| Show SERIA E REAL L STORY J Jr r R THE GiRL 1 I from HIS TOWN I By MARIE VAN VORST by M. M G. G KETTNER r s I Copyright 1910 br by Tho Morrill Cd 02 32 SYNOPSIS t r i Dan Blair the 22 year old son of at the dollar copper king of at Blairtown Blair Blair- town Mont Is a guest at the English home of at Lady Galore Dans Dan's father tather had been courteous to Lord during his Visit to the United States and the courtesy Is now being returned to the young oun man The Tho youth has an Ideal girl girlIn girlIn In his mInd H He meets Lily Duchess of ot a beautiful widow who Is attracted by his Immense fortune and takes take a liking to her herThen When Then Dan was a abol aboy boy bol a girl sang a 3 solo at a church and he shad nad never forgotten her The Ga- Ga Lily and Dan Dan attend a London theater where one Letty Lane Is the star Dan recognizes her as the girl from tram his town and going behind the scenes introduces introduces' Introduces Intro Intro- duces duces' uce himself and she remembers him He Ile learns learns' that Prince Is suitor and escort to Letty Lord Ga Ga- lorey and a a. friend named Ruggles determine determine determine deter deter- mine to protect the westerner from Lily and other fortune hunters Young Blair goes to tD see Lily he can talk of ot nothing but Letty and this angers the Duchess The westerner finds finde Letty ill III from tram hard work but she recovers and Ruggles and Dan Invite her to supper She asks Dan Danto Danto Danto to build a A. home for tor disappointed theatrical theatrical the the- people i i CHAPTER XI Con Continued I f She did not appear to hear him Indeed Indeed In In- deed she was not looking at him and Dan saw Prince making his way toward their table across the room Letty Lane rose Dan put her cloak about her shoulders and glancing toward toward to to- ward Ruggles and toward the boy as Indifferently as she had considered the new-comers new who formed a small group around the brilliant figure of the actress she nodded good night to both Rugg Ruggles es and Blair and went up to the Hungarian as though he were her husband who had come to take 1 her home However at the door she sufficiently shook off her mood to smile slightly aLDan aan I r have had lots of fun and the Scotch broth was great Thank you both so much Until they were up in their sitting- sitting room her hosts did not exchange a word Then Ruggles took a book up from the table and sat down with his cigar I am going to read a little Dan Slept all day feel as wideawake wideawake wideawake wide wide- awake as an owl Dan showed no desire to be communicative communicative communicative com com- however to Ruggles' Ruggles disappointment disappointment disappointment dis dis- dis- dis appointment but he exclaimed abruptly abrupt abrupt- ly Ill be darned Ruggles if it I can guess what you asked her for Well It did turn out to be a pretty pretty pretty pret pret- ty expensive party for you Dannie h ft h ft didn't It IU Ruggles returned humor humor- Ill let y you u off from any more supper parties I And Dan fumed as ho he turned his nIs back Expensive There you are again Ruggles with your Infernal Intrusion Intrusion intrusion in In- of money Into everything 1 do When the older man found himself alone he read a little and then put his book down to muse And his medItations meditations meditations med med- were on the tide of life lite and the beds It runs over the living whirlpool whirlpool whirl whirl- pool as Ruggles himself had seen It coursing through gh London under fog Og and mist It seemed now to surge up In the dark to his very windows and the flow mysteriously passed under his windows in these silent hours over which the waters go Out of the sound as a's it Sowed flowed on on the cries rose he thought kindly to his ears God bless her her God God bless Letty Lane And v with this sound he closed his meditations thinking of a more peaceful peaceful peaceful peace peace- ful stream the brighter sweeter waters waters waters wa wa- wa- wa of the boys boy's nature translucent and clear The vision was happier and with It Ruggles rose and yawned a t r and shut his book J i. i r. r f CHAPTER XII t I The Green Knight The Duchess of Breakwater had made Dan promise at the day he ho went back to London that he would take her over to her own place Court and with her see Bee the beauty ruins and traditions of the place When Dan got up well veil ell on in the morning Ruggles had gone to the bank Dans Dan's thoughts turned from I rans ran's g. g to Letty Lane With Irritation irritation tation he put her out of his mind There had como come up between himself