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'---TlErAmz6s MONDAY MORNING, JUNE 22. 1908. , ' 7; " ? ' ' 8 ' ' , - : 66 The Strategy of the Colonel 99 '. i - - 1 Copyright 1908, by Thomas H McKea .HE automobile was going at a great clip p U..1 1vutij ""o" j and desolate eounrj 'fell away'on either side into cold, moonlight distance, The" uhauffeur, perhaps, enjoyed It; his' feet were cold but the rest of him Was alive with the Joy and de llrium of speed. But the bundle in the tonneau tossed about from post to pillar, did not enjoy It fit all. A large part of the bundle consisted of rugs and furs and cloaks and numberless other wraps; but the core of It was a young girl who gasped for breath, and felt as if she were part of a comet flying through dreary space. The Mlvart's, her aunt's gay cousins, with whom she was going to spend the meek, had sent the car for her; there was to be a grand ball there to-night, and a round of festivi ties afterwards. ! She had not wished to go; but her Aunt Sophy, eaid it was high time; and dispatching her lug gage by express the day before, had seen her dress ed in her own ancient brocade. ("It won't jam," said Aunt Sophy, as she wound yards of amber beads about the girl's white throat), and then encased her in so many layers that had she been thrown from the car she would have fallen only as a bundle of wool that falls and is not hurt. The girl was afraid of the Mivarts, who, with two exceptions, Oliver and Philippa, sne knew but little; afraid of Stev ens, the chauffeur, afraid of the speed, afraid of the. wind rushing by like a wild spirit; and her teeth chattered teeth pretty as pearls. But as they descended nearer civilization, Stevens obeyed the laws so far as going only twice as fast as the law allowed. At last, after several short corners that threw her like a bale of shawls from one side to the other, the machine stood panting and roar ing, and she was lifted out and borne into the house where half a dozen people came to meet her and take her to the fire blazing up the big chim ey. p i Mrs. Mivart, and ber daughter, Phllippa, and thcir-cousin, Oliver, had all run to receive her, and began, with laughing and pitying exclamations, to unfasten her innumerable wraps, Colonel Brans combe not far away. As garment after garment was peeled off, she grew smaller and smaller, and at last a brilliant little butterfly emerged from the chrysalis, a tiny yellow" butterfly, hovering a mo4 ment over the armchair and then sinking exhaust ed into its depth. Colonel Branscombe plunged the poker into the fire, and brought quickly a glass of port from the dining-room cellaret, and having held the red hot poker in It a moment till it bub bled, be put the glass to her lips. She drank it Without a question, openeing a pair of great blue eyes and looking up at him whileshe djank, till he Withdrew the empty glass The hot and pungent draught swept through her yeins like sweet fire; she had never in her life tast ed such a thing; the roomed seemed immense, Mrs.1 Mivarts face was something appearing out of a cloud, and Colonel Branacombe's eyes, looking into ler own, seemed the very stars of heaven, h a' moment, however, she had regained her poise,' but those eyes, with their dark brilliance of black dia monds, always remained the same in her thought. "The idea of Cousin Sophy's sending that child all tins way in a hall dress!" said Mrs. Mivart. : "Aunt Sophy said I would be as warm in that as In anything else, with all the wraps," said 2oe with some spirit. "Sophy livee Hi a world of her own : " "A pleasant world," said Zoe. "She is always doing something for people; and she is the great lady there, you know. Oh, yes, it is very pleasant there," she added, wistfully, and seeking Colonel Branscombe's smile again without knowing it. -;-- "You sball come up with' me to your room," said Mrs. Mivart, crossing the rug and putting her hand on the girl's soft hair. '"These pretty, locks, must -be dressed again, and the crumpled things smooth ed out The people will be coming soon. This is your' first r ball ? You- must enjoy it." She, Was a resplendent little creature when she came" down, like an -incarnation of Bunshine, and etood with Mrs.