Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-09
Continued from Yesterdays starr


third finger of it was an exquisitelS
set single pearl.
I'm going to marry Ralph, you
know" she went on Uncle is very
pleased It keeps me in the family
you see.
l took both her hands in mine.
"My dear" said. Il hope you'll he
very happy"
We've been engaged for about
month" continued Flora in her cool
voice. but it was only announced
Yesterday. Uncle is going 10 do up
Cross stones and give 1t to us TO live
in. and were going TO pretend to
farm. Really. we shall hunt all Win
ter. town for the season and then go
Yachting / love the sea. And, OF
course. / shall take a great interest
in the parish affairs and attend all
the mothers meetings.
Just then Mrs. AclIroyd ruStled in,
full of apologies for being late.
| am sorry to say / deteSt Mrs.
Ackroyd she is all chains and teeth
and bones. A most unpleasant
woman She has small. pale, flinty
blue eyes. and. however gushing her
words may be. those eyes of hers
always remain coldly speculative.
l went across to her, leaving Flora
by the window. She gave me a hand
full of assorted knickles and rings to
squeeze. and began talking Voluhly.
Had / heard about Flora's engage
ment? SO suitable in every way. The
dear young things had fallen in love
a first sight. Such a perfect PAIR,
he SO dark and she so fair.
can't a1 Won my dear DIR. Slen-
pard. the relief to n mothers heart"
Mrs Ackroyd sighed--a tribute to
her mothers heart. while her eyes
remained shrewdly observant of me.
Il was wondering You are such an
old friend of dear Rogers. We know
how much he trusts to your judg-
ment. SO difficult for me-in my po-
sition as poor Cecil's widow But
there are SO many tiresome things
settlements, you know-al that.
I fully believe that Roger intends to
make settlements upon dear Flora,
but, as you know, he is just leetle
peculiar about money. Very usual,
I've heard. amongst men who are cap
tains of industry. l wondered, you
know, if you could just sound him
on the subject? Flora is so fond of
YOU. We feel you are quite an old
friend. although we have only really
known you just over two years"
Mrs. Ackroyd's eloquence was cut
short as the drawing room door
opened once more. l was pleased at
the interruption. / hate interfering
in other peoples affairs and l had
not the least intention of tackling
Ackroyd on the subject of Flora's set
Elements. In another moment / should
have been forced to tell Mrs. Ackroyd
as much.
You know Maj. Blunt, don't you,
Doctor"
Eyes, indeed" I said.
A lot of people know Hector Blunt
at least by repute. He has shot
more wild animals in unlikely places
than any man living, I suppose.
When you mention him, people say:
Blunt-you don't mean the big-game
man, do you?"
His friendship with Ackroyd has
always puzzled me little. The two
men are so totally dissimilar. Hector
Blunt is perhaps five years Ackroyd' S
Junior. They made friends early in
life, and though their ways have d.
verged, the friendship still holds.
About once in two years Blunt spends
a fortnight at Fernly, and an i'm
mense animals head with an amaz-
ing number of horns, which fixes you
come inside the front door, is a per-
manert reminder of the friendship.
Blunt had entered the room now
with his own peculiar, deliberate, yet
oft-footed tread He is a man of
medium height, sturdily and rather
stockily built. His face is almost ma
hogany colored and is peculiarly ex-
pressionless. He has gray eyes that
give the impression of always watch
ing something that is happening very
far away He talks little, and what
he does say is said jerkily, as though
the words were forced out of him
unwillingly.
He said now, How are you, Shep-
pard?" in his usual abrupt fashion,
and then stood squarely in front of
the fireplace, looking over our heads
as though he saw something very in
teresting happening in Timbuctoo.
Mai Blunt" said Flora, II wish
you'd tell me about these African
things. I'm sure you know what they
all are"
have heard Hector Blunt described
as a woman hater, but l noticed that
ne Joined Flora at the silver table
with what might be described as alac-
rity. They bent over it together
I was afraid Mrs. Ackroyd would
so I made a few hurried remarks
about the new sweet pea. | knew
there was q new sweet pea because
the Daily Mail had told me so that
morning. Mrs. Ackroyd knows moth
ing about horticulture, but she is the
kind Of woman who likes to appear
we'll informed about the topics of the
day, and she, too, reads the Daily
Mail. We were able to converse quite
infelligently until Ackroyd and his
secretary Joined us. and Immediately
hfterward Parker announced dinner.
My place at table was between Mrs.
Ackroyd and Flora. Blunt was on
Mrs. Ackroyd's other side, and Geof-
frey Raymond next to him.
Dinner was not a cheerful affair.
Ackroyd was visibly preoccupied. He
looked wretched and ate next to moth
ing. Mrs Ackroyd, Raymond and l
kept the conversation going. Flora
seemed affected by her uncle's depres-
sion and Blunt relapsed into his usual
taciturnitY.
Immediately after dinner Ackroyd
slipped his arm through mine and
led me off to his study.
"Once we've had coffee, we shan't
he disturbed again" he explained.
ct told Raymond to see to it that we
shouldn't be interrupted"
studied him quietly without APP
pearing TO do so. He was clearly I'M
der the influence Of some strong eX-
element. For a minute or two he
paced up and down the room, then,
as Parker entered with the coffee
tray. he sank into an armchair in
front of the fire.
The study was a comfortable apart
ment. Bookshelves lined one wall of
1t. The chairs were big and covered
in dark blue leather. A large desk
stood by the window and was covered
with papers neatly docketed and filed
On a round table We're various maya
zines and sporting papers.