and the girl he had known slightly In his own town two years ago a wall of partition Every time he ho saw her Pont Pont- was there condescending arrogant arrogant arrogant ar ar- rude and proud The prince the night before had given the tips Ups of his fingers to Dan nodded to Ruggles Ruggles Ruggles Rug Rug- as If it the Westerner had been his his tailor and had bad appropriated Letty Lane and she ehe had gone away under his shadow The simplicity of Dans Dan's life Ute his decent bringing up his immaculate Im Im- r maculate youth for or such It was was his r- r aloofness from the world made him k naive but he ho waa not dull He waited not not like a skeptic who would fit I every everyone one Into his pigeonholes pigeonholes-on on the contrary h hi waited to find every everyone everyone everyone one as perfect as he ho knew they must be and every time he tried to think of or Letty Lane troubled him horribly and seemed to rise before him and sardonically look at him through his eye glass making the boys boy's belief in good things ridiculous He a note to Ruggles saying that he would be back late and not to wait for him and set out in his own car for where the duchess duchess duchess duch duch- ess was to meet him at Court Courtat at noon On his way out he decided that he had been a n. fool to discuss L Letty Letty Let Let- tty t- t ty ty Lane with the Duchess of or Breakwater ter and that It had been none of his business to put her duty be before ore her and that he had Judged her quickly and unfairly He fell feir In love with the lovely English country over which his motor took him and It mac made e him more affectionate toward the tho English woman He sat back in his car lookIng looking look- look Ing ng over the fine shooting land the misty golden fore forests ts as through the misty country his motor took Its way The breath of England was on his cheeks he breathed In its odors fresh tresh and sweet the tho wildness air was cool anC and fragrant His chee cheeks s grew red his eyes shone like stars and he was content with his youth and his lot When they stopped at Castel en the property belonging to Court he le felt something of proprietorship stir sUr In him and at Arms ordered ordered ordered or or- dered a drink bought petroleum and then hen pushed up the avenue under the leafless giant trees whose roots were older than his fathers father's name or than any state of the Union And he felt admiration and something like emotion emotion emotion emo emo- tion as M ho saw the first towers of Court finally appear The duchess waited for him in the room known as the Green Knights Knight's Room because of a figure In tapestry tapestry tapestry tapes tapes- try on the walls The legend in wool laid in the broad fireplace and the duchess had ordered the luncheon table for Dan and herself spread with the tho cold things England knows how to combine into a delectable feast I The room was full of or mediaeval fur fur- furnishings furnishings but the Green night was vas the best of all The Duchess of Breakwater Breakwater Break Break- water took him for granted She had known him all her life lite and she had only been struck by his expensive beauty when the offer came to her from the National Museum to buy him and she wondered how long she could afford to sUck sticks to her price When Dan came In he found round her in ina ina ina a short tweed skirt a manni mannish sh h blouse ouse looking boyish and wholly charming and she mixed him a cocktail undo unde the Green Knights Knight's very nose and offered offered offered of of- It with the wisdom of the serpent serpent serpent ser ser- pent itself and the tho duchess didn't Inthe in inthe inthe the least suggest the he e white robed white milk-white l lady dy The friends drank their cocktails In good spirits and Dan presented the lady with the flowers Sowers ho he had brought r L her and ho he felt a str strong mg sentiment I Istir stir sUr at the sight of her In this old room alone and waiting for him The Ther servants left them the duchess put her hands on the bUl buys buy's broad shou ders Nearly as tall as he she was wasa was was' wasa a good example of or the best looking best looking I English woman straight and strong and her eyes ees were level and Dan met them with his own I r am so glad you came she mur mur- Ive been ragging myself every minute since you went away from You have What for Because I was such a perfect prig Ill I'll do anything you like for Miss Lane I mean mean to say Ill I'll arrange tor tora a musicale and ask her to sing The color rush rushed d into into- Dans Dan's face How bully