The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1931-03-02

itably. She told him that she
had moved away from London,
told him of the deaths, in an
epidemic, of the cousins" and
of her permanent estrange-
ment from her mother" All
this he accepted as perfectly
reasonable. 1t all hung to-
gether. And as he tactily un-
derstood that she had believed
him dead, and was determined
not to speak of that particular
phase of the situation, a
stranger. overhearing their con-
versation, would have believed
them old friends. separated by
circumstances and reunited by
chance.
so" said Mary Lou, on a
long breath of relief. when I
couldn't find anything to do I
came over here, hoping to find
some relatives CT my-my IA
theirs. had an opportunity
to sail with an elderly Ameri-
can woman. a Mrs. Duncan,
who paid my passage over.
And I hadn't been here very
long before saw your mothers
name in the paper and came
out to see her. on a chance
that it might be"
She stopped and fIlshed.
She had been speaking grave
~ little breathleSSly. 1t
wasn't hard to think herself
into the part; she had dreamed
so long, had for so many years
dramatized herself as the hero
inc of every book she read
and every play she saw. And
her sobriety lent a semblarce
of truth to her halting expla-
nation.
"And it was" commented
Lorrimer. as soberly as she.
"A very wonderful chance" ne
added. "for me-"
New Interest for Him
His deep, toneless voice took
on faint vibrancy and color
Mary Lou, the flush deepening,
whistled to KONG, who was OIL
1T some distance, gayly chasing
a harmless and chattering Squir-
rel up a tree. 1t was going to
be difficult to ignore the per-
sonal equation, after all!
They had just passed the sta
bles. Mary Lou cried out, in
snatching at any conversational
straw:
Il called on your horses this
morning. What beauties they
are! I wish" she said truly and
wistfully, that I knew how to
ride"
Don't you?" He bent his
tall head and looked at her in
some establishment, and real
lied, with a pang Of amaze
ment, that he knew very little
about her, after all. For all his
dreaming and despair. his
memories of gay, gallant loving,
defiantly snatched from time in
the very face of death, his &C
tual knowledge of her was so
incomplete. Yet he had remem-
bered trivial, small things and,
because he remembered, sud
denly asked. half whimSically:
do you still adore artichokeS,
Delight?"
She started a little. 1t was
to be some time before she
could become accustomed to
that exotic name.
Well, she did like them!
"Of course" said Mary Lou.
and smiled. However did you
remember"
Il remember a lot" he said
Somberly, and then, because he
saw her vince a little, added,
hastily, IF you'll really like to
learn to ride. I'll teach YOU"
She looked at him with her
eyes like dark stars. This was
the sort of thing she had made
UP her mind to work for in or
der to give him some healthy
interest, to take him out of him.
self. $50,
Would you really? Are you-
strong enough?" she said.
A Poor Picture
Inspired question! He began
to see himself as he must seem
to a healthy, normal girl-not
strong" enough, a semi-invalid!
Not pretty picture. He
shrugged the broad. stopped
shoulders that, from very pride,
he was already holding
straighter.
I'm all right" he answered.
Don't worry about me-"
They were approaching the
house now and Margaret Lor-
rimer, a loose tweed coat over
her frock, was coming down
the steps to meet them. She
had been very anxious over
the result of this first encoun-
ter. this initial step in the care,
fully laid plans. She greeted
them easily enough but her
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