The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-04-06
Copyright by Dodd, Mead q CO.
WNu Service
CHAPTER X-Continued

.-22-
Lady Sylvia st. Croix? That Is
/ am--that is to say-may ! present
myself?--you are-who are your
She stared at him in what seemed
undisguised establishment ana drew
away her hand. But she stepped out
Of the crowd and stood aside with him
on the dock.
"You have been sent to fetch me?
You are, suppose" she said, sean
ming his recherche attire, my cousins
groon?''
The voice, the accent, were, to be
sure, as utterly different from Meely's
as were the tone and manner Of the
girl-a self possessed, reserved man.
ner that made St. Croix her abject
slave-in spite Of her unfiattering and
stupid mistake In taking him for q
groom heavensl
II am your Cousin st. Croix, Lady
Sylvia" he stammeringly explained.
"Oh? with surprised lift of her
fine brows How do you do?" She
offered her gloved hand and as he
took it 1t flashed upon him that he
would know Nicely Schwenckton's
hands among a thousand-he would
know the very touch of them-he had
always thought her hands SO unusual
for working girl. When this girl
drew off her gloves But how utter
" absurd though the resemblance
was truly amazing
An experienced traveller, st. Croix
knew how to expedite the tedious Gus
toms business and in a very short time
he was helping Lady Sylvia into
taxicab.
Seated at her side in the cab, lis
tening with strained attention to the
tones Of her voice, stealing glances at
her exquisite profile, noting the move
ments OF her gloved hands III only
she'd take off her gloves), St. Croix
felt every minute more bewildered,
more uncertain. There was some
thing in the very atmosphere Of her
presence that made him feel as If he
were sitting beside Nicely yet the In
congruity of identifying in any way
this elegant creature with Nicely
Schwenckton-her civilized speech
with Meely's Pennsylvania Dutch dia-
1ect. her grace with Meely's vulgar
clumsiness, her sparkling countenance
with Meely's heavy dullness. the sim
plicity OF her couture with MeeIy's
elaborate pompadour-
The wild absurdity of his predica-
ment in not being sure made him feel.
as he told himself, 'woozy!"
All at once he recalled that Nicely
had tiny brown mole under the lobe
Of her ear-he had kissed it often
Her hands and that molel If he could
only lift the lobes of Lady Sylvia's
ears and have look But suppose he
found the mole there what would 1t
mean and what would he do about it?
Surely this was the weirdest expert
ence that had ever fallen to the lot Of
mani
s'You have changed so much since
you were child, Cousin Sylvia! I'd
never have recognized you.' He put
out a feeler.
"No. of course you wouldn't. When
You last saw me, was a homely little
tow-headed, bow-legged, pigeon-toed.
freckle-faced kidi'
: The words had vaguely familiar
sound to st. Cr0ix. He seemed to hear
again the unaccountable indignation
with which Nicely Schwenckton, that
day in the woods on the hill, had re-
peated, "Bowleggedl" His head swan
and he felt almost Ill.
Suddenly he turned in his seat and
looked straight into her eyes with a
very definite and frank suspicion.
aThis," he inquired with what he felt
to be subtle cunning, his eyes probing
hers like gimlets, "was of course your
first crossing?"
sWell, I've crossed the Channel so
often that crossing the Atlantic didn't
seem anything Why, I'd hardly know
was on a boat at all, crossing the
Atlantic. Why, crossing the Attain
tic"
She was eyading direct answer to
his question land covering the fact
by volubIy chattering.
Seated opposite each other, present
", in the dining car, he waited in
strained suspense for the critical mo-
ment when their waiter would bring
their order and Lady Sylvia would be
obliged to remove her gloves; and at
the same time he was wondering how
he could contrive to have look be-
hind her ears for that tiny mole; for
that mole could have been no part OF
"a makeup; he knew 1t too intimate
lily not to be quite sure that it did't
Scome or @
5tSnk she suddenly remarked, rest
Ing her folded arms on the table and
bending forward confidentially, your
brother. Marvin. won't have me, will
lhe?"
st. Cr0ix made an effort to conceal
his surprise and embarrassment at
this unexpected broadside. He felt it
lacked flelicacv.