CYotinsrerSet I
SYNOPSIS OK PRECEDING CHAPTER;
CiiAr. 1 Returning from Manila. Captal!
Selwyn, formerly of the army. Is welcom
Jl me by bis sls.cr. Nina Gerard, her wealthy
Husband Austin, and their numerous cui
ren. Eileen Krroll. ward of Nina and Austin
is part of their household. Selwln hasbeei
divorced, without guilt on hi? part, by hi
wife. Alixc. who Is now the wife of Jail
Ruthven, with whom she ran away frpi
Selwyn. II Eileen, who Is very fond of he
br tber. Gerald. de3plte the young man's
neglect of her. makes friends with Selwy
IlT-Ocrald is worried about young Errolr
mingling in the fast set. Gerald Is employ
iil by Julius Neergard. a rcale state opcratp
ma large way. Selwyn promises Eileen b
will look after her brother. He tells he
about Roots Lansing, bis army chum it
Manila, who is coming to New York. In the
liark Eileen and Selwyn ride past Allxe. IV
Eileen's deceased father was an archaeol
ogist, and she has Inherited some of hi
scholarly qualities. Selwyn helps Gerald
to settle a gambling debt and determines U
undertake his reformation. V Allxe and
Selwyn meet and discuss their altered rela
tions. He Is Introduced to Mrs. Rosamund
Fane, leader of the fast set and Allxe'sclos
t friend Heappeals toAlUc tobelnbim
keep Gerald from gambling. VI-Tbe friend
ship of Eileen and Selwyn progresses. VII
Gerald promises Selwyn he will stop gambl
ing. Ncergard discloses to Selwyn. who Is
Interested In his office, a plan to control the
Slowltba Country club by baying up farms
essential to the club's existence. The plan
does not appeal to Selwyn. and be consults
Austin, who denounces Neergard and, his
methods. VII At night In his room Selwyn
answers a knock at his door. IX The caller
Is Allxe.. who Is very unhappy with Ruthven
and wants to talk with Selwpn. For a mo
ment their old love flashes up. but at the
mention of Eileen he knows that it is past
resurrection. X Rosamund distresses El
ken by telling ber society is gossiping about
Allxe and Selwyn. Allxe gets from Gerald,
who has again lost heavily, a promise not to
Iilay again at ber bouse. XI Allxe and
tuthven quarrel over the gaming by which
he lives, and be reveals his knowledge of her
visit at night to ber ex-husband's room.
XII Gerald's increasing Intimacy with Neer
gard displeases Selwyn. who breaks with the
real estate man over roe aiowunu iimiier.
Neegard Is trying to break Into society.
XIII Lansing invites Selwyn to make his
home with htm In the modest bouse he has
bought. Selwyn declares he will no longer
let the past mar bts chance of happiness, and
Nina declares her belief that Eileen has fallen
In love with him. Nina fears that Alixc,
restless and disgusted with Rutbvcn, will
make mischief. Selwyn Is experimenting
with chaoslte. his discovery is explosive.
XIV Eireen asks Selwyn to remove Gerald
from Neergard's influence. XV Through
Rutbvcn and the Fanes. Neergard forces
himself a little way Into society and tries to
compel the Siowltna to elect him. Gerald
loses more and more at cards, sinking Eileen
money as well as bis own. Trying to save
him. Selwyn quarrels with him and then ap
peals In vain to Neergard. Rosamund and
Ruthven. He almost kills Ruthven, whose
heart is weak, when the latter hints at a ikjs
alble divorce snit, withSelwynascorrespond
ent. XVI Correspondence between Allxe
and Selwyn seems to conllrni Nina's beiiei
that Sclwyn's ex-wife is. as her late father
was. mentally unsound. Selwyn makes up
with Gerald and helps him out financially
seriously impalringhis own resources. XVII
At SUverstdc. the Gerards' country place.
Eileen declares she cares for Selwyn. but
Fhewlll not cay that she will marry him.
Her brother Is now turning over n new leaf.
k RIKA'S relations with Lan
sing afforded infinite
I amusement to the Ge
rards. It had been a des
perate case from the very
first, and the child took it
so seriously and considered
her claim on Boots so absolute that
neither that young man nor anybody
elsej dared make a jest of the affair
within her hearing.
