Show S 11 r of t the ae t 1 Minute t c i 4 j- j r t Y By By HELEN HELENR R. R MAr MA MARTIN rN Copyright bt by br Dodd Dodd il teal d A II Co Ca WN StrY C CHAPTER X Continued X-Continued Continued 22 22 Lady Sylvia St. St CroIx That Is IsI IsI IsI Is- Is I am that am-that that Is to say may say may I I. I present who are you you 7 myself myself j m are who arc She stared at him In do what seemed undisguised astonishment and drew away her ber hand band But she stepped out of the crowd and stood aside with hIm himon on the dock You Ton have been sent to fetch me You Ton are I t suppose she said sald scanning scanning scan scan- ning h his s re attire my cousins cousin's groom 7 T The voice the accent were to b blure be beure pure lure as utterly different from Meely's as were the tone and manner of ot the girl gIrl gIrl-a a self possessed reserved manner manner man man- l ner er that made St. St CroIx her abject slave In In spite of ot her unflattering and stupid mistake In taking him for a p-oom p heavens groom heavens I II I am your Cousin St. St CroIx Lady Sylvia he stam explained Oh with a surprised lift of ot her hertine fine tine brows Ho How do you do She offered her gloved hand and nod as he heto to took k It It flashed upon him tl that at he would know Meely hands bands among a thousand thousand-he thousand he would know the very touch of ot them them them-he he had always thought her hands so unusual tor for a working girl When this girl drew off oft her gloves gloves- But ho how utterly utterly utterly utter utter- ly though absurd 1 tho I-tho though gh the resemblance e ewas was wag truly amazing An experienced traveler travel r St. St Cr Croix lx knew how to expedite the tedious customs customs customs cus cus- toms business a and aid d In a very short time he was helping Lady Sylvia Into a taxIcab Seated Seated at her side sl In do t the e ea cab listening lis lis- with strained l attention tt to the tones lones' of her voice stealing glances ather at ather her exquisite profile noting tb the movements movements move move- ments of her ber gloved hands lands If It only shed she'd- take off oft her gloves St St. Croix f felt lt every minute more bewildered more more uncertain There was something some some something thing In the very atmosphere of her ler presence that made him feel as If It he were sitting beside Meely yet Meely-yet yet the IncongruIty incongruity In Incongruity In- In congruity of Identifying In any way this elegant creature with Meely her her er civilized sp speech ech with Meely's Pennsylvania Dutch dIalect dialect dia dIa- lect her ber grace grace with Meely's vulgar clumsiness her sparkling countenance with Meely's heavy heary dullness the sImplicity simplicity simplicity sim sIm- of at her coiffure with Meely's l elaborate pompadour pompadour- The wild absurdity of his predIcament predicament predicament ment In do not being s sure remade made him feel as he told himself woozy All AU at once h he r recalled that Meely Steely had bad a tiny brown mole under the lobe of her ear ear he he had kissed ft It often Her hands and that If he could only lift IUt th the lobes of ot Lady Sylvias Sylvia's ears and have a look But suppose he f found und the mole there what there what would It t mean and what would he do about It t Surely this was vas ivas the the weirdest experIence experience ence that h had d ever fallen to the lot of at ofa ata a man I You have changed so much since you were a child hUd Cousin Sylvia I 1 Id I'd never have recognized you you He lie put putout putout putout out a feeler No of ot course you yon wouldn't When you ou last saw me I was a homely little tow headed ell legged bow toed pigeon-toed freckle faced kid kd d I IThe The words had a vaguely familiar sound to St. St t. t Croix He seemed to hear again the unaccountable t. t Indignation with which Meely that day In the woods on the hill hili had repeated repeated repeated re re- re- re legged Bow I His head lead swam and he felt almost III Suddenly he turned In his seat scat and looked straight into her eyes with a avery avery l lvery very definite and frank trank suspicion This he Inquired with what he felt to be subtle cunning his eyes probing hers like gimlet was as of course your first crossing Well Ive I've d the Channel so often that crossing the tho Atlantic didn't seem anything 1 Why Id I'd hardly know knowl 1 l' 1 was on a boat hoat at all crossing the Atlantic Why cr cros crossing the Atlantic Atlan tf tic tic tic- c- c She was evading e a direct answer to his question question and and I-and and covering the fact tact by volubly chattering Seated opposite each other presently present present- ly In la the dining g car he waited In ft sir strained raIned suspense for tor the critical mo mo- nt ii-i-nt 11 Int when their waiter walter would bring their J order and Lady Sylvia la I would be obliged to remove her gloves and at the same time he lie was wondering how he could contrive to have a look ook behind be be- hind her ears for tor that tiny Uny mole for tor I that mole could have b been en no part parl of ofa ofa ofa a up make-up he knew It t too Intimately Intimate Intimate- ly not to be quite sure that It come ore oft 1 So she suddenly remarked resting rest rest- Ing her folded arms on the table and bonding b forward