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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1922-03-31, Page 7Richard Harding Davis (Continued from last week,) "The carriage did not wait. I be- lieve it was sent back," said Clay, "but I can borrow a horse from one of Stuart's men, and ride back and get it for you, if you like." "How absurd!" laughed Miss Lang - ham, but she looked pleased, not- withstanding. "Oh not at ail," Clay answered. He was smiling down at her in some amusement, and was apparently much entertained at his idea. "Will you consider it an act of devotion?" he asked. There was so little of devotion, and so much more of mischief do 'Ma eyes, that Miss Langham guessed he was only laughing et her, and shook her head. "You won't go," she said, turning away. She followed hint with her eyes, however, as he crossed the room, his head and shoulders towering a- bove the native rnen and women. She had never seen him so resplendent, and she noted, with an eye that con- sidered trifles, the orders and hia well -fitting white gloves, and 'Me manner of bowing in the Continental fashion, holding his opera -hat on his thigh, as though his .hand rested on a sward. She noticed that the little Olanehoans stopped aid looked after him, as he pushed his way among them, and she, ould see that the men were (telling the women who he was. Sir Julian Pindar, the old British Minister, stopped him, and she watch- ed them as they laughed' together over the English war medals on the American's breast, which Sir Julian touched with his finger. He called the,,,French .Minister and his pretty . wife to look, too, and they all laughed and talked together in great spirits, and Miss Langham wondered if Clay was speaking in French to them, Miss Langham did not enjoy the ; ball; she felt injured and aggrieved, and she assured herself.that She bad ' been hardly used. She had only done her duty, and yet all the sym- pathy had gone to her sister, who bad placed her in a trying .position. She thought it was most inconsider- ate. Hope walked slowly across the veranda when the others had gone, and watched the carriage as long as it remained in sight.. Then she drew i herself into a big arm -chair, and looked down upon her pretty frock and her new dancing -slippers. She, too. felt badly used. The moonlight fell all about her, as it had on the first night of their arrival, a month before, but now it seemed cold and cheerless, and gave an added sense of loneliness to the silent house. She did not go inside to read, as she had promised to do, but sat for the next hour looking out across the harbor. She could not blame Alice. She considered that Alice always moved by rules and precedents, like a queen in a gattme of chess, and she wondered why. It made life so tame and uninteresting, and yet 'people invariably admired Alice, and some one had spoken of her as the noblest example of the modern gentlewoman. She was sure , she could not grow up to be anything like that. She was quite confideltt that she was going to disappoint Mier family. She wondered if people would like her better if she were discreet like Alice, and less like her brother Ted. If Mr. Clay, for in- stance, would like her better? She wondered gf he disapproved of her riding on the engine with MacWil- liams, and of her tearing through the mines on her pony, and spearing with. a lance of sugar -cane at the .mongrel curs that ran to snap at .his flanks. She remembered his look of astonish- ed amusement the clay he had caught her in this impromptu pig -sticking, 'and she felt herself growing red at the recollection. She was sure he thought her a tomboy. Probably be never thought of her at all. Hope !leaned back in the their and looked up at the stars above the mountains and tried to think of any of her heroes and .princes in fiction who had gone through such inter- esting experiences •as had Mr. Clay. Some of them had done so, but they were creatures in a book and this hero was alive, and she knew him, THE FARMER'S FRIEND Relieves caked bag, gar - get, spider or infection of the teat, also thrush in horses' feet, fistula, etc., Stops bleeding at once. Removes proud flesh, soreness and swell- 'Atall Dealers and Drngglets. Manufactured only by DOtdGLASdli Co" NAPANEE, Ont. and had probably made 'him despise her as a silly little girl who was scolded and sent off tp bed like a dis- obedient child. Hope felt a choking in her throat and something dike a tear creep to iter eyes: but she was surprised' to find that the fact