Madcap

ovoked or amused. At moments, by her pluck she had excited his admiration, at others she had seemed a little less worthy of consideration than a spoiled child, but h

ally the impudent, self-satisfied kind that one met in America, had always filled Markham with a vague alarm. He didn't understand them in the least,

ght in his chair, a look

o the studio to see her portrait, who had strutted around and talked about money-Miss-er-funny he c

ater, and now he found her down on her knees with

t let you do that

face up at him and th

e not up to that sort of work. You haven't got any right to

-room, finishing the last strip of unscoured floor before she e

as though to herse

d when he made a step to relieve her of th

it-after all my trouble.

e reached the other door she had already emptied her buc

stop it at once

arn my board. This room must

won't h

of the door to the chair on the porch into

for a minute,"

a smile. "For the present, strange as it ma

her chin at

! Are y

sit

ore tha

ger than

the least af

lau

me well enough to

want to know y

ate. But when I like I

ga Tch

n flared into steadine

otest idea what yo

hat you don't remembe

Perhaps I lack imaginatio

. You visited me with

ave never met the

visitor glanced over their shoulders past the angle of the cottage to wher

htened us, child!" She came quickly forward, but when Mark

with thoughts of your untimely death, Hermia, dear, turning Westport topsy-turvy, to find you at your ease

the rescue party which came fo

iged and flattered. Hilda, have you met Mr. Markham? Miss Ashhurst, Miss Van Vorst, and Mr. Armistead,

id fal

ook at my poor

n, was already on the sp

en to know that you would

y in this direction. She didn't see you fall. But when you didn't return she became frightened and alarmed the household-woke us all at half-past five. Think of it!" She yawned and dropped wearily

individual who provides one wi

ia followed the others down the slope to the m

ned, "what on earth

to note the air o

?" and he made a gestur

you answer

ed them. No mail has

just what to think-unless that

th. Meanwhile I ren

place," she said pettishly, "and that I was sure there would be one

orry. It's a little too late no

sture of mock

work out. It's really quite degrading the way I'm p

less material to work with. These people, the kind of people one has to paint-they want lies. It gives me a di

mia?" sh

lau

o parent-or guardians? Do you

o influence. She does exactly as she pleases. Adv

ad. She's q

O

examined him throu

u alone

I'm ca

. "You had better co

N

ed her sm

no patienc

ven't been ask

hing and Markham straighten

. It's too bad to have spoile

so easy and so polit

" he said, "and I'm the g

here. Hermia

or," she explained to

ga's eyes opene

it," she said

was prying about outside the bungalow, on the porc

before it uttering childish panegyric. "Oh, it's too perfectly sweet for anything. I don't t

umoredly took

id, "only you've g

and reported to Hermia that he had found nothing wrong with the engi

e, it seemed, had only been delayed. "Good news," she said q

otests greeted

eggie Armistead, "until either

" replied Hermia calmly, "by

ng this morning! How c

with a gent

me permettrait-

ted the wide lawn in front of the ruined buil

in French, "and, Reggie, p

her in admiration and in protest, bu

Something must be wrong with the thi

erturbably. "You can fo

e her breath. And Markham stood beside the group, his arms folded, his head bowed

he asked, helping h

, rat

you-your nerves were-a li

nder his nose that he might see how steady it was. He grasped it in both of his

" he whispered ge

er hand, a warm flush steal

Mr. Markham.

hed her and

," he muttered

y to the door and

? For

the authority

aughed. "Tha

he persisted, "the fatuity of mere bravado, the uses of life.

life is in what y

you can gi

another day. Meanwhile-" and she pointed her gauntleted hand t

is shoulders

o the seat unaided, while Markham stood at one side and watched the propellers started. Faster and faster they flew, the machine held by Armist

ion the machine moved down the lawn, gathering momentum with every second, rising gracefully with its small burden just before it re

d a moment, her ha

to 'Wake-Robi

not," h

e to Thimble Isla

e charmed,

him and laughed. He was watchi

olite to be q

't mean

let it hap

ns were calling to her and

tt," sh

iously, and vanished around the point of rocks. In a moment there was nothing left of his visitors to Markham but

he turned and took his pipe thoughtfully from his

ttered. "All