Otherwise she was the same active,
sociable, wholesome, Intelligent child,
charmingly casual and inconsistent,
and the list of her youthful admirers
at dancing school and parties required
the alphabetical classification of Mr.
Lansing.
But Boots was her own particular
possession. lie was her chattel, her
thing, and he and other people knew
that it was no light affair to meddle
with the personal property, of Drlna
Gerard.
Eileen, one bare arm around her
brother's shoulders, strolled houseward
across the lawn, switching the sharen
cod with her tennis bat.
"What are you doing this afternoon?"
che Bald to Selwyn. "Gerald" she
touched her brother's smooth cheek
"means to fish. Boots and Drlna are
keen on It, too, and Nina Is driving to
"Wyossett with the children."
"And youi" he asked, smiling.
"Whatever you wish," confident that
he wanted her, whatever he had on
hand.
"I ought to walk over to Storm
head," he said, "and get things
straightened out"
"Your laboratory?" asked Gerald.
"Austin told me when I saw him in
town that you wore going to have the
cottage on Storm head to make pow
der In."
"Only in minute quantities, Gerald,"
explained Selwyn. "I Just want to try
a few things. Anddf they turn out nil
right what do you say to taking a look
In if Austin approves?"
"Oh, please, Gerald," whispered his
sister.
"Do you really bcllovo there is any
thing In It?" nsked the boy. "Because,
If you are sure"
"There 'certainly is If I can prove
that my powder Is able to resist heat,
cold and moisture. The Lawn people
stand ready to talk matters over aa
aeon as I am satisfied. There's plenty
f time, bnt keep the suggestion In the
tMck of your bead, Gerald."
The boy smiled, nodded Importantly
and went off to remove the stains of
tennis from his person, and Eileen
wont; too, turning around to look back
at Belwyn.
JTbtnk you for asking Gerald! I'm,
'mm be will loro to to Into anything
. .'tm think safe."
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8
By ROBERT W. CHAMBERS,
Author of "THE FlOHTINa CHANCE," Etc
Copyrighted, 1007, by Robert W. Chambers.
i ii remember that!" she said, and,
turning once more as she reached the
landing, "Goodby until lunchconl"
ind touched her lips with the tips of
ber fingers, flinging him a gay salute.
In parting and meeting, even after
the briefest of intervals, it was always
the same with her; always she had for
blm some informal hint of the formal
ity of parting, always some recognition
of their meeting In the light touching
of bands as though the symbol of cere
mony at least was dne to him, to her
self and to the occasion. .
At luncheon Nina and Eileen talked
garden talk they both were quite mad
about their fruit trees and flower beds.
Selwyn, Gerald and Boots discussed
stables, golf links and finally the new
business which Selwyn hoped to de
velop. Afterward, when the children had
been excused and Drlna bad pulled
her chair close to Lansing's to listen
and after that, on the veranda, when
the men sat smoking and Drlna was
talking French and Nina and Eileen
had gone off with baskets, trowels and
pruning shears Selwyn still continued
In conference with Boots and Gerald,
and it was plain that his concise, mod
est explanation of what ho had ac
complished In his experiments with
chaoslte seriously Impressed the other
men.
Boots frankly admitted It "Besides,"
he said, "if the Lawn people are so
anxious for you to give them first say
in the matter I don t see why we.
shouldn't have faith In it enough, I
mean, to be good to ourselves by offer
ing to be good to you, Phil."
"Walt until Austin comes down and
until I've tried one or two new Ideas,"
said Selwyn. "Nothing on earth would
finish me quicker than to get anybody
who trusted me Into a worthless
thing."
"It's plain," dbserved Boots, "that
although you may have been an army
captain you're no captain of Industry
you're not even a noncom.!"
Selwyn laughed. "Do you really be
lieve that ordinary decency is uncom
mon?" "Look at Long Island," returned
Boots. "Where does the boom of
worthless acreage and paper cities land
investors when it explodes?"
Gerald had flushed up at the turn in
the conversation, and Selwyn steered
Lansing Into other and safer channels
until Gerald went away to find a rod.
And, as Drlna had finished her
French lesson, she and Lansing pres
ently departed, brandishing fishing rods
adorned with the gaudiest of flies.
In the rose garden and along that
section pf the wall included in It the
rich, dry, porous foil glimmered like
gold under the
bum, and hero
Selwyn discov
ered Nina mid
Eileen busily so
licitous over the
tender shoots of
favorite bushes.
