Show X t i I J. J 70 r 7 Of i 7 It 0 O tand and b by d 1 Gallop Hit tAkk Y She Sphinx p Ward race Faced da a ai 4 i J t l Tragic Crisis i JL I i and He Pie Elected hl I OW much misfortune i id JJ H HOW I 1 H ask the y 4 v. v i j 1 II j may a man to It Meet Alone but Fate Tooka Took IA tt 1 n M woman he loves to share r r t I 1 L 1 l 1 with him Is it a quesa question ques ques- a Hand Han in an the Game and and Love 1 Ii rr 4 d t tio tion n for him t to 0 d decide eCI de ort or c j i. i I fi t Ih t 1 should he let the girl have havea I Game Came Back to With Him Mr Ride n i a voice In in th the e matted 1 i w u in 1 Woodward ans answers vers both ot i. i A f ii C s Over a Scarred Hoof-Scarred Polo Field 1 questions in In this delights delight delight- f r 1 J h s1 t I rut ful story 1 i r. r po pOLO OLO o enthusiasts were wont to 10 say that Jf s Sphinx Wards Ward's pl play as No Xo 2 for forthe 1 T the the Leopards was in in itself a comprehensive exhibition of the game of games But that was before the grisly spill two fences from home borne in the Grand Military at Sandown Sandown San- San Sandown down Park had rob robbed d him of his nervous balance and thrust after that they I s shrugged rugged fatalistic shoulders and opined he X t had bad played his last chukker r He lie re was definitely of the same opinion as as M. J sleek headed headed impassive and back In England after twelve months' months co convalescent convalescent vales cent voyaging he Jle watch watched the crowd at SIrs Mrs Grice Mildmay's recel ton with the puckered eyes of uncertain vision J 1 I That twelve months had bronzed his cheeks twelve months of rigid self self- self discipline had bad braced to some extent the nerves which had been been shattered by that ghastly ghastly toss Y There had been serious concussion a broken leg collarbone and arm the fractures were I now mended but the injury to his head nead had bad left a tragic legacy legacy his his eyes were like dim dimand and shrouded lights I To Lucas Ward Ward Sphinx Sphinx only to his pals pale by of his reason impeccable e reserve reserve- if of r r t hun man hunting m ing-m n steeplechaser r and polo player the loss of rapid and accurate vision was as asi i death He had been blind for a n fortnight f after after ter the fall and although after that tha this his sIght eight had returned it was misty and I t tam tain in Subsequent pain had sent him to an man eye-man in Santiago and h ho he had bad come away 1 J alarmed and downcast On his return to London two vo days ago he had visited the v blunt but God-gifted God oculist Seymoor- Seymoor Chater v r TTE W JE nAD left the specialists specialist's chambers as a man under sentence of death leaves the dock Everything save life itself it- it self elf had been en swept away from him No 4 longer would his stud of Irish-bred Irish hunters be of use to him never ag again iI would he pilot pilot one or other of his string of jumpers to victory between the flags His Ilis polo poloa g a ponies schooled from stick eti k and ball to l N b leg learning by himself would grow gross in th their ir boxes or find other owners I through the conduit of Tattersall's sul sales sales- s- s ring and worst of all he would ha have ve to free Vivian Harries Barries from her promise to be his wife Realizing the inability of his fading eyEs eyE's to pick out Vivian Harries from the gay crush he turned and strolled toward the tl e conservatory and then abruptly as he entered entered entered en- en the dim interior he came face to face with the girl AJI t Hallo Sphinx I There was joy in Vivians Vivian's tone and a thrill passed through r Lucas Wards Ward's being but but ruthlessly h he steadied himself there was stern work 1 1 ahead Ive just turned up went on ony on y 3 Vivian Vivian Heard Beard you'd arrived and was coming to look for you Lets Let's sit down it Ive Ive I've been at Epsom all day How are you old boy Odd of you not to let me know v f had returned from froin wanderings you you ou your i Sorry Vivian smiled Lucas laying cool but well but well IJ I his hand on her arm J j y have something rather important to tell tellI I you rou Lets Let's squat here l 1 V Has anything horrible happened Sphinx r dear dear she asked seating herself in a deep W- W j basket chair Do you k know now you h haven't en a t written to me since rou ou were in Chile r. r three months ago i j r 7 The smile had bad faded from Lucas Luca face and for j just st a second he hesitated then ti speaking his voice was grave gra 1 t Yes Vivian It was in Chile that a Ii m medico dic hinted catastrophe to my hopes in S' S life Since arriving in England that hint 11 I has been made a worded plain-worded fact 4 I Alarm sudden and enervating came toi to i Yi Vivian rt k V I Sphinx I she whispered What is it v f Almost brutally in his agony Lucas anA an- an f A ered S That That in six months months' I shall shaIl be blind f he said tv t I. I stricken Horror stricken r-stricken with wih n a rasp asp as of phYSIcal physical l cal pain Vivian gripped grip his arm but with 1 S c 4 a hard ring in his voice voke Lucas went on rOld r i. i Vis' Vis Old Seymoor Seymoor Seymoor-Chater Chater ter the eye man mau man g give gave e i me my conge congo yesterday Apparently owing yr tIP to that fall on my head my my optic nerves