confidentially your our brother Mar 1 In wont won't have bave m me will willel he be el St. St t. t Croix made an et effort Tort to conceal ma Jua surprise and embarrassment at this tills unexpected broa broadside lIe He felt It larked inked delicacy Q 1 rm Tm afraid when he be tees lees you hell he'll change his hh mind I r Mf I needn't tell you yon whY yon why you know I Ipie Ir ell u pie fro s slue she e gl v Invited he lie like Uke N y v A queer queer bird 1 d r B Seams oms to l hate a c hl Ms his comforts I r W Wants to lve a hod hod- carrier or a street street cleaner cleaner or a a- a Why hes he's g gone ne and taken a tea teaching J Job If It you'll believe me for a n pe petty ty little salary that wouldn't keep me In gasoline I Insists on living simply and working for tor his living JIving Tho The waiters waiter's arrival with their food brought him up short As Lady Sylvia dr drew w off orr he her gloves ho fairly held his breath But to his chagrin that test proved no more conclusive con con- than anything else about her for tor her hands hantIs were now to his distaste distaste distaste dis dis- taste so covered with rings and so perfectly manicured Meely's nails had never been so pink and polished that while these lovely lovey ha hands ds certainly certain certain- ly did somewhat resemble 1 Meely's elys ely's he felt as about everything else concerning concerning concerning con con- his cousin that he could not feel sure I I wear al all these rings she explained explained ex ex- apologetically when I travel tray trav el because I think Its It's the safest st way to carry them Well Nell since the the test test hind failed tailed he to find tInd was all the more determined that m mole moe e eIf I lf If If It were there to be found A Aery very ery vague attention he gave to his dinner as as with every least mo movement movement move move- ement e- e ment of her head he tried to see under under un un- der and around and through her earlobes ear car Iob lobes s t r Lady Sylvia he said abruptly with a sudden reckless daring I I want IP I j 1 Il I II I l i In Lady Sylvia St. St Croix That Is Is-I Is I IAm Am That Am-That That Is to Sa Say Say May Mayl May I Present Myself You Myself You Are Who Are Who Are You to take you to see an acquaintance of mine who looks so remarkably lIk like you that Its It's uncanny I You mean dont don't you th that t you'll bring her to see me e No She's a t farmers farmer's daughter living about five live miles from us An Ignorant vulgar vulgar- He stopped short his face flushing red feeling Insanely as though he were Insulting Meely to her tier face ace I A very nice girl country country girl he hastily amended his remark but hut not a person person one would ask to call on you Ou I But why Oh Ob not In our class Then hen you ha have classes classes' In America AmerIca America Amer Amer- ica You know we do I Ever hear of our Colonial Dames or D. D A A. A Its H.'s Ive heard of at your our G. G A A. A Its H.'s to my sorrow I 1 But these C. C D Ds D.'s s and D D. D ARs A A. R.'s Rs they s they seem to be an expression of ot the national yearning for tor a titled order for all those silly social encumbrances encumbrances en en- cumbrances which England so much more advanced In democracy Is trying tryIng tryIng try- try Ing to slough off orr So this farmers farmer daughter Is an Inor Ignorant nt vulgar vular girl who Is unc uncannily like me Thanks Ill take toke you yon to see for yourself how much you look alike I want ant to see you two together Why youre you're n as alIka alike as twins twins except except that you OU are wholly unlike unlike unlike-I I mean your features are dike that's all It will be Interesting to see sen her er- er like seeing one oneself elt on the screen Ill I'll know for tor once what I 1 do hok like Ilke A portrait painter pointer once told me my type was unusual unusual- She he chattered on but hut h he scarcely heard her so Intent he was In trying to penetrate the vel vet of ot her lobes ear when suddenly she stopped stopper short laid down her knife and fork fori i t nd ad looked at al h him m In puzzled Why she site Inquired breathlessly essl her brows puckered In be bewilderment nt are you looking at me so strangely ely TH rn tell you he sn smiled frankly You Vou look so like that farm tarm girl that the very shape of ot your our ears Is like hers hers so so so that I should not he nt at uil all surprised to find you ou had ha even e the same little brown mole under the lobe of ot your ear that she h has s Well Nell l she exclaimed how extraordinarily ex ex- Intimate you must roust have been heen with her to have learned all about her little tittle brown r. r mole ole under her lobe ear I This is Interesting not to say exciting I Own up how up-how how did ld you come to know about this mole Do you ha have ha e one too ton 1 What satiable curiosity See for yourself She lifted the lo lobes es of her ears antI and he looked There was no mole there But nut his relief was not greater that thai his UIs astonishment and confusion tim two people could look so alike with wilh u I l I ant nt belm relater related However h lie he delight In n her ber now without fear and and dread dread and be bep p proud ud of t her distinct tion and and even v n enjoy this weird resemblance resemblance