A few long
stemmed early
rosebuds lay lu
their baskets.
Selwyn drew
one through his
buttonhole and
sat down on a
wheelbarrow,
the rose garden.
amiably disposed to look on and let
the others work.
"Not much:" said Nina. "You can
start In and 'pinch back' this prairie
climber do you hear, Phil? I won't
let you dawdle around and yawn
while I'm pricking my fingers every
Instant! Make him move, Eileen."
Eileen came over to him, fingers
doubled Into her palm and small
thumb extended.
"Thorns and prickles, please," she
said, and he took her hand in his and
proceeded to extract them while she
looked down at her almost lnvisble
wounds, tenderly amused nt bis fear
of hurting her.
"Do you know," she said, "that peo
ple arc beginning to open their houses
yonder?" She nodded toward the
west. "The Minsters are on the way
to BrooUm luster, the Orchils have al
ready arrived at Hltherwood nouse
and the coachmen and horses were
housed at Southlawn last night. I
rather dread the dinners and country
formality that always Interfere with
the jolly times we have, but It will
be rather good fun at the bathing
beach. Do you swim well? But of
course you do."
"Pretty well. Do you?"
"I'm a fish. Gladys Orchil and I
would never leave the surf if they
didn't literally drag us home. You
know Gladys Orchil? She's very nice.
So Is Sheila Minster. You'll like ber
better in the country than yon do In
town. Kathleen Lawn Is nice too.
Alaal I see many a morning where
Drlna and I twirl our respective
thumbs while you and Boots are off
with a gayer set
"Ob, don't interrupt! No mortal man
U proof against Sheila and Gladys and
Kathleen, and you're not a demigod,
are yon? Thank 70a for your surgery
upon my thumb." She naivety placed
,tb tip of It between ,'fceY Hps and
looked at him, standing" tKe. Mke a
schoolgirl In her fresh tt&fn, fcuriiekea
htMHni --er)h' la riotous
fcfitx JH cheeks and ears.
no had stated himself oa the wheel
barrow again. She stood looking down
at blm, bands now bracketed on ber
narrow hips, so close that the freak
fragrance of her grew faintly percep
tible, a delicate atmosphere of youth
singling with the perfume of the
roung garden.
Nina, basket on her arm, snipping
lway with her garden shears, glanced
yrcr her shoulder and went on snip
ping. They did not notice how far
lway ber agricultural ardor led her
lid not notice when she stood a mo
ment nt the gate looking back at them
r when she passed out, pretty head
Sent thoughtfully, the shears swing
ing loose at her girdle.
"Yon are very like a boy some
Umes," said Eileen "as young as Ger
ild, I often think, especially when your
hat Is off. You always look so per
fectly groomed. I wonder I wonder
ivhat yon would look like if your hair
were rumpled."
"Try it" he suggested lazily.
"I? I don't think I dare." She
raised her band, hesitated, the gay
larlng In her eyes deepening to an
laclty. "Shall ir
"Why not?"
"T-touch your hair rumple It as I
would Gerald's? I'm tempted to only
-only"
"Whatr
"I don't know. I couldn't I it was
nly the temptation of a second."
She laughed uncertainly. Tbe sug
gestion of tbe Intimacy tinted ber
;hceks with its reaction. She took a
ihort step backward. Instinct blindly
itirrlng, sobered ber, and as tbe smile
faded from eye and Up his face chang
ed 100. And far, very far away In tbe
tllent cells of his heart a distant pulse
iwoke.
"Have you misunderstood me?" she
isked in a low voice.
"How, child?"
"I don't know. Shall we walk a lit
tle?" When they came to the stone fish
jond she seated herself for a moment
n"a marble bench, 4hen, curiously
.-estiess, rose again, and again they
noved forward at hazard, past the
ipouttng fountain, which was a driven
sell, out of which a crystal column of
water rose geyser-llke, dazzling in the
westering sun rays.
"Nina tells me that this water rises
a the Connecticut hills," he said, "and
lows as a subterranean sheet under
:hc sound, spouting up here on Long
Island when you drive a well."
She looked at the column of flash
ng water, nodding silent assent.
They moved on, the girl curiously re
lervcd, noncommunlcative, head slight
y lowered, the man vague eyed,
:houghtful, pacing slowly at her side.
Behind them their long shadows trail
id across the brilliant grass.