did not make her ashamed of herself. She owned that she was wounded and disappointed, and to make it harder she could not help picturing Alice and Clay laughing anti talking together in some corner away from the ball -room, while, she, who under- stood him so well, and who cuuld not find the words to tell him how much she valued what he wits and what he had done, was forgotten and sitting here alone, like Cinderella, by the empty fireplace. The picture was so pathetic as Hope drew it, that for a moment she felt almost a touch of •self-pity, tui the next she laughed scornfully -at. her own foolishness, and rising with an impatient shrug, walked away in the direction of her room. But belfore site had crossed' lbhe veranda she was stopped by the sound of a horse's hoofs galloping over the hard sun -baked road that led from the city, and before she had stepped forward out of the shadow in which she stood the horse had reached the steps and his rider had pulled hint back on his haunches and swung himself off before the forefeet had touched the ground. Hope had guessed that it was Clay by his riding, and she feared frorn his haste that some ore of her peo- ple were ill. So she ran anxiously forward and asked if anything were wrong. Clay started at her sudden appear- ance, and gave a short boyish laugh of pleasure. "1'm so glad you're still up," he said. "No, nothing .!s wrong." He stopped in some embarrassment. He had been moved to return by the fact that the little girl .he knew was in trouble, and now that he was sudden- ly confronted by this older and state- lier young person, his action seemed particularly silly, and he was at a loss to explain it in any way that would not give offence. "No, nothing is wrong," he repeat- ed. "I came after something," Clay had borrowed one of the cloaks the troopers wore at night from the same man who had lent him the horse, and as he stood barehead- ed before her, with the cloak hanging from his shmulders to the floor and the star and ribbon across his breast, Hope felt very grateful to him for being able to look like a Prince or a hero in a book, and to yet remain her Mr. Clay at the same time. "I canoe to get your sister's fan," Clay explained. "She forgot it." The young girl looked at him for a moment in surprise and then straightened herself slightly. She did not know whether she was the more indignant with Alice for send- ing such a man on so foolish an er- rand, or with Olay for submitting to such a service. "Oh, is that it?" she said at Last. "I will go and find you one." She gave him a dignified little bow and moved away toward the door, with every appearance of disapproval. "Oh, I don't know," she heard Clay say, doubtfully; "I don't have to go just yet, do I? May I not stay here a little while?"' Hope stood •amd looked at him in some perplexity. "Why, yes," she answered, wond- eringly. "But don't you want to go back? You came in a great :hurry. And won't Alice want her fan?" "Oh, she has it by this time. I told Stuart to find it. 'She left it in the carriage, •and the carriage is waiting at the end of the plaza." "Then why did you come?" asked Hope, with rising suspicion. "Oh, I don't know," said Clay, help- lessly. "I thought I'd just like a ride in the moonlight. I hate balls and dances anyway, don't you? I think you were very wise not to go." Hope placed her hands on the back of the big arm -chair and looked stead- ily at him as he stood where she could see his face in the moonlight, "You came back," she said, "because they thought I was crying, and they sent you to see. Ls that it? ' Did Alice send you?" she demanded. Clay gave a gasp of consternation. "You know that no one sent me," he said. "I thought they treated you abominably, and I wanted to come and say so. That's all. And I want- ed to tell you that I missed you very much, and that your not coming had spoiled the evening for rue, and I came also because I preferred to talk to you than to stay where I was. No one knows that I came to see you. I said I was going to get the fan, and I told Stuart to find it after I'd left. I just wanted to sec you, that's all. But I will go back again at once." While he had been speaking Hope had :lowered her eyes from his face and had turned and looked out across the harbor. There was a strange, happy tmmult in her breast, and she was 1brmathing so rapidly that she was afraid he would .notice it. She also felt an absurd inclination ,to cry, and that frightened her. So she laughed and turnedt Said looked up in- to .his face again.. Clay saw theQ same look in herr eyes that he had seen there the day when she had con- gratulated him on his work at the mines. He had seen it befote hit. the ?