Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-03-29
CHAPTER x

As st. Croix' longing for Nicely was
never for moment associated in his
mind with the idea of marriage, 1t
did not in the least dampen the zest
with which he went to New York to
meet-as he confidentially hoped and
believed-his prospective bride. This
would be marriage so exactly to his
taste Jailed to an old English fam.
lily Of rank, administering distin.
guished old estate that for generations
had been in the family.
His experience with girls gave him
no reason to doubt that he would find
favor with his noble kinswoman. So,
it was with q complacent self-conti.
dence that, well-groomed and clad in
his smartest clothes, he stood on the
wharf on the afternoon of the arrival
Of the Berengaria and with tense ex-
pectation watched the passengers file
past him down the gang-plank-his
eyes searching for young girl with 4
handkerchief on her left wrist.
He did hope she would be cookbook
ing. It would be an awful wet blan.
ket If she turned out to be fll-favored;
though nothing short of an actual
hump would stop him. A man could
of course seek his consultations out.
side his home
1t did not occur to him, naturally,
that his wife might have need of con-
solutions and compensations.
Looking for a wrist bound with
handkerchief proved to be rather
maddening business. Wrists could be
examined only as the passengers
passed close before him, while faces
could be scanned halfway up the
gangplank.
A procession Of men and elderly
women sent his gaze far up the plank
in search of more young people-when
suddenly his eye was caught by
lovely face at the top of the long slope
which struck him as vaguely familiar
yet unfamiliar. too, in its vivacious
expression, its intelligence, its deli.
cacy. Surely he had seen that face
somewhere before-though the poise
of an exquisite small head. the general
look and air of a thoroughbred. the
modish style Of the young woman.
were not familiar.
Why! She looked like Nicely
Schwenckton How strange-and how
absurdl' At least her features did
extraordinarily like!-yet so widely
different, too. with that vivid intellf.
gent countenance, proudly arched
little head. graceful bearing-and Of
course her neatly arranged hair. styl.
ish clothing. But good Cd. how like
Nicely she looked!
"Am I seeing things?" he wondered.
his heart beating thickly.
So close she passed him by that her
arm brushed his and her eyes looked
for an instant straight into hfs-but
not the trembling of lash nor the
least culver of her lips suggested that
she had ever seen him before. as she
walked on to mingle with the crowd
leaving him bewildered. COMPOUNDED.
with q weird doubt and uncertainty
when suddenly. as his gaze followed
her. she lifted her hand to straighten
her hat. which in the crowd had been
pushed askew-and he saw. with
wild bounding of his heart. that her
wrist was tied up with a handker.
chief!
In an instant he was at her side
and had seized her hand-the con-
fusion of his mind so great that all his
usual self-contdence was lost In
foundering muddle. He had been so
sure of himself. Of his ability to i'm.
press favorably even sophisticated
English aristocrat with his ease and
sang-froid-and he was painfully
aware that no country pumpkin could
have been more awkward
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 and 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. scan.