Bandit Love

She broke from him and rushed from the room, banging the door behind

her.

"Well I'm sunk!" muttered Tony, distractedly running his fingers

through his sandy hair. "What on earth is a fellow to do in these

circumstances? I hope to goodness Myra won't carry on like this after

we are married, or I shall never know where I am. I wonder what upset

her?"

Troubled in mind, he took his departure, and on his way to his Club he

was fortunate enough to meet Lady Fermanagh.

"My dear Tony, all women are more or less creatures of impulse, liable

to do the most unexpected and quixotic things," her worldly-wise

Ladyship told him, when he had explained what had happened and asked

her to advise him what to do. "That is what makes us so interesting.

We do not understand ourselves, and if men understood us we should

cease to interest or attract them."

"Yes, I suppose so, Lady Fermanagh," agreed Tony, with a disconsolate

shake of his head. "But it would be rather awful to marry a woman who

puzzled one all the time. I couldn't make Myra out at all to-day, and

can't think what can have upset her."

"Remember, dear boy, that Myra is Irish and has the Celtic

temperament," said Lady Fermanagh. "Probably someone, or something,

had upset her before you called, and you had to suffer for it."

"It wasn't only I who had to suffer," remarked Tony. "Poor old Carlos

was there when I blew in, and Myra was snubbing him unmercifully.

Between ourselves, Lady Fermanagh, Myra was positively insulting. Don

Carlos took it rather well, but I fancy he was upset all the same."

"H'm! So Don Carlos is back?" commented her ladyship, with an

inscrutable smile. "That may explain matters. Perhaps it was he who

was responsible for Myra's tantrums. But don't worry, Tony. Myra will

probably be particularly nice to you if you see her to-night."

"I'm not exactly worried, Lady Fermanagh, but I'm very puzzled," said

Standish. "I don't suppose Don Carlos had anything to do with the

matter, really, although he did say chaffingly that he had been making

love to Myra again and said she was afraid of him. But after he had

gone Myra seemed uncommonly annoyed with me for some reason or other,

and--er--well, a fellow doesn't know exactly what to do in the

circumstances, and I thought you'd be able to give me advice."

"My advice to you, Tony, is to make ardent love to Myra, to woo her as

if she had not already promised to marry you," Lady Fermanagh

responded. "It is just possible, my dear Tony, if you will forgive my

suggesting it, that you have not been playing the part of devoted lover

wholeheartedly enough."