-' he Hove, woe eqi t r r 0M s j Tennis leton's, iahku ma4tse 'Capsules Your druggist will supply you, Write tor free trial to Temple. tofo'e, ail Colborne Rt., Toronto. field by E. Umbaelt. iu 'Walton by W. (t. Neal. eyes of other women and it troubled him. Hope seated herself in the big chair, and Olay tossed his cloak on the floor at cher feet and sat down with his shoulders against one of the Anus. He glanced up at her and found that the look that had troubled him was gone, and that her eyes were now smiling with excitement and pleasure. "And did you being me something from the ball in your pocket to com- fort me," she asked,`moekingly. "Yes, I did," Clay answered, un abashed. "I brought you some bon- bons." "You didn't, really!" Hopee cried with asbriek ofdelight. "How ab- surd of youl The sort you pull?" "The sort you pull," Clay repeated, gravely. "And also a dance -card, which is a relic of barbarism still ex- isting in this Southern capital. It has the arms of Olancho on it in gold, and I thought you might tike to keep it as• a souvenir." He pulled the card from his coat -pocket and said, "May I have this dance?." "You may," 'Hope answered. "But you wouldn't mind if we sat it out, would you?" "I should prefer it," Clay said, as he scrawled, 'his name across the card, "It is so crowded inside, and the com- pany is rather mixed." They both laughed lightly at their own foolish- ness, and Hope smiled down upon hist affectionately and proudly. "You may smoke, if you choose; and would you like something cool to drink?" she asked, anxiously. "After your ride, you know," she suggested, with hospitable intent. Clay said that he was very comfortable without a drink but lighted a cigar and watched her covertly through the smoke, as she sat smiling happily and quite un- conscious upon the moonlit world a- round them. She caught Clay's eye fixed on her, and laughed lightly. "What is it?" he said. "Oh, I was just thinking;' Hope replied, "that it was much better to have a dance conte to you, than to go to the dance." "Does one man and a dance -card and three bonbons constitute your idea of a ball?" "Doesn't it? You see, I ani no: out yet, 1 don't know." "I should think it might depend a good deal upon the man," Clay sug- gested. "Thad sounds as though you were hinting," said Hope, doubtfully. Now what would I say to that 4f I were nut.?" "I don't know, but don't say it," Clay answered. "It would probably be something very unflattering or very forward, and in either ease I should take you hack to your chaperon and leave you there." Hope had not been listening. Her eyes were fixed on a level with his tie, and Clay raised his hand to it in some trepidation. "Mr, Clay," she began abruptly and leaning eagerly forward, ""would you think me very rude if I asked you what you did to get all those crosses? I know they mean something, and I do so wan; to know what. Please tell me." "Oh, those!" said Clay. "The rea- son I put them on to -night is be- cause wearing them is supposed to be a sort of compliment to your host. I got in the habit abroad—" "I didn't ask you that," said Hope, severely. "I asked you what you did to get them. Now begin with the Legion of Honor on the left, and go Tight on until you come to the end, and please don't skip anything. Leave in all the bloodthirsty parts, and please don't be modest." "Like Othello," suggested Clay. "Yes, said Hope; "I will be Des - de mora." "Well, Desdemona, it was like this," said Clay, laughing. "I got that medal and that star for serving in the Nile campaign, under Weise - ley. After I left Egypt, I went up the coast of Algiers, where I took service under the French' in a most disreputable organization known as the Foreign Legion—" "Don't tell me," exclaimer} Hope, K3 ;r;, �yruiq.:rA. a. p1 tt, tty, 1 gard'eu, ad ; ytlie other goo I c gsttgs ,, g tr tgne Le, " e g cp mt ak'eLegion tete eep�i t �p ',;atsd then I went, ter Per Wheia " , ° ou're pphig," Said Bope. "Hae+' did you Legion egion of 'Hotter'2" "Ob, t'itpt?" .said (flay. "That was a gallery play I made once when 'we were chasing.solue Arabs. They took the Ienenr'rb ag away from ouvr color - bearer, and '1 got it balk again and waved i1frantical'ly around my hood until I was quite certain the' Colones had seen me doing it, and then, I stopped es soon as I knew that I was sure of promotion." "Oh, how