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this, Penelope?” asked her faaysnip, 
lifting her eyebrows. “I’ve heard that 
you see Mr. Shaw occasionally, but 
you can’t be his physician, I’m sure.” 
Penelope fiushed to the roots of her 
hair, but suppressed the retort which 
would have been in keeping with the 
provocation 
“Oh, dear, no!’ she replied. “I’m 
too soft hearted to be a physician. I 
Baw Mr. Shaw just after the—ah—the 
accident.” 
“You shaw Saw—l mean you saw 
Shaw?” gasped Bazelhurst, 
“She sees him frequently, Cecil. It 
was not at all unusual that she should 
have seen him today. I daresay he 
waited to show you his wound before 
going to a surgeon.” 
Penelope could not resist the tempta- 
tion to invent a story befitting the mo- 
ment. Assuming a look of concern, 
she turned to her brother and said: 
“He is coming to see you about it to- 
morrow, and he is coming armed to 
the teeth, attended by a large party of 
friends. Mr. Shaw says he will have 
satisfaction for the death of that dog 
if he has to shoot everybody on the 
place.” 
“Good Lord!” cried the duke. There 
was instant excitement. “I believe 
the wretch will do it too.” 
“Oh, I say, Bazelhurst, settle with 
him for the dog,’ said De Peyton 
nervously. He looked at his watch 
and then at his wife. The entire party 
now was listening to the principal 
speakers. 
“Nonsense!” exclaimed Lady Hvelyn. 
“He won’t come. It’s all bluster. 
Don’t let it frighten you, Cecil. I 
know the manner of man.” 
“T wish you could have seen him 
this morning,’ murmured Penelope, 
thoroughly enjoying the unexpected 
situation. Her conscience was not 
troubled by the prevarication. 
“By Jove, I think it would be wise to 
send over and find out what he valued 
the brute at,’’ said Cecil, mopping his 
brow. 
“Good! We'll send Penelope to act 
as ambassador,’ said her ladyship. 
“She seems to be on friendly terms 
with the enemy.” 
“To act as ambassador from Coward- 
ice Court?’ questioned Penelope loft- 
fly, yet with cutting significance. ‘No, 
I thank you. I decline the honor. Be- 
sides,’’ with a reflective frown, “I don’t 
believe it’s diplomacy he’s after.” 
“I say, what the deuce do you sup- 
pose the confounded savage has in 
mind?” exclaimed the duke. “I’ve 
heard of the way these cowboys settle 
their affairs. You don’t imagine’— and 
he paused significantly. 
“Tt looks like it’s going to be a da— 
rather disagreeable affair.” said De 
Peyton sourly. 
“Good heavens! What are we to doif 
he comes here with a lot of despera- 
does and begins to shoot?” cried Mrs. 
Odwell, genuinely alurimed. “I've read 
so much of these awful mountain 
feuds.” 
“Don’t be alarmed. Lord Bazelhurst 
will. attend. to..fhe anid 
eantlaman 
— 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
Lady Evelyn plandly. As lordsurps 
monocle clattered down and the ice 
Tattled sharply in his glass. 
“To—to be sure.” he agreed. “Don’t 
be in the least worried. I’ll attend to 
the upstart. What time’s he coming, 
Pen?” 
A door banged noisily near by, and 
every one jumped as though a gun had 
been fired. While the “Obs!” were 
still struggling from their lips Hodder, 
the butler, came into the room, doing 
his best to retain his composure under 
what seemed to be trying -circum- 
stances. 
“What is it, Hodder?’ demanded her 
ladyship. 
“The cook, your ladyship. She’s fall- 
en downstairs and broken her leg,” an- 
nounced Hodder. He did not betray it, 
but he must have been tremendously 
surprised by the sigh of relief that 
went up on all sides. Lord Bazelhurst 
went so far as to laugh. 
“Ha, ha! Is that all?” 
“Oh, dear, I’m so glad!” cried Miss 
Folsom impulsively. “I was frightened 
half to death. It might have been 
Mr.”— 
“Don’t be silly, Rose,” said Lady Ba- 
zelhurst. ‘‘Where is she, Hodder?” 
“In the laundry, your  ladyship. 
There are two fractures.” 
“By Jove, two legs instead of one, 
then. Worse than I thought,” cried 
Bazelhurst, draining his glass. 
“Send at once for a doctor, Hodder, 
and take her to her room. Isn’t it an- 
noying?”’ said ber ladyship. ‘It’s so 
difficult to keep a cook in the moun- 
tains.” 