-Mivart and Philippa to receive the guests. It was not long before 6he was whirling like a little golden flame among the dancers. "You dance like thistle-down set to music," said Colonel Branscombe. ; "That would be such irresponsible dancing," she replied. . ; .. "You were made for a nun," he said. "Oh, no, no!" she exclaimed. "One might -as well be lead. I read once of a wicked nun who was walled- up alive; and I thought she was walled up alive, any way!" - "I have a friend who is a nun; she is the happiest person I .know." " -1 "Happy! Oh, it would be worse than Aunt So phy's life; with nothing to look forward to noth ing to live for " "She has you." "Oh! But what am I?" "I suppose-she would say you were a little dear." "She would be much more likely to eay I was little minx. Aunt Sophy is very severe. She ia Very fine and upright, you know." t '. They bad left dancing and were walking now in the long veranda, which bad been glassed In, and' filled with evergreen trees from the wood.r "Why, there are the stars!" she exclaimed. "I thought it would snow after the moon had set." "You brought a change In the weather." "I am glad. I love to have the stars out. I feel as if I were beig taken care of when the stars are there." , "They are great sentinels; outposts of some un- -known army of power." "Oh, there Is Oliver. - I promised to dance with ' him." "And I with Phllippa." pilver led her away. "So you were poaching oa . Phllippa's preserves," he said. "Aunt Sophy would say that was an HUteratlve assertion. But I don't know what itmcins." joy. Perhaps the Joy was because she cared for - - "That the gossips think Colonel Branscombe "f some one so . worthy;; perhaps because she "Do you mean--oh. you cant!. j I didn't hear the - eared at all, Bhe did not know. Perhaps name it Isn't possible . Jt was Phllippa and not . another her dear "Yes, it Is. The Colonel Branscomba who haa T Phllippa whom " 6he had "loved sinoe' baby done such wonderful things in the Philippines." J hood, who every summer bad come to her "And I have been chatting to him like a marmo for a little while, and made her ideal- of per sette!" ect girlhood, .perfect womanhood Phllippa, tall Kvi'H .'.-W;.s: W '- y'ZOE!" SHE CRIED, "YOU ARE THE MOST "It seemed to please him."! "Oh, Cousin Oliver! And herTeyes were life, forget-me-nots dashed with rain. "I shan't dare look at him again. To thick after ail- he has- done?; A hero and I such a fool!-' - "I can't haveyou Ulking like'that'ofirilttle cousin of mine. Branscombe's a great fellow. But when it comes to fairies, the best knights in the kingdom went down before them, you know." , "He has left the army, hasn't he?"(' "Who? Branscombe? Yes, after his" last wound. He has a big fortune and the old place on the hill where the gardens overlook the mountain and the intervales, and of course he needs a wife, a sort of stately wlfe.the gossips think, like Philip-. pa." 1 . "Philippa is stately. Isn't she? i Sh Is very, very beautiful, don't you think?" "She is the most beautiful. thing in the world.' said Oliver. "Oh, Oliver! - And you are in love with her,1 too?" ( ."That isn't too much luck for Philippa, you are thinking." "Philippa couldn't have too much luck! Bat if he is in love with her, it is hard for .you " "I haven't a chance with him in the field, you mean?" "Cousin Oliver, if you don't mind I won't dance any more." , "Tut, tut, I should think Branscombe was a lit tle' tin god on wheels!" "He was! He is! t mean What Is a tin god? But I read about him far off and now to think I chattered" . "Come now! I wn't have this. . Who is Brans-, combe? Not the only man in the world!" And he led her to the tea-room and dipped a glass of punch for her. And whether the wicd draught went to her head or hW heels, there was no more thought of slipping away, and for the rest of the night she danced like a little wild flame till .the music stopped; and went to her room a tired, flush ed and dlsbevelTed minature moenad, a butterfly with Its wings 'drooping down. h. . . - ; - . It was late In the forenoon when she waked, full of happiness. And then as if a cloud had come across the-sun, a strange depression," a something she had never known ibefore,. suddenly made the world dark. What had happened! In the mo- ment that Bhe had looked up Into those eyes. With their'brilllance, that moment, by what electric touch and thrill who could say, her heart had sprung from her keeping and was Colonel Bijans combe's. And he did not want it! Oh, shame! And she fell back and burled her head In the pil low. Her blush seemed to burn 'her from head to foot, and the tears in her eyes were scalding. But crying would never do! No one must know. One could keep one's shame, one's sorrow to one's jself. Oh, Aunt Sophy would jeer! She would be cure to find it out! There mustnot be a chance of that . She must conquer the thing, she would! But oh, oh, oh!. And she wept again with shame7, with sorrow, and, in spite of all, with a certain secret f:,Sift wlFTt li'rai'r GENEROUS DARLING ALIVE!" and dark, with her brown eyes, her brown hair, the rare, swift sweetness of