ar are Q 1 I atrophying I cant can't see more than ban five yards yard F ahead of me as it is sudden excitement k 2 am ani told will rob me of that power Im I'm H r notto not to hunt not to p play ay polo not to fo fatigue fatigueS S r V- V r p vo myself or else elEe my six months of light will be cut short c u TT E PAUSED PAUSED a grim smile smie on his lips H tl r-tl and and Vivian a Ii sense of ot terrible awe awe v in the face of this assailing her bent close to him t Sphinx she she whispered Sphinx Oh what can I say What can I do to tell you how bow sorry I am r I Nothing f That one word had all the fad finality of the world in it Dumb with grief Vivian bowed her head to h hide hale de the starting tears From rom the reception room the strains of a string band playing Ma Ia Mere Iere VOie lOie came if to their e ears cars rs like a jeer Only loo too clearly j 1 did Vivian know now why Lucas had abruptly ly cease ceased to write to her only too Ar t lucidly uc was wase the restraint int of f Ilis ma manner ex ex- r p l ed He was going t to offer hc her her free free- ree- ree f i I 1 Ii no 7 dom and with a fierce and strengthening passion passion she knew she he would never Clever accept itEen it Even en as the thought came to her mind Lucas spoke JI I 1 want you to consider yourself free Vivian There was a note of blooded cold of self sacrifice in his voice which chilled Vivians Vivian's heart beart DontE Dont Do ti dont don't dont don't she gasped How can you think Id I'd be su such h a coward Without Without With With- Without out sight without health you are still theman the theman theman man I love lo I dont don't Want my freedom Sphinx I want you jou OU I With an effort Vivian pulled herself hersell together Sphinx she said her ller voice low law and vibrant its not like you to be bitter Litter and cynical If H a woman loves a a man Dont Vivian he said his voice harsh and anti unsteady Dont Vout tempt me into doing something for which I should hate myself You know kno I love you you you-alwa you always s have bave and always alwa's shall Its It's because of that love lo that I refuse to let you yourself on me I Im I'm m going down to Lelland tomorrow to have a look at the old oid place while I am able to see it tolerably well I shall remain there until my eyes gutter out Forget me Very slowly Vivian rose to her feet She She knew Lucas Ward too well to imagine e for one instant that any words of b hers rs would make him m d do that which his Wa t 11 hat austere cree creed v w. w uw lu us but in himself elf sacrificing g he was crucifying her happiness and anS a sudden vivid vid anger angel against her lover love for for believing g her capable of such base filled her brain and swept pity from her lier bea heart t. t With tears sears in her eyes and indignation m in in her er voice she stood before Lucas Forget you foul rr s she e said I shall shall never Dever ever forget you I loved lo you with all and soul Ul When my heart beart 1 T thought l I yoU had that accident I should die but if you believe my T love lore so shallow v if you believe e me afraid of misfortune I can only hate you fOu Turning she left Lucas standing and for a second black tragedy was sketched fa face t then en the old smile on his came to his lips JupIter he thought If only I could dea deaden en my conscience and accept Vivians Vivian's sacrifice it would be a full compensation for all my other losses loses I Abruptly his brain swung to the old polo axiom Hit flit out and gallop Good for most things in life he soliloquized but hut not whet when failure to win through means misery to the most wonderful girl in the world LELLAND L ELLAND COURT was a wonderful wonderful old place It had come o to o Lucas from his fa father tIler in the natural order of things thins and bein being mellow with the traditions of of th the Ward family Lucas knew that if any environment environment environment en en- could help to assuage the blow fate fate had dealt him it was was was' the broad terraces terraces terraces ter ter- ter- ter races velvety lawns dignified rooms of the house spacious stables and lInd orderly wl white white- ite- ite stud-farm stud which had always sym home and sympathy to him He therefore the traveled tra down to this sanctuary ary the day after his abdication of Vivian ian Methodically Lucas set let to wor work to prepare prepare prepare pre pre- pare pare for the coming eclipse Each morning morning morn morn- morning ing saw him astride one or other of his horses hungrily snatching all ail the pleasure he could while yet light remaIned t to him Diligently he schooled himself to identify each fach occupant of his stables by touch ouch each day he practiced finding his way about some portion of the house or or estate without the use of his fading eyes During this time no word came from Vivian and although his heart henrt was on the rack Lucas told himself almost savagely it was what he wished And then one morning three weeks after he be he had come home Lucas r received ed a note nole which shattered hi his spartan composure The secretary of the Polo As Association notified noti noti- fled fied him of a pra practice match to be held at the Country Club the following week with a view to selecting the team to defend defend defend de de- fend the Worlock