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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Advocate, 1914-11-26, Page 6.,ir' .,,..N , la.-• ;t. crLtl.ztt:e {, Lady Ellett moved to follow hire, stopped air she reached the door, sbaiseecl and then • altruggtd: her shoulders; tiic.f ,she said -- I •snit a. footle a fool!" A moment later her butler brought up a. note th•tt had aarived by hand It ir.;a from Mr. Tenderten. Ile weote to n..y that he hada box for a <;eataut musrea, pace which Lady Ellen hail expressed atreat desirt to ssee, and he -ranted to know zf tette a ould give him the pleneure of occupy Mg' the box that evening. Please ask anyone You like," he wrote. 'I am dining out, but I should like • to deme in during the evening if 'I may and pity my homage to you.•, "Ile really Is rather a •dear!" :said Lady Ellen, She eeribbled back a relily, accepting the box, and thanked Mr, Tenderten very svaaan1y; then site spent the next half-hour in telephoning to each people as 'were 'n town; and finally gat her cousin, the Duchess of Wiltshire, to promise to Join her. It wee part of Mr. Te idetrten'a' ehrowd eleverne::s just to .hover on the outskirts of Lady Ellen's life, never to weren't her to get bored or bothered with him, hut his heart had a little thrill as: he • realized that she was now beginning to drift more timely into his hands; and certain vague dreams which he had ecarcely permitted hiauself to define did take faint shape in such a moment as this, Ile arrived at the theatre after having eaten a dull dinner at hi;: chtb just Lu time for the tact wet; and hie heart gavo a new thrill as he realized that Lady El- len wee; accompanied by no less a person than the Duohees of Wiltshire. It was •t proud moment for Edgar Ten - denten to he seen escorting two such well- known women''when the curtain dropped and everyone trooped out of the theatre. In the vestibule he had the satisfaction of meeting several :people whom he knew in the city, and to whom he vouchsafed just a cowl nod of the head; but as he 're- turned from seeking the duchess's foot- man he came face to faee with a. man. whom at first he only Jug vaguely recog• _nixed. Then M.r. Tenderten smiled his cari- ous smile, for this mea was Julian Bry- ant. Ile was standing almost aimlessly, letting the crowd go mese him. They ex- changed only a few words, and then air. Tenderten hastened back to his party. But Lady Ellen had noticed Julian. "What an awfully good-looking man!' she said. 'He reminds me awfully of some one I know. Who is he? I saw you speak- ing to hien," His name is Bryant," Mr. Tenderten said. "He has just come into a pot of money; he's an awfully nice chap! I am afraid he la awfully lonely; he doesn't seem to know anybody." •Introduee me," said Lady Ellen in her autocratic way. Mr. Tenderten hesitated just .a fraction of a second, and then went to do her will. Ae he turned away Lady Ellen turned to the duehees. I have sent ibim to bring that man to be introduced; doesn't he remind you of. Adrian before he went out to Africa,' The •duchess examined Julian Bryant through her long eye -glasses and nodded her head. Yes: rte is rather like Adrian," ,she l said, "Who is rte °" Lady Ellen shrugged her shoulders in her favorite fashion. • "I dcn't. know; but he boss nice! I say, Popple, wont you eome back and have S01110' crupper with me, then I can ask these Imo • men to come, too." But the 'duchess declined. I have had so many late niglits, she said; "one doeslar more when one is: in town just for a few days than in the whole of the eeaeon, it 'seems to me; and I am off to the country quite early to- morrow. You had, better let me take you with ala, Nell. You areaa looking a bit the thing, you know!" "Oht I am only tired," Lady Ellen an.- severed n-severed in her restless way. The next moment she was smiling on the man -who had followed_Mr. Tenderten rather shyly and in a. sense not Willingly. "How do you do, Mr.. Bryant?" she said in her pretty frank manner. Da you know, you are so exactly like a cousin of mine that I very nearly spoke to you without an introduction." She presented him to the duchess, and they chatted on about the play. After the first moment of uneasiness, Julian drifted bat Betterg ht and More of It ROSE E light is best for young eyes and old eyes alike„ The lamp gives you kerosene light at its best •-- a steady, generous glow that reaches every cox- ':'aara ner of the room. The RA YO does not smoke or smell. It is made of solid . brass, nickel -plated. Itis easy to light, easy to clean, easy to rewick. At dealers everywhere. Made in Canada back quit,• TIlitura-.y , se, ., _,..r• tulle., Indeed it seemed to Mm ' ae he stood there talking to these women of eo. meter that