her smile. She could give 'him up to" Phllippa. Give him up Shame! She had never had bim! She was a disgrace to her name to love unregarded! She knew very well ahe was a little fool; Aunt Sophy had said once that nothing but folly was to be expected from a person whose face had such dimples. But love at first sight could come to a silly girl as well as a wise one; and she didn't know about his caring for Philippa; and it was love just as much . as if it had come by slow degrees and imperceptible advances. It always would be love! And she saw herself go ing through life with this, secret,-this burden, this shame; and then it seemed as if her heart would break with pity for herself. She had come out of her bath, her hair ringing in yellow curls over her 'head, when'Phllippa, tap- "v'lns on the door' came in' 'Oh, you little picture!" cried Philippa. , Am 1 S3 very mile: sue saia piieuuBijr. , "You are bo-vry. charming," said Philippa.--"Philippa, dearTju one thinks so but you." '"And Oliver., And Coronel Brascombe, and ' "Colonel Branscombe," she cried, her brush sus pended in the air. "Oh, Philippa, I hope you are going to.be :very bappy!" "So do I. dear," said Philippa. "And I mean to be. Colonel Branscombe is going to help me. For 'mamma to ' ' ; " - ' "Oh, of conrse he-wiUP'r"- '' ; i. ' "If only Oliver- ' .! "Poor Oliver!"' '' ' - -i ; "Yes, isnt it too bad? " And mama is so deteri mined to have her way. , And all Ahat wealth and fame are nothing in my mind beside the -the love " . .' ' " ; "Oh, Philippa, you are always right. The lov is so beautiful. And tf one has the love one needn't think e)out the wealth, but just take things as they come.,' Onlyyou"know. he will be so glad to sui. round you with all that wealth can give. : And Just to be with film ,.. " and suddenly the tears spurt ed and she dropped the brush and hid her face with both hands. . .. ' ' ' ": "You dear little sympathetic thing! I'll have yqji talk to mamma for me; perhaps you can influ ence her. She won't listen to , me- won't hear a word Oliver says. Tell her if she still feels so that that if it wasn't so undignified!": ' 1 "Youd run away!" . "And have an end to all the fuss." "Your mother would like a .fine wedding, you mean? What makes you mind? I beleve he ' v v- - , would. So great a man can't be married quietly. a man the whole country honors; and " ' "Oliver?" said Phllippa. ; ; ;'V'' "Colonel Branscombe," said Zoe, bar face like a rose in the glass. .,; v .v. " : An Instant Phllippa for all br, dignity, stared open-mouthed.N "Zoe!" she cried then.- "You are the most generous, the most magnanimous darling alive!" And with a burst of laughter she ran out ' of the room, and left Zoe still. trying to get the bet- ter of her rebellious curls. " - v ' ' A gay luncheon was ill progress when she entered the dining-room and Oliver was telling of some ex ploit of Colonel Branscombe's, because that gentle man would not tell it himself, and only continually Interrupted him with gay corrections and contradic tions. "Well, well, Branscombe," Said Oliver. "We , all know you never forced an ambush of the sav ages without losing a man " - "I wonder why we consider it so noble to com mit wholesale murder and get off safe," said Mr. Osmond, "that we mast be modest about speaking of it" . '.- ', :- - . -.. - "Perhaps because we don't consider it bo, I won-; tiered a little when I read it, why Maurice Hewlett, In his last novel, made his. -hero a butcher," said Branscombe laughing. " "I remember when I was a Child," said Zee, sad' denly half-frightened at her; wi, voice.'. "tns.t ' I cried, thinking1 the. regiment marching by was marching to be shot. And an eld soldier looking -on, said they needed no pity, they had the satis faction of being the noblest men on earth, giving ( their lives to their country. And greater love bath bo- man than this, that a man lay down- his life for bJs friends." , . ."Colonel Branscombe is fortunate in having Bach en apologist" drawled Mrs. Bolton. ' J'Tbe enthus iasm of hero-worship" .. "Oh, we were all young once," said Mrs. Mivart Zoe's face was carnation ' How. Coveted" with confusion she found herself trembling and trying to conceal it, when Colonel Branscombe came round and took the vacant chair beside her. . "You are very good to speak so kindly of my profession," he said in a low voice. "Oh, I you I don't mean" "I shall refuse to believe you didn't mean!" -"It it is not your profession sew? "But it was. It will be again." "I thought you had resigned." "That is a mistake." - Then it was plain be did not come into' a fortune as she' had understood: And that was why her cousin Mivart objected. She