"Life is a wonder," he mused, "a
succession of surprises. When Duncan brought his men to the relief of
a stranger, set upon and nearly overwhelmed by an angry Chinese mob,
that day in Muen Yan's district, he did not imagine what might come of
it to his own advantage. I felt, from the minute I heard Lady
Moreham's name, that I had gotten hold of the other end of Duncan's
mystery, and I have not watched her so closely for nothing, all this
voyage. My misguided friend and his over-proud wife will meet more
happily than they parted, or I am much mistaken. I must wire him the
minute I touch land."
Just down the deck the girls were laughing merrily, as Hope, teased
into it by her sister, who was curious to know why she had failed in
personating herself, told the story with keen enjoyment of her own
discomfiture.
"It was away back," she began, "as much as three weeks ago, and Faith
had been real mean and shut herself up with a book. In fact, nobody
seemed real nice and ready for fun, and I couldn't find Dwight to plan
things, so I sat moping on deck when I saw Mr. Carnegie coming along,
looking almost as glum as I, and the thought crossed my mind that we
might mutually cheer each other--and then, like a flash, I determined
to pretend to be Faith. I looked up in a sweet, meek way with a
smile--"
"Like this--" interpolated Carnegie, with a smirk that sent them all
into convulsions.
"I couldn't look like that if I tried!" indignantly.
Pages:
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209