United States or Bouvet Island ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Beverley's look, as he turned and left her, now shook every chord of her being. He had gone to his death at her command. How strong and true and brave he was! In her imagination she saw the flag above him, saw him die like a panther at bay, saw the gay rag snatched down and torn to shreds by savage hands. It was the tragedy of a single moment, enacted in a flashlight of anticipation.
He nodded with something of his old jauntiness and swung out of the room. They both watched him in silence. "Not quite the young man he was," Jocelyn Thew observed thoughtfully. "Is it my fancy, I wonder, or does he drink a few too many cocktails when he is on leave?" "Richard Beverley's all right," Nora answered.
"It is not so incredible in a big house like this. Besides, what other explanation can there be?" "There must be one," I said, reassuringly. "Have you spoken of this to Madame de Staemer?" "Yes." Val Beverley's expression grew troubled. "Had she any explanation to offer?" "None. Her attitude mystified me very much.
"It's not my sword, exactly," replied the man; "and yet I can not return it to its owner or to the family. It was brought me to be cleaned by one of Colonel Beverley's people, and before it was called for the house was burned, and every soul perished. It was one of the colonel's swords, I am sure, as there is E. B. on a silver plate engraved on it.
She led the way into the boudoir, and reluctantly her companion crossed the threshold. Mrs. Sands pointed to the pearls. "I wanted so much to show them to you. See how wonderful they are! Mr. Heron's so proud of his wife. I could arrange some plan, I'm sure, if if " A door slammed, and Beverley's sentence broke off with a gasp. Mechanically she shut down the cover of the velvet case.
That day was among the most terrible of Beverley's chequered life. She had had several engagements, but she telephoned to put them off. Not for anything would she have left the house, for she hoped to have a message from Clo. She feared to hear also from one whom Peterson served, but it was best that she should be at home if such a message arrived. "Have they kept their word?
This was Clo's moment. She had led up to it, and decided what to do. First she placed the bag of jewels in Beverley's lap. Next she spoke to the chauffeur, giving clear directions. Then she slammed the door shut, and stepped back upon the sidewalk, motioning to the man to start. "Angel will be so surprised, she won't know what to do for a minute," the girl thought.
Some few remained, their age not rendering their services of value, and among them was an old and attached servant of Beverley, a man above sixty years of age, whose name was Jacob Armitage, and who had obtained the situation through Colonel Beverley's interest.
There were no miracles in those brave days, and the strain of life with its terrible realities braced all men and women to meet sudden explosions of surprise, whether of good or bad effect, with admirable equipoise; but Beverley's trial, it must be admitted, was extraordinary; still he braced himself quickly and his whole expression changed when Clark moved to go to Alice.
His tone was kindlier and his manner more natural. He spoke with regret of Richard Beverley's departure in a couple of days, and only once did he hint at anything in the least disturbing. "Wonderful feat, that of you flying men," he remarked, "dropping ten thousand copies of Wilson's speech over the German lines. I am not sure that it isn't rather a dangerous precedent, though." "Why dangerous?"
Word Of The Day