Show 1 Claims His Own I e By CLAUDE MERCER Jm me Virginia Just one moment dar dar- darling ling ling urged Robert Alford trying In H vain to look 1001 Into the averted eyes ees of oC 18 year old Virginia No No Mr Alford I have havo said No all of oC the morning Is there thero no way r ing you that I moon mean what I say She Sho lifted a small pink palmed bandas hand band ward off more pleadings it if to at as Please just think again said with a d dc ring In his voice t i Ile IIo had taken possession of oC the tho tiny Un coM cold hand thus forcing lr Virginia to turn toward him You are aro making me go through a miserable time It cowardly t said the tho girl pursing up her 1 is and I 1 think to the mouth and refusing to raise ralso her lovely ely blue CC eyes gaze azO malts malt's passionate action s of oC this morning In inI I I had not slowed m my Hobert sold sf huskily that like a a. hall had struggled that hand had dropped dropp d the lie lIo the tho from 4 stood a little apart his and now bird In captive expression darkening his girl lookinG at tier her a hopeless lace face otherwise handsome suddenly flashed Into hh ey ces es lIe IIo light s S' S Al A fierce to VIrginia and without warning caught went close claM up the tho crushing kissed her almost and her In his arms chair Into her a putting beautiful delicate cheeks checks then S walked briskly out ot of the room roam ho excitedly the tho girl her eyes shining O 0 panted dare How liow sweeping over her taco face color the brilliant her face In her hands and passionate passion passion- burled he She I shall hate bate batet frame her bel slight sobs shook ate angry t f him all mY life gently and anc t f Virginia did not hear the tho door open when whon a the room second t aware uC of a 11 voI or e called her gentle and a tenderlY r a and touched her 0 Dickie said the girl Irl trying to force Coree u a laugh which would br break ak and catch do what she sho would to control eon con her voice up saId matter ot of fact DIck with all a to got to the root of things Nothing saId Virginia with wath Q a shivering sigh I I moan I cant can't tell you OU dear the tho girl finIshed apolo apolo- as she met the haYs boys aCl accusing eyes oyes I I know Dick Jumping up and shaking hIs fist out or of the tho wIndow I saw Bob Alford scampering down the drive lies lie's been Mell hero here proposing to you ou DIck drove the point homo home so 80 quickly that tiro girl th the tact fact with her shattered nerves could not deny Ills IUs all rl right ht now Dick It was my fault faull for tor being heartless antI and stupid I shall never love lovo any anyone one There must bo be something missing In me or m my Prince CharmIng Charm Charm- lag Ing has hf not turned up to touch my heart with his ma magic lc wand VirginIa Jumped out of oC her and kIssed her cousin Dick then linking her arm affectionately within his sauntered out on to the veranda being so close about I dont don't see the joke of your bo be useful In with You know I might love 10 attaIn affairs me a Prince Charming for you ou annoyed and tugged viciously at a The bo boy looked creeper near him Cheer up Dickie you ou may may yet brInG homo home my prize boy triumphantly fa fast t fading horn from Virginia her hel trouble was cushioned chair the sunlight In deep sight She lay n n a dancing over her head hend turning her hall hair Into burnished the tho veranda eranda were not climbing up gold s The ro roses e beautiful than the tho girls girl's perfectly tinted skin more have ha tough battle with Virginia Vir- Vir a will ged Cd ld Mary Corbin addressing Mrs ginia Im I'm afraid 6 said mother mothr JJ n Virginias Virginia's ti b But my dear Murk the child is 18 only 0 O surely she ghe has plenty of time yet yoL In which to meet the right man You dont don't mean to imply that because overy man on board Is more marc or ess In love with her and she sho still remaIns rl hN whole titre IO Is heartless said Mrs Irs Elton with wide open eyes Mrs Irs Elton and her er with DIck now near nearly Is 8 In attendance had out to lo India to nurse a cousin of Mrs Irs Elton s a a. missionary who had all but succumbed to devotion to dat and an uncongenIal cli- cli mate male They Thoy were now home home leaving tho Invalid invalid In- In valid welL Mary had opened her mouth to reply but bul VIrginia appeared corning coming from the other deck and they changed ot of conversation the tho subject Where bere Is DIck said the tho girl sinking Into her herdeck deck chair I I nt haven't