Traversing the grove which encircled
:he newly clipped lawn, now fragrant
with sun crisped grass tips left in the
wake of the mower, he mentioned
moonlight.
She glanced up, then away from him.
"You seem to be enamored of the
moonlight," she said.
"I like to prowl in it."
"Alone?"
"Sometimes."
"And at other times?"
He laughed. "Oh, I'm past the
ipooulug age. NAre you glad?"
She halted. "Yes, because I'm quite
sure of you if you are; I mean that I
:an always keep yon for myself. Can't
I?"
She was smiling, and her eyes were
;lear and fearless, but there was a
wild rose tint on her cheeks which
leepened a little as he turned short in
ils tracks, gazing straight at her.
"You wish to keep me for your
self?" he repeated, laughing.
."Yes, Captain Selwyn."
"Until you marry. Is that it, Eileen?"
"Yes, until I marry."
"And then we'll let each other go.
ts that It?"
"Yes; but I think I told you that I
would never marry. Didn't I?"
"Oh! Then ours Is to be a lifelong
md anti-sentimental contract!"
"Yes, unless you marry."
"I promise not to.'l he said, "unless
roti do."
"I promise not to,!' she said gayly,
"unless you do."
"There remains," he observed, "but
Dne way for you and I ever to marry
mybody. And, ns I'm hors coucours.
svon that hope is ended."
She flushed; her Hps parted, but she
:hecked what she had meant to say,
md they walked forward together In
silence for awhile until she had made
I np her mind what to say and how to
express ir.
"Captain Selwyn, there are two
things that you do which seem to me
unfair. You still have at times that
Taraway, absent expression which ox
:Iudcs me, and when I venture to
break the silence you have a way of
inswerlng, 'Yes, child,' and 'No, child,'
is though you were Inattentive and I
bad not yet become an adult. That Is
aiy first complaint! What are you
laughing at? It Is true, and It con
fuses and hurts me, because I know
am Intelligent enough and old
iiiougu to to be treated as a woman
1 woman attractive enough to be reck
oned with! But I never seem to be
wholly so to you."
The laugh died out as she ended,
Tor a moment they stood there con
fronting one another.
"Do you imagine," he said in a low
rolce, "that I do not know all that?"
"I don't know whether you do. For
III your friendship for all your liking
ind your kindness to me somehow I
-I don't seem to stand with yon as
jther women do. I don't seem to stand
their chances."
"What chances?"
"The the cons! deration. You don't
call any other woman 'child, do you?
You don't constantly refitted other wo
Dies of the difference In yoar agwe, de
ron? You doa't feel wHfc other wsaat
that ZlM.BIX.at Jtm please tt H M;
of the raaatBX.
And soaaehow with me It hswlHates,
because, evea If I ta the eort of girl
who never means to marry, you youi
attitude Bcems to take away the pos
sibility of my changing my mlad. it
dictates to me, giving me no choice, nc
liberty, no personal freedom in the
matter. It's as though you considered
me somehow utterly out of the ques
tionradically unthinkable as a wom
an. And you assume to take for grant
ed that I also regard you as as hors
concours. Those aro my grievances.
Captain Selwyn. And I don't regard
yon do. And I and it troubles me to
be excluded to be found wanting, In
adequate In anything that a woman
should be. I know that you and I
have no desire to marry each other,
bnt but please don't make tbe reason
for it cither your age or my physical
Immaturity or Intellectual Inexperi
ence." One of those weather stained scats
of Georgia marble stood imbedded
under the trees near where she had
halted, and she seated herself, out
wardly composed and Inwardly a little
frightened at what she had said.
As for Selwyn, he remained where
he had been standing on the lawn's
velvet edge, and, raising her eyes
again, her heart misgave her that she
had wantonly strained a friendship
which bad been all but perfect, and
now be was moving across the path
toward her, a curious look In his face
which she could not interpret She
looked up as be approached and
stretched ont ber hand.
"Forgive me, Captain Selwyn," bj
said. "I am a child a spoiled one
and I have proved It to yon. Will you
sit here beside me and tell me very
gently what n fool I am to risk strain
Ing tbe friendship dearest to me In the
whole world? And will you fix my
penance?"
"You have fixed It yourself," be said.
"How?"
"By the challenge of your woman
hood."
"I did not challenge.
