there: hers was the doctor.
Naturally, we saw great deal Of one
another. Then Violet's father died
he was widower-and there was
very little money left. Violet stayed
on for n time as governess at house
near The war broke out and | was
all for it. | didn't do SO badly. ]
started in the ranks, and ended with
a commission and an NJ. G. Our
troubles began afterward. I had the
devils own job getting anything to
do. Violet haG given up teaching and
had spent the little money she had
left on a course of manicuring. We
drifted together in London. I wasn't
so strong as | had been and she looked
after me. We neither of us had any
other friends to speak of. / kept on
being i'll and she kept on coming to
nurse me. In the end we got engaged.
| don't think Violet was ever the least
bit in love with me. | was a bit of
home. I'd had bad luck, l needed look
ing after To me Violet was wonder
full because she was so brave and
capable l was proud to be engaged
to her. ! never loved her as / do
Sadie. She was always stronger than
ought to have been helping her. l
don't think Il man ever cares properly
for woman when it's like that. He
likes to be the one who protects. He
likes to he the StrOnger-the one who's
looked up 10. | was proud of Violet;
| admired her immensely. but she
made me feel small. You don't mind
all this, sir?'''
"Of course. | don't" Hargrave as
sured him. with a kindliness in his
tone which surprised even himself.
II am interested. Don't hurry. Just
get it all out in your own way
We'll. London began to eat into
both of u.s." Robert went on. q
worked as hard as I could. but I'd
been gassed and those fogs were
Al shillings a week, and 1t was damned
hard to live on it. Violet could have
had all the things the other girls had.
but she meant going straight from the
first and things aren't the same for
girl like that. They aren't so easy
when she's got her living to make.
She was just as hard put to it as I
was. And behind us we had the
memory of those comfortable days
down in the country when I had d
horse to ride in the holidays and she
drove her father round in his car
and had all the tennis and dances and
fun that she wanted. We were up
against it at our worst when you
came along. I've never quite under
stood. even now. why Violet took
on your offer. I've known her since
she was six years old, and I've never
known her to tell a lie. The fact OF
it was that at that moment we were
both at breaking point. Anyway, she
worked herself up to It: with me 1t
wasn't so difficult. I'd have lied my
way down to hell to have got what