was very sear saying so, but stopped, overcome afresh by her Indiscre tion. "I I wasn't asking!' I don't know what you will think " . - "I think if you are going to follow tie hunt with the rest of us, you should be getting into your habit," he said.' ' And she pushed back ter chair," making-a little gesture' of good-by, and left the room, calling herself a simple fool, who didn't know how to speak properly to the' best, the noblest, the greatest of men. She hurried into her 'habit, but toning everything wrong and buttoning everything over, and trying to find a veil that should hide her'' eyes, and flying down to the impatient sroaa fel low, and scrambling into her HMb ln a littie cat. " . I- '-.- : :-- - "Oh, It makes no difference. My father was a soldier, and I was all but 'cradled In the saddle," she said in answer to Oliver's questions about the horse. Colonel Branscombe ' should not think her panegyric of the soldier' was on his account' And yet why shouldn't he? What belonged to htm lie . ought to have. - Render unto Caesar, . "Ringold, an old hunter," said Phllippa. - "But he's' as staid as " ' '. . , .'. "As any one who has sowed hls wild oats," said Mrr. Bolton from the runabout : - . . - r- Perhaps he had been, but just now as they can tered along, having missed the meet, and meaning to fall in with the hunt at various turns of the road, Ringold had pricked up his ears' and given . a meaning whinny. He had recognized the pack coming over the hill and the pink coat following, with three fences before 'them, and, as one rider and another vaulted over at every fence Ringold roee on his feet and went through the motions of Jumping. And at last, as the full . hunt swept across the road taking the" fences, the Old sport In him leaped up, and he bolted and was after them. If Zoe shook the rein and gave him his head she' never told and he; too, bad taken the, fence, and was after them and abreast of them, going like a bird with a leaf on his wing. The leaf clung, till a rabbit hole caught Rlngold's foot, and down he went and the leaf with him. : It was an unconscious little shape that Colonel Branscombe hurriedly lifted and . held -with one arm when he had remounted and went galloping back to the house. Long" before he reached It, however, Zoe had come to her senses. For a mo ment she lay bewildered and then realized what bad befallen, and that she lay in his arms" as they sped on. She was awnre of no pain, aware of nothing, but that she lay in his arms, and that Bhe .bid no right to be . there. ; For another moment she was conscious of wishing to lie there forever, or to cfose ber' eyes' and gi oat of life:" And thea the blood rushed from her heart to her face, "Oh, you .must put me down!" site-said. ' "I am quite, quite all right!" -:; ' - ' - 5 ; . tt. - - - - -: . . "We will see about that," he said, his grasp con tinning the same.: But when at last he sprang from- the saddle, she managed to free-herself, and stood for a moment as-Td as a rose; and then , made a dash for the door and found herself anable tcf reach it or; move another step, for an excruciat ing pain in her foot, and had to submit to being taken np-stairs to the sitting-room where-the Col onel left her that he might Sad a maid. "And all your afternoon made horrid!" she exclaimed. . "Made unlike any 'other dsy; in. life," he .ex claimed, as the portieres swept together again. t Hot water and bandages . had -redueed. the die- -abled foot to nearly ft" normal size by the next af ternoon; but Zoe chose to ssy nothingtabout it, and to keep to the lounge ia tae sitting-room where inu lppa Insisted on .having. her, meaning so to hide herself ln'a measure till the day named for her de parture. .Phllippa and Oliver spent a good deal of time' with her, rather to her wonderment and trou ble,: as she felt Philippa ought to be with Colonel Branscombe, and moreover lest be should be say ing to himself "She is with that little terror!" Her cousin Mivart, Mrs Bolton and one and another dropped in and dropped out' and Colonel Brans combe came with an orchid blossom from the green house, which as he had himself brought the plant from the tropics, he took. the right to pluck. ,He was sitting opposite her sofa, and was just taking; the flower from her hand again, in explanation 01 some point, when Mr. Osmond opened the portiere? and Instantly retreated with round eyes and a muttered , "Oh, I dfdn't mean to intrude?" Five minutes after Mrs. Bolton's pretty face stared wltH apparent surprise an instant, and then turned and ran out, crying, "Ten thousand pardons!" ; Oliver sat at a table near by with his book, butf the visitors had not observed h.lmS and Philippa was nnseen in the alcove.. "What ah' absurd nuisance that woman is," said Oliver j :; . But Zoe, who, in the Instant of its presentation, - had meant to wear the flower and then to press It In a book and keep- it forever, helped herself across the room- from sofa to' table and chair, and left the' orchid with Philippa. "Please give it some water,"' .she said, and got. herself out of the room by an other door lest Colonel Branscombe shonld see tba tears that overflowed like the sudden overflow of ar brook after rain in the mountains beyond. But Colonel Branscombe saw them.