lie wee just'whnt he had been iu those veare "before tile father's <lenth, and that all that lmd followed after wards had boon not/Ling-but e. strange dream ?Tr. Tenderten found We self envying the other main, for there 'wea eomething abcut ,milia Bryants manlier and Way of speaking Wilkie be would;: never aequire. And with the there was a faint sug- gestion of jealousy for undoubtedl • I a. Ilan ; Bryant was ,, le asleorno, ata:i More - aver, the late e-per'en er, had spade h*u interesting also IYevertheltei , Mr, Ten• denten telt that he held the strings in his bands. Mere had beet; no question of •discus- sion between himself and Bryant ne yet; no su. geetion as to the share Edgar Ten. derten was to have in the gcoct th-nge which had fallen so lavishly to Bryant-' But this wasall to come, and Mr, Tender • - ten smiled a.littly grilmly to himself as he , wondered wliaf Lady Ellen and her couein would say if they were to 'know that only a few weeks before, this man, to whom .' they were talking so pteasatttly, had been nothing higher an the social seale than the driver of a oab in the .public streets. I "I intended to have asked you. both batik to 'supper with mo," said Lady Ellen, as the diathesis's footman announced that the : • motor -car was ar'proaehing; ,"but my sous iu wants to go home, eo my supper must be for another occasion, Do eome rind see me, Mr. Bryant, Ten in London, alas t—I almost say 'alone in London,' for every body belonging to me is scattered."' "1 will come," .said Julian.' He had a• slow, curious `way of speaking, and the more Lady Ellen looked at hien the more she traced the resemblance be- tween him and Adrian Downey, although e a ntatter'of feet the rezeemblance exist- ed far more in suggestion than in definite likeness, • Tae two anen stood at attention ass• the ear rolled away; then Tenderten slipped his arm familiarly through Julians. "F11 walk back with you," he amid, Then he laughed "So glad to see you going out and'•about, Bryant; that's a sensible thing to do! A man gets hipped to death if he always stays with his own society. "I came out to lose my own (ociety," Bryant answered. He drew Hie arm away from Mr. Tender - ten's hand; and occupied himself in light- ing a cigarette. "Ian none too good company for my- self," he added; then he held out Nis hand. "I hope you •won't think me in- hospitable,Mr. Ten<lerteu; but I am not going straight home." All right. old chap." acid Edgar Ten- derten. lightly although lie •was really an- noyed. "I'll look you up very soon. Why m mat come and dine with e at my club' -m toorrow'night That reminds me, Bry- ant, of course you'll :belong to some elube Yourself. I have no Awns," Bryant answered him coldly, almost rudely. "Good -night." He nodded his head and crossed the road to escape from further conversation; and he drew a deep breath of relief as he found himself alone. It 'was tree; he did notgo straight Home, but walked the streets for hours. It'"was a lovely night; there was a, glorious moan; but the beauty of the ).light wee wee blotted out for Julian. He despised: himself, and yet he knew that he -ram powerless now to stand betweeh himself .and • the future which this man. from whom he hail just parted had thrust noon him.. CHAPTER FII;. After hesitating, a very long time,: Ju- lian resolved to write •a few Lues to Frank Derrymore, the man home from India who lad been so good to lane He sent the letter to the club, and did not expect to hear for -same -`ime, for 'when last he heard from Demo:acre the other. man had told aim that he' was going over to Ireland for at least a couple of months, Thenext morning, however, when he was aroused from his abort, heavy, and rrnbanpy ;'1eme, Stephens brought him among other letters -mie from his friend. Derry -more was in London, and suggest- ed lunch at his chub: "I am awfully anxious to see you, dear old chap," he wrote; `bur letter.: 'was so; mysterious. Fortunately, I was in town' for a couple of days and just happened to get it. You say that something very strange has happened to you, and as you write from another address I am hoping that this strange something is good also. You might just telephone through to the club to say if you can beat the club. I leave for Ireland again tomorrow night" Dir, Bryant instructed his valet to at once telephone through t - g o the Naval and Military. and saythat he would be e then to meet, Mr. Derrymore at the time sag. gested. He smiled alittle faintly to himself ` as he noticed the valet's sur rise, and by a certain satisfaction at this message. "Though he takes my money,"Jvlian said to himself, "no doubt he has consider. ed me as something picked out of the gut: ter." His mood was calmer, his outlook less, distorted in the