Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-09-28

did you say TO him about his going
awav?"
Nothing" replied the girl, wearily.
"Let Bell alone, jess" said Toms
soft, slow voice, from the depths of an
armchair, in which he sat in state of
neglige equal to his wifc's. "The child's
tired; let her go to bed"
Bell cast grateful glance toward her
brother-in-law's large mild face. She
and poor, unlucky, always-out-of-a-posi-
ton. and il the truth must be confessed,
lazy Tom were the best of friends. 1t
was not the first time that he had
shielded her with delicacy that never
failed from her sisters well-meant but
narrowing onslaughts.
Bell crept up stairs. Oh, those golden
SIMMER days down by the sea when
first she and Vane Stephenson had met
and where he had asked her 10 be Mis-
wife-how far, far off they were!
When Vane SteDhenson alighted at
the little station OF - Springs the fol-
lowing evening his spirits rose with
sense of pleasurable oxhilaration. He
had had some doubts and a'so some
compunctions about coming-for what
what reason he himself best knew-but
they evaporated now. The piaZzas Of
the hotel were full of graceful forms in
thin dresses and band within was
playing dance music. Vane repaired
the damages inflicted upon his appear
ance by travel and then sent his card to
q person registered, with his mother, as
MRS. and Miss Lawton and maid"
Miss Lawton was dressed that evening,
as was customary with her, into the
nearest approach to beauty in any way
compatible with the materials granted
her mot too layishly) by nature. Her
French dressmaker had once remarked,
with the approval of an artist whose
efforts are too often wasted upon pur-
blind generation, that Miss Lawton had
the gout somewhat tapageur, but that
she was interesting to dress, ncvcrthe-
less. because she was so responsive.
In some way Vano felt grateful to her
at that moment for looking 50 well. 1t
seemed to put him more at rights with
himself.
"a did not expect you,' she said with
little laugh that in subtle fashion con-
tradictcd her words.
"Did you notP" in his impressive
tone. "You might hnve known !
should come-aftcr you had said ]
would not be quito unwolcomc.
She sat down and drew a gaudy Ori-
entail shawl about her shoulders. She
was quite harmonies from the top of
her artistically coiffcd head to her mar
row slippcr-tip. A delicate suggestion
of perfume-so few women know how
to use scents-was waited toward him
by each slow motion of her scarlet
feather fan. Voices and subducd laugh
ter came from the other end OF the pi-
azza. mingled with the strains Of tho
waltz then in vogue. Up in the sky a
full moon was hanging and low wind
blow from the south. 1t was very
pleasant, altogether. So pleasant that
the city, with its hot pavements and its
din, its harrassing documents from
picture-dealers, and its unpaid bills.
faded qu te away into the dim recesscs
Of Beauty Vain's" memory. His
monetary complications, in fact, seemed
TO assume u fnr loss pressing aspect-in
the propinquity of an hciross kindly dis
posed.
There are certain potentialitis OF
riches in the atmosphere that make
poverty, to tho most INDECENT artist, ap-
pear altogether far less present and
personal matter. Not that Vanc Ste
phcnson directly contemplated the pos
sibility of ever proving untrue to Bell.
Bell was dear little thing, and there
was world of character hidden be.
meath that delicate body of hers. She
was wrapped up in her love for him
also. No; he would not wrong her,
But his case and pleasurc-loving artists
temperament was agfeeably caressod
and stimulated by that atmosphere OF
luxury and artificiality in which the
Lawtons and such as they moved and
had their being. The ilattery his talent
and his personal good looks brought
him in such circles fed his vanity de-
lightfully. 1t was in his nature to GO
with the current. And the current here
happened 10 exercise particularly
pleasant compelling power.
Tho next day was one of these vouch.
safed occasionally to mortals that they
may know how the earth looked when
the world was young and Sang with
her sister spheres. p" A day of long,
rare, dream-like hours. A bright blue
morning, with q hazy veil over lakes
and mountains, drowsy noon, still
afternoon, spellbound under its slantine
shadows; n pale moonlit evening, redo,
lent with faint odors and full of myste,
rious sounds, ~ OF myriad Of voice,
of whispering nature.
They had been off on coaching
party and gone all day.
When Mrs Lawton went to her room
that night she was pensive and alb
stractod.
Don't flirt too much with Vant
Stephenson, Rhoda," she said to hel
daughter. "0f course he's charming
follow-in his way-and all that Blu
don't push matters too far.
"Flirt with him" repeated Miss Law
ton in wide-awake wonder.
''Yes, ilirt with him." Don't PLAY
innocence. You llirted outrageousll
with him all day. If you lead him OF
in that way he will be proposing next
And you know how your father woulC
approve your marrying poor man!
Miss Lawton made no reply. Sht
smiled little behind the shielding
screen Of hair the maid was letting
down over her shoulders. Miss Law
ton was that not uncommon product o
American sofia daughter who did a
she pleased,
She had had number Of seasons
"out' and exhausted very much of hel
capacity for receiving fresh sensations
from the round of experiences her soci
ETY. life afforded. Vano Stephenson wa
different from the style of men from
whom she came in customary contact
and she had fallen in love with him
She had heard in vague sort of wa.
that he had been attentive to SOM
unknown girl not In society, but she di'
, not hold there was any definite engage
ment Stephenson had been rather care
full about leaving her unenlightened OF
that point. do not know whether
would have made any difference wit
her if she had known. Her belief wa
that any woman was entitled to a 'fel
low'' il she could 'get" him. For he
own part, she did not despair of "get
ting" this particular one now. She wa
clever enough TO know what she wa
about in suggesting his coming TO tn