of her What a brick this showed her to be He lIe said You Yo are as sweet as as' a peach The duchess duchess' hands were still on his shoulders She could feel his rapid breath I dont don't make you think of at a box of candy now she murmured and the tho boy covered her hand with his own I r dont don't know what you make me think of of-it of It is bully what whatever ver It Is If It the Spanish tapestry could only have reversed Its idea and if it the immaculate immaculate im im- im maculate lady or even one of the rabbits rabbIts rabbits rab rab- bits could have drawn a sword to protect the green reen Knight It would have been passing well But Dut the woven work when it first had been embroidered was done for ever It was irrevocable In Its mistaken Idea that it Is only the woman who needs protection CHAPTER XIII The Face of Letty Lane As Dan went through the halls of the Carlton on his way to his rooms that same evening the porter porter porter por por- ter gave him two notes which Dan went down Into the tho smoking-room smoking to t r u F c fJ i t I Pk J. J i C 1 ti I s i i a Jit ro 1 v Prince Prince Making His Way Toward Their Table Across the Room had been woven in Spain somewhere about the time Ume when Isabelle w was s kind and when In turn a aa continent loomed up for th the world i I general out of the mist The subject of the Green Knights Knight's tapestry was simple and convincing On a shee sheer cut cut village village village vil vil- lage of or low ferns ferns where daisies stood up like trees a slender lady poised her dark sandaled feet on the pin-like pin turf Her figure was all swathed round with a spotless dress of woolly white softened by age Into a golden misty tone and a a pair of friendly and confidential rabbits sat close to her golden slippers The ladys lady's face was candid and mild her eyes were ere soft and around her head was wound a allet fillet of woven threads mellow In Intone intone tone a red no doubt originally but softened to a coral coial pink by time This lady in all her graCe grace and virginal sweetness was only half hall of the woven story To her right stood a youth In forest green his sword drawn and his Intention evidently to kill a creature creature crea crea- ture tur which near to the gentle rabbits out of oC the grass lifted its cruel snake snakelike ke head For nea nearly ly five hundred hundred hun hun- dred years the serpents serpent's venom had been poised and If it the serpent should start the Green Knight would strike too at the same same magic moment Close to the tapestry a fire had been been I read He tore open the note bearing the Hotel Savoy on the envelope and read Dear Boy Will you come around to tonight tonight tonight to- to night and see me about five o'clock Dont Don't let anything keep you you Letty Lano Lana had the habit of or scratching out phrases to Insert others and there was something scratched out I want to talk to you about something very Im im- Come sure L. L L. L L Dan looked at the clock it was after aft after after er nine and she would be at the Gaiety Galety Gaie Gale ty y going on with her performance The other note which he opened more slowly was from Ruggles and It began In just the same way as the tho dancers dancer's had begun Dear Boy I have been sU suddenly called called call call- c ed d back to the United States As AB I didn't know how to get at you I couldn't I had a cable that takes me right back Lack I get the at Liverpool and you jou youcan OU can send me a Marconi Better make the first boat you can an and come over Joshua Ruggles I Ruggles left no word of advice and unconscious of this master stroke on the part o of the old man whose heart yearned for him as for his own son Dan folded the note up and thought no more about Ruggles I When an hour later tie ne came out oat of the Carlton he was prepared for the tho life of the evening He stopped at atthe the telephone desk and sent a telegram telegram telegram tele tele- gram to Ruggles on the Lusitania I Cant come yet et awhile am nm engaged to tobe tobe tobe be married to the tile Duchess of ot Breakwater ter He wrote this out In full and theman the tho thoman man at the tho Marconi sat up and smiled as he wrote With Letty Lanes Lane's badly written note in his po pocket ket and wondering very much at her summons of him Dan drove to the Gaiety Galeb and at the end of the third act went back backof of the scenes There were several people people peo pea plo in her dressing Higgins was lacing her into a white bodice and Miss Lane before her glass was put- put Ing the rouge on her lips Ups TO BE CONTINUED I |