"No; yon defended. You are right
The girl I cared for tbe girl who was
there with me on Brier Water so many,
many centuries ago the girl who,
years ago, leaned there beside me on
the sundial has become a memory."
"What do you mean?" she asked
faintly.
"Shall I tell your
"Yes."
"You will not be unhappy If I tell
you?"
"N-no."
"nave you any Idea what I am
going to say, Eileen?"
She looked up quickly, frightened nt
the tremor In his voice.
"Don't don't say It Captain Sel
wynl" "Will you listen as a penance?"
I no. I cannot."
He said quietly: "I was afraid you!nlwaJ's wltn sreat respect for the
could not listen. You see, Eileen, that.l nwful stuff he bandied with such ap
after all, n man does know when'he is1 parent carelessness. There was a black,
douc for." 1 sea Boakd rock Jutting out above the
"Cantaln Kelwvn!" She turned and l waves. Selwyn pointed at It, poised
caught his bands In both of hers,
jjerj
I eyes bright with tears. "Is that the.
, penalty for what I said? Did yon
.think I invited this?" 1
v "Invited! No, child," he said gen
I tly. "I was fool enough to believe In ,
I myself; that is all. I have always
1 been on the edge of loving you. Only
In dreams did I ever dare set foot,
across that frontier. Now I have
dared. I love you. That Is all, and it
mnsf nnt ilistrxia vnn."
"But it does not." she said. "I havo'
"I havo
always loved you dearly, dearly. Not
in that way. I don't know how. Must
It be In that way. Captain Selwyu?
Can we not go on In the other way
that dear way which I I have almost
spoiled? Must we be like other peo
plemust sentiment turn it all to com
monplace"? Listen to me. I do love
you. It Is perfectly easy and simple
to say it. But It Is uot emotional; it
is not sentimental. Won't you take
me for what I am and as 1 am a glii.
stilt young, uevoteu to you wun an uer
soul, happy with you, believing lin
nllHtlv In vnn i1wnl-r. ilopnlv fipnsililit
of your goodness and sweetness and "-f""
loyalty to her? I am not a woman.' But Se wyn said: "I want more time
I was a fool to say so. But you-you ' ,a tnIs 1 want to know what it
nro so overwhelmingly a man that if it I docs to,the Interior of loaded shells and
were In me to love-ln that way-It , m flxed ammunition when it is stored
would bo you! Do you understand I for, a 'ear- 1 want know whether
me? Or have I lost n friend? Willi",18 "J?"",1 t0 use a solvent after
you forgive my foolish boast? Can you! fl5In UT,ln hi &aa- As11a,burstI"?
still keep me first In your heart, as you I'm Practically satisfied with
are in mine, ami pardon in me nii
that I am not? Can you do these
things because I ask you?"
"Yes," he said.
Chapter 10
EKALD cauio to Silver
side two or three times
during the early sum
mer, arriving usually on
Friday aud always re
maining until the follow
ing Monday morning.
All his youthful admiration and
friendship for Selwyn had returned.
! That was plainly evident, and with II
, something less of 'callow self sufficien
cy. Ho did not appear to be as cock
suro of himself and tbe world as he
bad been. There was less bumptious
ness about him, less aggressive com
placency. Somewhere and somehow
somebody or something bad come Into
collision with blm, but who or wbnt
this bad been be did not offer to con
fide In Selwyn, and the older man,
dreading to disturb tbe existing accord
between them, forbore to question him
or Invite, even Indirectly, aqy confi
dence not 1 offered. Selwyn and Eileen
also noticed that he became very rest
less toward tbe end. of bis visits at Rib
TersId,tU though something Jn the
etty awaited him tome duty or re
(eMlbMIr set entirely jnleagaat
There was. too. something of sober
ness, amounting nt moments to discon
tented llstlessness, not solitary, brood
ing, for at tmnh nrViinents he stuck ti
Selwyn, following him about and re
malnlng rather close to him, ns thoug!
the elder man's mere presence was a
comfort, even a protection.
So their relations remained during
the early summer, and everybody sup
posed that Gerald's two weeks' vaca
tion would be spent there at Stlversldc.
Apparently the boy himself thought so,
too, for he made some plans ahead.
and Austin sent down a very hand'
some new motor boat for blm.
Then at the last minute a telegram
arrived saying that he had sailed for
Newport on Neergard's big yacht And
for two weeks no word was received
from him at Silvcrslde.