“Don’t see how she can get away 
without legs,’’ observed De Peyton. 
“T'll come with you, Hodder. Per- 
haps I can do something for her,” said 
Penelope, following the butler from the 
room. 
“Don’t take too many patients on 
your hands. my dear,” called the mis- 
tress, with a shrill laugh. 
“Yes. Remember tomorrow,” added 
the duke. Then suddenly, “I believe 
I’ll lend a hand.” He hurried after 
Penelope rather actively for him. 
L called there by a peremptory 
summons. Cecil had been tak- 
ing time by the forelock in anticipa- 
tion of Shaw’s descent in the morning 
and was inclined to jocundity. 
“Cecil, what do you think of Penel- 
ope’s attitude toward Mr. Shaw?” she 
asked, turning away from the window 
which looked out over the night in the 
direction of Shaw’s place. 
“T didn’t know she had an attitude,” 
replied he, trying to focus his wavering 
gaze upon her. 
“She meets him clandestinely and 
she supports him openly. Isn’t that an 
attitude, or are you too drunk to see 
piggy 
“My dear, remember you are speak- 
ine of mv sister.’ he said with fine 
CHAPTER V. 
“1 shall go tonight.” 
ORD BAZELHURST visited his 
wife’s room later in the night, 
FR er a a at eee ey Ng: 
9 
LL LLL ES SS 
q@ignity but Mue aIstrnmoauvn. 
sides, I am not too drunk. I do see it. 
It’s a demmed annoying attitude. She’s 
a traitor, un’stand me? A trai-to-tor. I 
intend to speak to her about it.” 
“It is better that you should do it,” 
said his wife. “I am afraid I could not 
control my temper.” 
“Penelope’s a disgrace—an absolute 
disgrace. How many legs did Hodder 
say she’d—she’d broken?” 
“Oh, you’re disgusting!” cried Lady 
Evelyn. “Go to bed! I thought I could 
talk to you tonight, but I can’t. You 
scarcely can stand up.” 
“Now, Evelyn, you do me injustice. 
I’m only holding to this chair to keep 
it from moving ’round the room. See 
that? Course I e’n stan’ up!" he cried 
triumphantly. 
“T am utterly disgusted with you. 
Oh, for a man! A man with real blood 
in his veins, a man who could do some- 
thing besides eat and drink at my cost. 
I pay your debts, clothe you, feed you 
—house your ungrateful sister—and 
what do I get in return? This!” 
Lord Bazelhurst’s eyes steadied be- 
neath this unexpected assault, his legs 
stiffened, his shoulders squared them- 
selves in a pitiful atteimpt at dignity. 
“Lady Bazelhurst. you—you’’—and 
then he collapsed into the chair, burst- 
ing into maudlin tears. She stood over 
by the dressing table and looked piti- 
lessly upon the weak creature whose 
hiccoughing sobs filled the room. Her 
color was high. her breathing heavy. 
There cume a knock at the door, but 
she did not respond. Then the door 
opened quietly and Penelope entered 
the room, resolutely, fearlessly. Eve 
lyn turned her eyes upon the intruder 
and stared for a moment. 
“Did you knock?” she asked at last. 
“Yes. You did not answer.” 
“Wasn’t that sufficient?” 
“Not tonight, Evelyn. I came to have 
ft out with you and Cecil. Where is he?” 
“There!” 
“Asleep?” with a look of amazement. 
“T hope not. I should dislike having 
to call the servants to carry him to his 
room.” 
“IT see. Poor old chap!” She went 
over and shook him by the shoulder. 
He sat up and stared at her blankly 
through his drenched eyes. Then, as if 
the occasion called for a supreme ef- 
fort, he tried to rise, ashamed that his 
sister should have found him in his 
present condition. “Don’t get up. Cecil. 
Wait a bit and I’ll go to your room 
with you.” 
, ‘What have you to say to me, Pene- 
lope?” demanded Evelyn, a green light 
in her eyes 
“T can wait. I prefer to have Cecil 
—understand.” she said bitterly. 
“Tf it’s about our affair with Shaw it 
won’t make any difference whether 
Cecil understands or uot. Has your 
friend asked you to plead for him? 
Does he expect me to take him up on 
your account and hive him here?” 
uo 
[To BE CONTINUED.) 
Love, a cough, smoke and money ¢an- 
not long be hid.—French Proverb. 
en a eee, 