- Outside the door she met Mrs. Mivart "Really. Zoe," said that lady, with a sweet mockery in her suave voice, ' "I : didn't know you were such an adept in flirtation'. Where did you learn? But are you not going a little too far? People are talking, dear child." And no one saw Zoe again that day.' ' . It was the next day, Zee having forsaken the sitting-room and bet at en herself with a book to the big chair in the music-room, a great rainstorm hav ing Its way with the world outside," that Colonel Branscombe found her, having with him a collection of pictures of the islands where he had won big dis tinction. And before he quite knew it, assured by her innocent Interest, he was tailing of certain ad ventsres and their cutcome, and she was listening with shining eyes, flushed and breathless. "Oh, you make me-patriotic!" she cr?ed. "Make you?"" Aant Sophy says patriotism is nonsense. It 13 caring for the family of some one e'se more than for your own, when you go into battle. She says there Is no America, since all the nations of the earth have drowned it out " "On the contrary, they arc being' raised and re generated by the impact of our laws and Institu tions." - . -. "Oh. I shall say that to Aunt Sophy!" "Your Aunt Sophy would have been a tory?" "She is an ogre," said Oliver. yho had come in "No, no, you mustn't talk so about Aunt Sophy! and was hunting up a sheet of music. "No, no, you mustn't talk so about Aunt Sophy! She fs true and brave : " "Brave! . She is scared to death by a notion! The notion that you may marry me." " "I? You? Why, you are like my own brother, Oliver. She never would have dreamed of such a thing. She does'nt want me to marry any one." "Is your Aunt Sophy unmarried?" asked Col onel Branscombe. - r . "She 1 " " " "Her-husband ran away small blame to him." Bald Oliver: "And she thinks poorly of husbands, you see. I would as soon face the Chimera as to ask Aunt Sophy for the band of her. niece." "What is a chimera?" "A flaming dragon who guards fair maidens" from champion lovers." ' - ' ""Win you be glad to go back?" said Colonel Branscombe, gazing at her. She returned his gaze for half a moment, silent ly, unconsciously! and then started up, regardless -of the lame foot's pretences, and rushed from the place like a small whirlwind, - "Zoe," said Phllippa, coming to her that night "I am going to tell you a secret."' ' "Oh, you needn't tell me, Philippa, dear," cried Zoe, the lace of her nightgown sleeve falling back from her uplifted arms till she looked like a spirit taking flight "I know it now!" ' "That Oliver and I mean to be married wheth er or no? How bright you are! . . You see, if Oli ver isn't a millionaire, he has quite enough. And I have something. So it isn't at all imprudent Mamma is really very fond of Oliver; and when it Is known she will be all right." But here Mrs. Mivart tapped at the door and said that if Zoe was going off to-morrow Phllippa really should have some consideration and let her go to sleep now, and then carried Philippa off with her and left Zoe wide awake until daybreak. " ' Of course ' Zoe understood she was being disi missed in disgrace. For her aunt Sophy had said she might stay a second week. If she were asked. She put her things together in at sort Of fury; and one little troubled dream before she rang for the maid to bring breakfast to her room, and then go ing down,' gave her cousin Mivart at the feat of ' the stairs as stately a good-bye as. her height al lowed. ' Stevens wa wrapping the robes about her with quite minute care; when some one, clad tit furs to the eyes she did not at first see whom came down the steps and took the seat beside her. "May I?" he said. And Zoe fell back ia her corner whiter than a snowdrop.'' '-,. "Why Colonel Branscombe!" cried Mrs. Mivart from the open door. .'.'Where In the world are you olng?" : '" "You wfll see me again shortly," he ssid. "It ie not good-byei I am going,": h9 said, as he replaced: his fur cap and laughed at "Oliver, Who had just ap peared behind her, "I am going to -face the chi mera? ' -- W K