can you?" cried Hope. "You didn't do anything of the sort. You probably saved the entire regi- molt." egi- molt" • • "Wellt perhaps I did," Clay return- ed. 1'Though 1 don't remember it, and nobody mentioned it at the time." "Go on about the others," said Hope. "And do -try to be truthful." "Well, I got this one from Spain,: because d was President of an Inter- national Congress of Engineers at Madrid. That was the ostensible rea- son, but the real reason was because I taught the 'Spanish Commissioners to play poker instead of bacaLcart. The German Emperor gave me this for designing a fort, and the Sultan of Zanzibar gave me this, and no one but the Sultan knows why, and he won't tell. 1 suppose he's ashamed - /le gives them away instead of ci- gars. He was out of cigars the day I called." "What •a lot of glares you have seen," sighed Hope. "I have been in Cairo and Algiers, tee. but I always had to walk about with a governess, and she Wouldn't ge to the mosques because she said they were full of fleas. We always go to homburg and Paris in the summer, and to big hotels in London. I love to travel, but I don't love to travel that way, would you?" "I travel because I have no home," said Clay. "I'm different from the chap that came home because all the other places were shut. I go to other places because there i., no home open." "What do you mean?" said Hope, shaking her head "Why have you no home?" "There was a ranch in Colorado that I used to call home," said Clay, "but they've cut it up into town lots. I own a ,plot in the cemetery outside of the town, where my mother is buried, and I visit that whenever I am in the States, and that is the only piece of earth anywhere in the world that I have to 00 back to." Hope leaned forward with her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes wide open. "And your father?" she said, soft- ly; "is he—is he there. too—" Clay looked at the lighted end of his cigar as he turn,.i it between his fingers. "My father, Miss Hope," he said, "was a filibuster, and went out on the 'Virginius' to help free Cuba, and was shot, against a stone wall. We never .knew where lie was buried." "Oh, forgive me; I be;: your par- don," ,said lfope. Their was such distress in her voice that Clay looked at her quickly a n.1 saw the tears in her eyes. She rcarhed out her hand timidly, and touched for an instant his own rough, sunburned fist, as it lay clenched on his knee. "I am so sorry," she said, "so sorry." For the first tine- in many years the tears came to Clay's eyes and blurred the moonlight and the scene before him, and he sat unmanned' and .silent be- fore the simple touch of a young girl's sympathy. An hour later, when his pony struck the gravel from beneath his hoofs on the rare back tq the city, and Clay turned to wave his hand to Hope in the doorway', she seemed, as she stood with the moonlight falling about her white figure, like a spirit beckoning the way to a new paradise. ties afiingicila am xliR Ale$ ,feeblof, Moat whish. • 3'.0 u'apicioaa tp ,tiolte'�r tastes, "Mien we :get loge," saki Otey, an a vofee, e will both can to Stuart t we "'atilt ee him to -morrow morning at break- " rigiyt," assorted' Ring. 'What's up?', L4tnart helped Miss Langham tato her carriage, and as' it moved' away King pltoutAd ''to him in English to remember that he was brealcfastiug with him on the morrow, and Clair called out in Spanish, "Until to -mor- row at breakfast, don't forget." And Stuart answered, steadily, "Good- night until to-naorrow at ono." As their carriage jolted through the dark acid narrow street, empty now of all noise or movement, one of Stuart's troopers dashed by id at a aaltap, with a. lighted lantern swing- ing winging at his side. He raised it as he passed each street crossing, and held it high above his head so that its light fell capon the walls of the hous- es at the four corners. The clatter of his horse's hoofs had not ceased before another trooper galloped to- ward them riding more slowly, and throwing the light of his lantern ever the trunks of the trees that lined the pavements. As the carriage passed hire, he brought his horse to its side with a jerk of the bridle, and swung his lantern .ill the faces of its occu- pants. . "Who lives?" he challenged. "Marncho, " Clay replied. ""W'ho answers?" "Free men," Clay answered again, and pointed at the star on his coat. The soldier mattered an apology, and striking his heels into his horse's side, dashed noisily away, his lantern tossing from side to side, high in the