seen him since lunch I dont don't know door dear said her mother looking fondly fond fond- ly h at her beautiful daughter Tho sun had nearly nearh set only hero and r re- re a golden light on the tho deck d ck but the sea still sparkled spar spar- kled with sunlight and the big hlA boat seemed to bo cutting cut cut- ting its Ils ova va through molten g gold ld Just when the tho three wore WON thinking of going to dress for tor dinner Dick appeared Do Do you know there Is an an Invalid On Onboard onboard board aunt he said No No said Mrs Elton with I h curiosity writ large on her face S' S q I I discovered ered It quite hy by p hanc f I bumped Into his cabin thinking Jl it was min n eh Js is next to his Its It's Bob Dob Alford lies lie's most ill III nut But 1 I. I know he wont ont come on decle because hn hI found out you ou and VirgInia were among the pU passers er Dick looked worried and I gd nt h his cousin t c r f 1 a 1 c f. f Why hell hoU kill himself living ll the tho whole journey Journe In his cabin and an invalid too I must really go and see seo him cried Mrs Irs Elton anxiously Dick took look his aunt to the tho cabin where Alford lay white and weak 1 Virginia remained on deck blind to lo her surroundings her hur color comIng and going a sensation whIch she sho could not explain thrilling her through and through Please forgive me lIc I assure you ou It if I had known you OU ere going home b by the tho thoI Magnolia I 1 would have havo waited for the next boat Robert Alford lay In a deck eck chair co with rugs Beside him was Virginia sItting bolt uprIght her hands claspIng and unclasping themselves nervously ner This was as theIr first meeting since that morning two years rs ago abo With a start she looked at Alford II I I have nothing to forgive but now I know how distasteful m my presence presen Is to you Ill I'll semi Dick here The fhe bolt t Is quite large enough for us not to meet VirgInia the color mounting to her temples sprang out of her chair and with her head hend well up disappeared You misunderstand me Miss Elton Robert Hobert said trying to take her hand ns as she sho went by him but she almost ran and ho was to detain her The gIrl felt her bel brain on fire She delivered Uell her message to Dick then shutting herself Into her cabin and flinging mn herself herselt on the couch cried as if 1 her heart he were breaking DIck felt that was going wrong Why lie ho didn't know he always found Virginia alone a weary expression on jeer J face and Robert with whom he sat sata n a good part ot of the da day seemed to get no better but look looked d depressed and gloomy Look L ok lure here Alford said Dick to him one da day i U f wa t. t to ret get to the tho bo bottom tom ot of this w Why dont YOU OU to got get well weH and rouse yourself VirgInia is 18 always qUIet now too Have YOU and she Quarreled 7 Not Not that I know ot of but If I told you all you wouldn't understand DIck said Robert I I know you proposed to her two years ear ago It if that's t 1 what I wouldn't understand I 1 believe sho didn't know J her own mind then Why hy cant can't you buck up and make her happy now Dick felt ho he was striking out boldly whether It was wisely he didn't care Robert sat up gripping his chair fiercely I say DIck do you know rint your our remark means to mo me Do you OU know that I would gladly In lay down my lire life for Virginia 7 Exhausted he lay back on his cushions but the happy light on his face had changed It from that ut of an mans invalids invalid's to a healthy health It What It if I should get a second refusal l said sahl Alford Al- Al ford above a whisper r. r Well Veil you OU can throw me overboard Jt you find 1 have put you on the tho wrong track said Dick The news that Virginia was not wholly Indifferent to him had worked wonders rs with Alford and ho looked and felt fell a 0 hale and rt man ns as ho he wont went Into the elming dinIng elm din Ing room for tor dinner The dinner ended after ono one course when he discovered that Virginia had eaten something In ht her own cabin and gone gono on deck lie He round found her lean Ing wearily agaInst the railing Virginia My Iy Virginia lnla cried Robert handing bending over the tho girl Irl who turned to find beside her the man whom sh she had discovered held bellI the magic maglo wand that could touch her heart There was no need ne-ed for tor words for tho they had loved 1000 I Reh passionately other for tor two years had brought home th the prIze boy and the god od had come off rt e t |