E. Phillips Oppenheim

“ Her niece smiled thoughtfully.
“He is making rather a fool of himself with that fair, showy-looking girl, Stella Somebody-or-other,” she said. “I don't know why I should interfere, really, but the girl annoys me. She is so hopelessly obvious. I hope it won't bore you to have him come up.”
“I never allow any one to bore me,” her aunt answered placidly. “Besides, he makes a fourth for bridge!”
For three days Lugard wavered. Stella treated him with greatly increased consideration, she changed her frocks continually, and she was always ready to talk nonsense. ”

“ Miss Leycester agreed, after a moment's hesitation,
“We aren't very much good, you know,” Lugard remarked modestly, “at least I'm not.”
“We can give you strokes,” Stella declared magnanimously. “Captain Cunningham is playing a wonderful game!”
The foursome should have taught him wisdom, but it didn't. The lady of his ill-advised adoration, accustomed to supremacy, was outdriven and outplayed by the quiet little brown girl whom no one knew anything about. Stella almost lost her temper, and she made several remarks which were calmly ignored by her opponent. ”

“ Elisabeth answered lightly enough, but there was an undercurrent of regret in her tone, and her eyes, still fixed upon the door, were a little wistful.
“He is very young,” she said. “The girl, too, is after all beautiful in her way. You really think of leaving this week, aunt?”
Mrs. Templeman nodded.
“The place is beginning to bore me,” she said. “We will go to Scotland and stay with Bobby for a week or so.”
They left the next day, and Stella carefully arranged a golf match with Lugard for the time of their departure. ”

“ He pointed to the screaming crowd below, and her eyes followed his gesture.
“I'm playing my old rôle,” she said softly, “a looker-on always!”
He rose suddenly to his feet. His cheeks were blanched, his eyes were fastened upon one figure. A woman, tall and fair, was making frantic efforts to push her way from the center of the stalls. Her shrieks filled the air, her dress was half torn from her shoulders; she struck madly at every one within reach; the initial desire for personal safety at all costs burned. in her terror-stricken, staring eyes. ”

“ He wiped the sweat from his forehead. He, too, was brave, but it was hard to match her coolness.
“I fancy so,” he answered. “But the pity of it! There was time for every one to escape. There is now.” ”

“ The absolute simplicity of her dress and manners, and her perfect naturalness, appealed to him at times with their due significance, but he was unfortunately at that unholy age when the more obvious arts of the girl who has graduated in the profession of making herself agreeable to his sex are more likely to prevail. Gradually he became Stella's constant companion. One night after dinner, as they left the hotel together for a walk on the sea front, and Stella from underneath her lace scarf had thrown an almost insolent glance at Miss Leycester sitting alone, Mrs. ”