Cup CUl against the Argentine Argentine Argentine Argen Argen- tine in three weeks weeks' time he invited Lucas to play No Xo 2 for the Red lied side Apparently news news of Lucas Wards Ward's affliction affliction af af- affliction had not reach reached d the writers writer's ears and pungently it was borne in upon up-on Sphinx that like the o origin of his nickname nickname nickname nick nick- name he was just a looker And Ill I'll not be even that much longer he mused ticking off another day on his wall calendar Ill just be Ue an armchair critic basing my opinions on on onn n newspaper reports read to me by those who have ha the gift of fight eight For Jor a day he wrestled with bla black k despondency despondency de de- and then came to a decision If I cant can't play Ill I'll I see ec what I can of the be game he be told himself If what Ch Chater ter says is true Ill I'll be too far gone in the mists to see any anything thin by by next season so Ill I'll risk meeting Vivian again and watch wath the practice practice practice tice match and the game for the cup But oh God If only I could coul hit o out t and gallop once more And although his heart was lead he be beon heon heon on the day of the practice match greeted the gay cr crowd d at the club chub with his old nonchalant smile received their sympathy sympathy sympathy sym sym- pathy with persiflage and ml only when Bob ob Major of the Whites came up and commiserated commiserated com corn with him for being out of it and when Brolli strolling g down behind the line lie of J h s1 t I tt i. t I y i S fI y A j n a an I n 4 I t r watchers he saw v Vivian chatting to Terry Musgrave who had taken his place as No o 2 for the Reds did realization of the fullness fullness fullness full full- ness of his loss wipe the mask of smiling defiance from his face Bitterly he recalled Vivians Vivian's last words word to him If you believe me afraid of misfortune misfortune misfortune tune I can only hate you Did she mean that thought Lucas Well p perhaps it wasas was was as well if she she- did e Terry is isa isa isa a good chap and has always been sweet on Vivian It was after afler the seventh period p iod when a avoiding the tile tearoom Lucas w was s strolling among the ponies tb that t Terry Musgrave e came up to him y Hullo Sphinx he called How now are the eyes Frightfully rightfully sorry sory to hear about them from Vivian but if I were you Id I'd not take old Chater's dictum too seriously Darned old mists air that's what these specialist spiders are ate Lucas smiled If I can see your face face in six months' months time you shall come and help me to kick him bim for a liar Terry he said liB By the way you played a darn good game this afternoon Oh Im I'm not DOt quite on m my form deprecated deprecated deprecated depre depre- Terry Terry- But the committee has cho chosen n me as No Xo 2 for the cup match match Stout fellow said Lucas keeping envy from his voice oice by a supreme supreme effort of willI willI willI will I think you ought to retain the cup unless the Argentine ponies prove pro a bit too nippy for ours it agreed Terry Id back myself myself my my- self to play any Argentino chap to a standstill standstill standstill stand stand- still if I had the pick of your ponies Mine arent aren't schooled like yours The irony of the position struck Lucas bringing a n smile to his lips lillS Well ell he said if its it's going to help us hold the cup you can have ha six six of my best Licker White Knight Bou Bouncer Gin- Gin sling Sheik and The Sahib They're all allas allas allas as clever er as paint and can almost play the game on their own Joy snapped into Musgrave's es face By jingo jinro do you mean that he ex claimed LUCAS T laughs laughe J- J Of course he said sard gayly I shall never play again but its it's no reason son why they too loo should go into t. t Will you jou sell em i asked Musgrave Musgrave eagerly Lucas sho shook k his head bead No o Musgrave e he lie said They form forma a bit of a link for me flue me between things as asther they Thew is' is and things filings as they was but Ill I'll send them along to you the day after tomorrow when I get home and if you ride em eni once or twice you'll know them perfectly perfectly perfectly per per- by the date of or the Argentine match Your efficiently educated polo pony is s a athing athing athing thing of beauty almost beyond w words for it it speaks of animal intelligence and the limitless patience of man It Il must pos possess sJ tI collected balance and courage of a prizefighter prizefighter prize prize- fighter r combined with the fleetness of a racehorse He lie must know in ill the heat of the game rile when leg means stop slop start r passage legs bend o o.- o. turn and there must must be he no hesitation Lucas Wards Ward's ponies knew all this for twelve months months' careful training had gone to the making of each Lucas loved them and when two days after the practice game he sent the six siv best O er to Willington Heath Beath Terry ferry Musgrave's place he lIe was both proud and pleased that he would be connected even en vicariously with the match against the Argentine team But after they l had ad gone gone he passed through ugh I 1 want you OU to consider yourself yourself yourself your your- self free Vivian |