Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 84: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

874 it all the more terrible. And Midge had always that sense of guilt because she could not feel it for herself. Now all was done and over. Sir John had taken back the pigeon’s blood ruby and the wonderful pearls and all the other jew- elry. He had behaved admirably and had done nothing to embarrass his former fian- cée. Major Inglis had hurried back to Ban- zat, where the tribesmen were giving fur- ther trouble. Midge, accompanied by Elsie Inglis, was leaving that same night for her old home in Central India. They were going to spend a few days there, while Midge superintended the packing of her personal belongings and her father’s inti- mate treasures and library, and paid off the servants. She was going to let the house furnished, having received a good offer. She found herself in a very different posi- tion. from the girl who had been going to marry a rich man. She was now possessed of an income just sufficient to live on, and the letting of the house would add to it appreciably. She had gratefully accepted the Inglis’ invitation to return to Banzat with Elsie and stay with them until the next hot weather. Guiltily she hugged her joy at the thought of going back. She would not allow her thoughts to wander far, but she could not quench that strange warm glow of unreasoning happiness. She could not stop her ears to the sound of a magic voice whispering that her heart was up there among the hills. She would never see the White Horse- man again. He had gone out of her life forever. But she could look up at the great mountains and remember the thrill of those days in the wild, where love was born in her heart without her knowing it. There was a knock at the door. A ser- vant came in bearing a card on a tray and announcing that the mem-sahib was below and would be grateful if the Miss Sahib would grant her a few moments’ conversa- tion. Midge looked at the card. It bore the name of Miss Chalmers, and in the corner: Graymead Hall, Sydney, N. S. W. Midge sat upright. Her heart gave a great thump of dismay. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Miss Chalmers! wife—Lady Lydd. Sir John’s wife wanting to see her! What was she to do? She felt panicky fora moment, then she pulled herself to- gether. She could not very well refuse. Under the circumstances, if Lady Lydd sought her out, it would be ungracious not to see her.. She had behaved so well. In a few moments a tall woman was shown into the room. Midge stood looking ever so small and white and worried. The woman was extremely, painfully thin. She had a clever face, a dark skin, very promi-~ nent cheek bones and deep sunken black eyes with heavy rings round them. One could see immediately that she was full of character. She looked old for her years; her dark hair was plentifully streaked with gray. She could never have been good- looking, but interesting beyond a doubt. She was very well dressed in a severe, tailor-made way. 7 ‘It is good of you to see me, Miss Ham- ilton,” she began in a low voice of extreme sympathetic quality. ‘“‘ Sir John does not know anything about it. I must tell you that at once. And nobody here knows who I am, so it cannot make things awkward. Sir John has managed everything wonder- fully. ‘“* Wonderfully,’ Midge said mechanical- ly. “ Won’t you sit down?” “Don’t you think it better to be out- spoken about it all?” asked Lady Lydd. “We can none of us help what has hap- pened.” “That is what Sir John says,” Midge put in, with a nervous but friendly smile. ‘“ Yes, I think it’s much better to be frank, And you are right—Sir John has been won- derful.”’ ‘“More wonderful, perhaps, than you think. I have an old friend resident in Calcutta for years, and she didn’t hear a thing about the postponed wedding. And the announcement in the papers was so clever—just absolutely right. I am sailing for England to-morrow, Miss Hamilton. That’s why I wanted to see you—I want to tell you something—something that I am keeping from Sir John.” “Oh!” said Midge. That was Sir John’s Looking into the Ccomuicbooks CO