re re- semblance to the girl for tor whom his senses b hungered Now appease my mJ satiable satiable curt enn 1 she insisted L. L How How did did you you you that discover that that farm girls girl's mole Well Nell you'll find It In 11 your heart to forgive me I know that that her ber beauty y so so very very much like y yours urs proved so Irresistible that that sometimes sometimes I kissed kissell her when when I got a good chance And It was was while engaged In kissIng kiss kiss- Ing her that you discovered the little mole You see If she sho hadn't been beautiful beautt ful tol like you rou I 1 shouldn't have wanted to kiss her her beIng being a bit tilt fastidious us In lri imy my taste Tour Your fastidious taste taste said Lady Sylvia reflectively find her too vulgar to be kissed though she's too O vulgar to be asked to call on me She shook her head hopelessly Its too much for tor my logic I dont don't get It Kissing doesn't seem em to me less Intimate Intimate Inti Inti- mate than calling 1 I But one thing g I T Ido rdo do get get l I am to play the h r i role le of Qt th tho thoo rival of at this Ignorant vulgar farm girl In n your affections I It Isn't a 8 arole arole role that appeals to me I Ill I show Tier her to you ll understand un un- l 1 But Dut how will she like your that that your bringing me to ins Inspect her She might not lII like e It dt pt all an I l' s shouldn't think shed she'd like It III I She might fall faU upon me and scratch me mel I But my my dear cousin you yon dont don't suppose s that a girl of that class takes fakes the c caresses of ot men of our class serf sent loure Youre Youre sure that girl didn't take you seriously She wouldn't presume tp I he answered an answered an- an n- n d a tal faint t tinge of at uneasiness JI In hIs voice Ive never been able to o understand understand under under- stand she said almost plaintively how It Is that while men of at the most civilized background ground will seek the most Intimate relations with low girls It would be worse worse than death to w women wom women wom- wom men m- m en of the same background ground to be so much as touched by a common comm n co coarse man Why Is that St. St Croix Cr lx St. St Croix looked rather shocked as air as' though he be felt her choice of ot a theme to be In n very poor taste to say the least Well Nell V ell you know he answered lightly when the gods made man and woman they used a great deal less Jess clay and much more divine fire for the woman than Jar for the man so that woman Is of course less earthly liner finer more celestial r I Will you he asked as they now rose to leave the diner come to the s smoking corridor for tor n a a cigarette Sh She thought she would not but when he had taken her back to their chairs she urged him to go for tor a n smoke without her That he refused to do he had no desire to tear himself him him- I self from the delectable sight of at herfor her herfor herfor for even the few v minutes It took to smoke a cigarette But when she insisted InsIsted In- In Ini that he must go so so that she could take a a little nap as she was i awfully sleepy he reluctantly yielded His reflections as he smoked were ere Increasingly reassuring The agitatIng 1 Ing sense of at the girls girl's dual personality was somewhat dulled by the soothing effect of several cigarettes Even the recollection of certain vague doubts he had always felt about Meely 1 certaIn certain certain tain Inexplicable things like Ilke her fine I hands ands her being able to get away so often from the hard work worl of the thc farm the touch of ot foreignness In her speech her very stupidities that sometimes had seemed more like keen kern thrusts at him none him none of ot these things were Son con j i enough to counteract the evidence evidence evidence evi evi- dence of the mole Meely had a n mole and Lady Sylvia had none I IlIe lie had to go through h several day coaches to reach his parlor car and It was when n h he was hurrying down the tha aisle of or the last of ot these scarcely seeIng seeing see- see I In Ing an anyone as he progressed for the backs hacks of the puss passengers n ers were toward I him that suddenly the hack back of ot a head hend I Just a few feet ahead of ot them brought him to a petrified standstill standstill-froze standstill froze his very pry blood blond and and made mode his hc heart art sink like lead for tor there under his very eyes e so o close clone that he could have put putout putout out his hand and touched her sat Meely Neely her her heavy fair hair arranged In the vulgarly arly pompadour she he always af- af I ll f w wearing arh a n grotesque que fl flowered blonde e that looked like a kimono or a adre lark dressing sack IHk tucked rl In Into to her her skirt which no doubt douht It was no rings on 1 I her hands sitting fitting In the slovenly I slouching way that had so often offended offended of- of fended fendell his sense ense of decency I ITh Th The seat s nt behind her w was s empty Noiselessly o I I he hp slipped Into it It Her head heart was bow bowed d ov over r a n copy opy of ot Snap Snap- I j ny oy Stories curly tendrils of ot hair on her white neck neck neck- I j The mole Was Wn It there ther A mad mud hope seized him that even en yet et he ml might lit ht find J. J U S Sylvia hla and |