air, as he drew rein to scan each tree and passed from one lamp -poet to the next. "What does that mean?" said Mr. Langham; "did he take us for high- waymen?" (Continued on page 7.) Men! - I We DT putyou in o ." ;x •with 'lt' o e GDaxi3,rikGA;W' DAN. D.: „ . , , dM4'thFe; OAMAMIA , etc.,of both Is�7tr• "' es, etc., who are refined, charm - '1: iug and, wish to .correspo td ter amusement or marriage, a stlfb ed. JOIN OLTR CORR OND- Cid7$, $1 per ye+..; mouths'e8�• trial, 50e, including priv�il PHOTOS . ice•.. Join at once or write iarformetion. MRS. FLORENCE BBL� 200 Montague St., Brooklyn,N.T, Cafffor DON'T DO THIS! e. li LEONARD EAR OIL RELIEVES DEAFNESS and STOPS HEAD NOISES "Rub it in Back of the Ears" (Never Put in Ears) Insert hs Nostrils Desfaese is greatly relieved by a simple treatment with Leonard Ear Oil. Special instructions by a noted Far Specialist for different kinds of Deaf- ne., and Head Nantes contained in each Package. Leonard Ear 011 la not an experiment. hot has had n suceessfnl este since 1007. "You cannot afford to helped tbonsande of people. Why net voe• Descriptive circular aeon MADE IN CANADA request.• L II. Redliegten fs.,Sales Apnts, Serests A. 0.. LEONARD, Inc., Mfrs., 70 501 Ar., N.Y.CItf For Sale By E. UMBACII, Seaforth. and all good druggists. 'Clay reached the President's Palace during the supper -hour, and found Mr. Langham and his daughter at the .President's table. Madame Alvarez pointed to a place for him beside Alice Langham, who held up her hand in welcome. "Yon were very foolish to rush off like that," she said. "It wasn't there," said Clay, crowd- ing into the place beside her, "No, it was here in the carriage all the time. Captain Stuart found it for me." "Oh, he did, did he?" said Clay; "that's why I couldn't find it. I am hungry," he laughed, "my ride gave me an appetite." Ile looked overand grinned at Stuart, but that gentle- man was staring fixedly at the candles on the table before him, his eyes filled with concern. Clay observed that Madame Alvarez was covertly watching the young officer, and frowning her disapproval at his ere- octupa'tion. So he stretched his leg under the table and kicked viciously at Stuart's boots. Old General Rojas the Vice -President, who sat next. to Stuart, moved suddenly and then', blinked violently at the ceiling with an expression of patient suffering, but the exclamation which had escap- ed him brought Stuart back to the present, and he talked with the wo- man next him in n perfunctory man - Her. 'Miss Langham and her father were waiting for their carriage in the great hall of the Palace as Stuart came cap to Clay, and putting his hand af- fectionately on his shoulder, began pointing to something farther back in the hall. To thr n.ightbirds of the streets and the noisy flame drivers outside, and to the crowd of guests who stood on the high marble steps waiting for their turn to depart, he might have been relating, an amusing aneedete of the ball just over. "I'm in great trouble, old man." was what he said. "rt must see you alone to -might. I'd ask yon to my rooms, but they watch me all the time, and I don't want them to sus- pect you are in this tmtil they must. Go on in the carriage, bat get int Many people have discovered that 2 in 1 Shoe Polishes are. good for other things than for shining shoes. For example: —. - 2 in 1 BLACK—Good for polishing motor cars; refinishing suit cases, kodaks,'black gloves, rubbers, hats, etc., 2 in 1 WHITE—cake or liquid—Good for cleaning hats, stains in white skirts, white kid gloves, auto tires, etc. 2 In 1 TAN PASTE—Good for polishing furniture, hardwood floors, etc. For the Best List of New Uses for 2 in 1, 1st award $500.00—for the most acceptable list 2nd " 300.00—for next best list 3rd " 200.00—for third best list 10 Prizes of 25.00—for the next ten We are Awarding Cash Prizes as Followae 20 Prizes of $15.00—for the next twenty 50 " " 5.00—for the next fifty 50 " ' 2,00—for the ne3ct fifty 100 " " 1.00—for the next 100 lista Try to find new uses for any of the 2 in 1 Shoe Polishes, either black, tan, oxblood, or brown paste, white cake or white liquid, black or tan combination. Write on one side of paper only. List uses according to colors. Awards will be made according to decision of special committee, and payment made on or before October 1st, 1922. All lists submitted to become our property. Address; �1'V+�sYou Prize Editor, F. F. DALLEY COMPANY OF (CANADA LIMITED, HAMILTON, CANADA. 0 For 154 lh',i,;itF�,,.t t •l a:s. fir tY,+ .+P. ?su'; t,