One day in September Selwyn wrote
Gerald, asking him to bring Edgerton
Lawn and como down to Silvcrslde for
the purpose of witnessing some exper
iments with the new smokeless explo
sive, chasolte.
Young Lawn came by the first tram.
Gerald wired that he would arrive the
following morning.
He did arrive, unusually pallid, al
most haggard, and Selwyn, who met
him at tbe station and drove him over
from Wyossett ventured at last to give
the boy a chance.
But Gerald remained utterly unre
sponsive, stolidly so, and the other in
stantly relinquished the hope of any
confidence at that time, shifting the
conversation at once to the object and
reason ofGcrald's coming and gayly
expressing his belief that the time was
very near at hand when chasolte
Would figure heavily In tho world's list
of commercially valuable explosives.
It was early In August that Selwyn
had come to the conclusion that his
chaoslte was likely to provo a commer
cial success. And now, In September,
his experiments had advanced so 'far
that he had ventured to invite Austin,
Gerald, Lansing and Edgerton Lawn
of tbe Lawn Nltro Powder company to
witness a few tests at his cottage lab
oratory on Storm head, but at the
same time he informed them with
characteristic modesty that he was not
yet prepared to guarantee tbe explo
sive. Ho froze chaoslte and boiled it and
baked it and melted it and took all
sorts of hair raising liberties with it.
and after that he ground it to a pow
der, placed a few generous pinches in
a smau nana grenade and affixed a
primer, the secret composition of which
he alone knew. That was the key to
the secret the composition of the prl-
mer charge.
"I used to play baseball in college,"
he observed, smiling, "and I used to be
a pretty good shot with a snowball."
They followed him to the cliff's edge.
himself and, with the long, overhand.
straight throw of a trained ball player.
sent the grenade like a bullet at the
rock.
There came a blinding flash, a stun
ning, clean cut report but what the
others took to be a vast column of
black smoke was really a pillar of dust
all that was left of the rock. And
this slowly floated, settling like mist
,ver ,ue waves- saving noming wnere
1C rock Ila n.
"l think," sold Edgerton Lawn, wip-
ing the starting perspiration from his
forehead, "that you have made good.
Captain Selwyn. Dense or bulk, your
chaoslte and Impact primer seem to do
tho business, and I think I may say
that the Lawn Nltro Powder company
Is ready to do business too. Can you
como to town tomorrow? It's merely
a matter of figures and signatures now,
If you say so. It is entirely up to you."
But Selwyn only laughed. He looked
at Austin.
"I suppose," said Edgerton Lawn
good naturedly, "that you Intend to
make us sit up and beg, or do you
" --"
it acts on steel in storage or on the
bores of guns when exploded as a pro
pelling charge. Meanwhile," turnlug
to Lawn, "I'm tremendously obliged to
you for coming and for your offer.
You see how it Is, don't you? I
couldn't risk taking money for a thing
which might nt the end prove dear at
any price."
"I cheerfully accept that risk," In
sisted young Lawn. "I am quite ready
to do all the worrying, Captain Sel
wyn." But Selwyn merely shook his
repeating, "You see how It Is, don't
you?"
The matter of business arrangements
apparently ended then and there.
Lawn's company sent several men to
Selwyn and wrote him a great many
letters unlike tho government which
had not replied to his briefly tentative
tuggestlon that chaoslte be condition
ally examined, tested and considered.
So the matter remained in abeyance,
and Selwyn employed two extra men
and continued storage testa and ex
perimented with rifled and smoothbore
tubes, watchfully uncertain yet as to
Iho necessity of Inventing a solvent to
aeutralbse possible corrosion after a
propelling charge had been exploded.
Everybody In, the vicinity bad heard
about hts experiments. Everybody pre
tended interest, but few, ware, sincere,
and ot tha alnearn faw warn tinsalftab-
ly interested hi eisWr, .Meen, 'Drlna
ua Lansing acta maype oae or two
eyre- ....
1
However, tae younger set bow pre-
dominant from Wyossett to Wonder
head, made np parties to 'visit 81
wyn's cottage, which had become
known as the Chrysalis, and Selwyn
good natnredly exploded a pinch or
two of tbe staff for their amusement
and never betrayed the slightest an
noyance or boredom. In fact he be
haved so amiably during gratuitous In
terruptions that he won- the hearts of
the younger Bet who presently came
to the unanimous conclusion that there
was romance In the air. And they
sniffed it with delicate noses uptilted
and liked the aroma.