morning, and as he turn- ed over the various begging letters whicb formed the mass of his correspondence, that sense of :power, which all men love, crept into his veins and helped to restore him in his own *Yee. ire resolved that his' charity should not be given sparingly. He had 'suffered so much himself. he never intended to turn away any ,pan or woman 'without going fully into their case and. seeing where and. how they could be lielped. :, As lie ate hiss breakfast Julian resolved to make his way to Mr, Pleydell's ,private' residence. Ile loathed Tenderten, the man was a living reminder of all that he want- ed to forget, for he 'was ,resolved to for- get: yet, though he covored over the burn- ing eagerness cif his heart, he could not• set aside altogether the ola.morin g of hie conscience—Enid. Ile moat know some- thing about her, where she was, or what she was doing. How she 'was living "Pleydell will look after her for me," he said; at least I shall insist that lie does tale, ' c There were momenta when sophistry ame to his aid and . the 'words that Enid had written in her letter struck him as be - ng 00 significant of truth. They 'were better apart for a time at least they had drifted away from the beauty of life: even If they were to be together now, and she were to share all that had .come to would 'there ;tot be for ever the shadow of that a 'rim <l old woman to divide them; moreover', she Could not share, it must he 'Dither lee alone or he and Enid.;together, back in the old poet• • erty, hack in the misery and the drudg- ery, and the humiliating knowledge of failure; and Julian $r,y ant shrank even from the thought of ,each a return; yet he could not forget, and look where he might he aliwaye saw Enid. There had•.been a girl on the edge the night before who Was very like her. For an instant iris ,heart lied good still, and then he had ba1f•risen in his seat to go round And oiaim her; ten he had seen hrs mistake the girl on the sago nly ,eug- • g'eyted Enid, His wife had been ,so di £ei ent, tae ordered the car to be brought rotnfd, and he drove to Mr, Pleyde11's anodeet home; the lrolieekeeper informed -him that, she expected her master within a week, Julian went beck and got Into the car. There viae still an hour er to to alt be ford lie could meet Drr vl:ore. Re' drove into Bond Street. The'tseosa• tion of having money to ,spend• 'was still very strange that Irte always hesitated before he entered ae shop'; but Stephens had made many suggeetione to Lim that morning about Varian{ things be requir- ed, and lie ordered lavishly, being wafted upon With that ohseguioueneee wiilrlr now aharaoterized the manner , of !everyone :about lrfnr I% dismiseedtl< r r ear •@ d determined ' nsd to wale Slowly about until be Mould go to the quill, tout t'half way down lama Street ho met Iracly E1teu, S• o 'Vora the prettiest e f .gewn+s, and hod<t French hu1IKlog trotting at ,trer, Keele, iehe etomp0xl hthi, holding gut iter hts•nd. OOP ROYALITE OIL iii best for ell pees. THE IMPERIAL 011. CO., Limited 1' re to Quebec tlalikc Montresl St. Joh Wisaniete 'Vasraarcr fllllilJllllltillMfiilllliift;ifllnliillfi11111fl1niI�iIIfIIllf011llili linins :CI:lased by German Artillery at Eooie, Trance. ` "Row nice •to see you!" 'she said. "Do you know, I was just thinking :about You. I wanted to ring. -you u r . and ask you y i 3 which' night_ -would be convenient$ or , you to dine •with me; hut 1 couldn't And Your number in the telephone book,"'Mr, Bry- ,ant," • He colored 'a little, and then the eaid— "I don't think it is in the book, but it will be inlater";: and then he gave ,her his address. "Ohl" ,the said:. "that is where that Queer old Dins, 1llarnock used to live. Do you know, I was always sorry for her. She 1 seemed so lonely. Did youknow' iter?.' Julian was now quite pale. "Yes," he said. "I knew her, Lady El- len. She left sue her house; she -loft ins all that I have." 'Wow that was very nice of her,"'Lady Ellen said do her pretty, boyish -way. "I read all about her 'will, Hadn't •she pots of money. I don't remember seeing your name in the paper," ebe added. I wesn't mentioned in the mill," said Mr. Bryant. "It was a apecia1 legacy and no one knows anything, about it ex- cepting tho lawyers, excepting yourself," Do you want it to be as seorot. Oh!' am awfully good at secrete," said Lady Ellen. Certainly this man did remind her of Ad- rian, and certainly oleo she did like hint; lie was very nice, and so good to Took at, younger than Adrian and with. two strong arms, not crippled dike poor Ad- rian. "Were you in the army?" she ask- ed him. He hesitated an instant, and then told her in -what regiment he heel served. oir "Oht you musn't mind my asking ,c01436 - tions," Lady Ellen said. :