Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1930-02-14
CHAPTER V-continued


music room, Mrs. Railway and Mary
were sitting.
Mary" Mrs. Railway said sud-
denly, ait was very selfish of me to
have brought you here"
You needed me, and I'm glad I
came" Mary returned. She had con-
ceived one of those almost extrav-
agant admirations Tor the beautiful
woman Literally, at the eleventh
hour. the maid who was to have come,
declined the risk of oceans wrath and
deserted her mistress at the very dock
The gong sounded which summoned
them to luncheon. Railway was genial.
He presented a tail and distinguished
man to his wife.
ut seems we shipped a doctor
aboard. Here he is. Doctor Waite
Mrs. Railway and Miss Unwin"
The intimacy, so enforced and in
evitable on a yacht, with which one
must come to regard another after
time, presented problems to Mrs.
Railway not wholly pleasing. She
conceded that this stranger had face
which inspired confidence in her. as
much as that Of the steward with his
perpetual smile created aversion. He
had fine head and keen but kindly
eyes. And there was something re-
assuring in his splendid physical pro-
portions She thought he looked with
especial kindness at little Mary Un-
win. AS for Mary, she breathed
sigh of relief Instinct told her here,
at last, was man on board she could
trust. She had not confided in Mrs.
Railway her apprehension Of most of
the men she had seen.
II hope you will find very little pro-
fessional work to do" Mrs Railway
said to Betttington.
He was charmed by her low, yet dis
tinct, voice. He had thought Lavery's
portrait to be localized until he met
the original of it He had often, in
other years. read of her. 1t seemed
likely, when she was first married.
that she would accomplish that almost
impossible ambition, salon. She had
birth, money, wit. and beauty. And
with these advantages she had chosen
Railway among the many who put
their all at her feet He looked from
her to the financier.
What was it, Bettington asked him
self, that had made him, in her eyes.
more attractive than any other man.
Ambition probably. and the enthusi-
asm aroused by his big moment at the
capital. He wondered how much she
had repented of it. There could be no
doubt now as to her disillusions. He
thought he could discover a trace of
sadness in her lovely face; and, like
La Giaconda, 'ber eyelids were little
weary"
Whatever uncomfortable pauses in
the conversation there were, due to
Railways incessant grumbling at the
food. the motion of the boat and his
inability to enjoy flayors that once
fascinated him. she filed In without
seeming effort She had, no doubt,
become adept at this, Bettington
thought.
After lunch Railway went to his big
stateroom at the extreme bow of the
boat Got some work to do" he an
nouneed. ut will keep me busy till
dinner"
Mrs. Railway knew he was going to
sleep. Then he would wake, feeling
wretched. He would take a highball,
two or three. Then he would dress
for dinner and the real man would be-
tray himself. She was not sure
whether she was sorry or glad that
there was a new element introduced
by Doctor Waite She knew her hus-
bands frnperious ways too well to sup
pose that anything but his own win
could moderate his appetites
She watched him walking up and
down the deck with the secretary who
had so little to do. a man who would
take such position as this, with Its
relatively small pay and insecure pros
poets. must be failure at his profess
sion And yet he did not look like a
failure.
Mary liked him. and admitted his
charm, but to eighteen be was old