Ono man, often the least suitable, Is
usually the unanimous choice of the
younger sort where, In' the disconcert
ing summer time, the youthful congre
gate in garrulous segregation.
Their choice they expressed frankly
and innocently. They admitted cheer
fully that Selwyn was their idol. But
that gentleman remained totally un
conscious that he had been set up by
them upon the shores of the summer
sea.
On tbe sunlit sands dozens of young
people were hurling tennis balls at
each other. Above the beach, under
the long pavilions, sat mothers and
chaperons. Motors, beach carts and
victorias were still arriving to dis
charge gayly dressed fashionables, tor
the hour was early, and up and down
the Inclined wooden walk leading from
the bathing pavilion to tho sands a
constant procession of bathers passed
with nod and gesture of laughing salu
tation, some already retiring to the
showers after a brief ocean plunge, tho
majority running down to the shored
eager for the first frosty and aromatic
embrace of the surf rolling In under a
cloudless sky of blue.
As Eileen Erroll emerged from the
surf and came wading shoreward
through the seething shallows she
taught sight of Selwyn sauntering
across tbe sands toward the water and
halted, knee deep, smilingly expectant
certain that he had seen ber.
Gladys Orchil, passing her, saw Sel
wyn at the same moment and her clear
ringing salute and slender arm aloft
arrested bis attention, and the next
moment they were off together, swim
ming toward the sponson canoe which
Gerald had just launched with the as
sistance of Sandon Craig 'and Scott
Innls.
For a moment Eileen stood there
motionless. Knee high the flat ebb
boiled and hissed, dragging at her
stockinged feet ns though to draw her-
1 seaward with the others. Yesterday
sne WOuld have gone without a thought
to Join the others, but yesterday is
yesterday. It seemed to her as she
Btood there that something disquieting-
,
Something disquieting had come Into the
world.
had suddenly come into, the world,,
something unpleasant, but indefinite,
yet sufficient to leave her vaguely ap
prehensive. Somebody threw a tennis ball at her.
She caught It and hurled It in return,
and- for a few minutes the white, felt
covered balls flew back and forth from
scores of graceful, eager hands. X
moment or two passed when no balls
came her way. She turned and walked
to the foot of a dune and seated her
celf cross legged on the hot sand, her
serious, beautiful eyes flxed steadily
on a distant whlto spot the sponson
canoe where Gladys and Selwyn sat,
their paddle blades flashing In tbe sun.
How far away they were! Gerald
was with them. Curious that Selwyn
-had not seen her waiting for him,
knee deep In the surf curious that he
bad seen Gladys instead! True, Gladys
bad called te him and signaled him,
white arm uptlung. Gladys was very
pretty with her heavy, dark hair and
melting, Spanish eyes and her softly
rounded, olive skinned figure. Gladys
had called to him, and she had not.
That was true, and lately for the last
few days or perhaps more she her
self had been a trifle less Impulsive In
her greeting of Selwyn a little less
sans facon with him. After all, a man
comes when it' pleases him. Why
should a girl call him unless she un
less unless
Perplexed, her grave eyes were fixed
on the sea where now the white canoe
pitched nearer, close on now.
When the canoe suddenly capsized,
Gladys Jumped, but Selwyn went with
it, boat and man tumbling Into tho
tumult over and over. As Eileen looked
she saw a dark streak leap across hlo
face saw him stoop and wash It off
and stand, looking blindly about, while
again tbe sudden dark line crisscrossed
his face from temple to chin and
Bpread wider like a stain.
"Philip!" she called, springing to her
feet and scarcely knowing that sbo had
spoken.
Ho beard ber and came toward'her
in a halting, dazed way, stopping
twice to cleanse his face of tho bright
blood that streaked It.
"It's nothing," he said. "The Infer
nal thing hit me. Oh, don't use that!"
a sbo drenched her kerchief in cold
tea water and held It toward, him with
both hands,
"Take It, I I beg pf you," she stam
mered. "Is It B-serious?"
"Why, bo," he said, his senses clear
ing. "It was only a rap. on the head,
aad this blood Is mereJy-.a aaisaaee.
Thcak yomM.wttl us yow,krhlf if
yen Insist If II stop la 4 meaaaat uy
way," , .....
Contbuud on pare.7.