Dodge City times., 1890-04-24

Mountoy."
houses"
The drawing room door was softly open.
ed, st the moment when Iris Put that
question. A lady appeared on the thresh-
old. Seeing the stranger, she turned ia
Iris.
81 didn't know, dear Miss Henley, that
you had visitor. Pray pardon my in
trusion."
The voice was deep: tho articulation was
clear; the smile presented certain modest
dignity which gave it value OF its own.
This was woman who could make such
. commonplace thing as an apology worth
listening to. Iris stopped her as she was
about to leave the room. "Iwas just wish.
ing for you," she said. Let me intro
duce my old friend, Mr.. Mountjoy. Hugh,
this Is the lady who has been SO kind to
me, Mrs. Vimpany."
Hugh's impulse. under the cfrcum-
stances, was to dispense with the formali-
Vimpauy met this friendly advance with
suavity Of action not often seen in these
days Of movement without ceremony. She
was tall, slim woman, of certain age.
Art had so cleverly improved her COM
plexion that 1t almost looked like nature.
Her cheeks had lost the plumpness Of
youth, but her hair (thanks again, perhaps,
~ AIID SlOWCu uO biSu Va SAoys
The expression Of her large dark eyes
placed perhaps little too near to her high
aQuiline nOse-claimed admiration from
any person who was so fortunate as to
come within their range of view. Her
hands, long, yellow and pitiably thin.
were used with q grace which checked to
some extent their cruel betrayal of her
it was worn with an air which forbade it
to look actually shabby. The faded lace
that encircled her neck fell in scanty folds
over her bosom. She sunk into chair By
Hu2h's side. "Tt was great pleasure to
me, Mr. Mountjoy. to offer my poor SER
vices to Miss Henley; can't tell you how
happy her presence makes me in our little
house." The compliment was addressed
to Iris, with every advantage that smiles
and tones could offer Oddly artificial as
1t undoubtedly was Mrs. Vimpany's maD-
ner produced. nevertheless, An agreeable
impression. Disposed to doubt her at
first, Mountjoy found that she was win
ming her way to q favorable change in his
opinion. She so far interested him, that
he began to wonder what her early life
might have been. when she was young
and handsomef He looked again at the
portraits Of actresses on the walls, and the
plays on the boOkshelf-and then (when
she was speaking to Iris) he stole q sly
glance at the doctors wife. Was it pos
sible that this remarkable woman had
once been an actressi He attempted to
put the value of that guess to the test by
means Of complimentary allusion to the
prints.
my memory as play-soer doesn't ex-
tend over many years" he began; "but I
can appreciate the historical interest of
your beautiful sap prints" Mrs; vimpany
joy tried again. lone doesn't often see
the famous actresses of past days, Z" he pro-
ceeded. 80 well represented on the walls
Of an English house"
This time he had spoken to better pur.
pose: Mra Vimpany answered him in
words.
Il have many pleasant associations with
the theatre" she said, first formed in the
time Of my girlhood"
Mountioy waited to hear something
moro. Nothing more was said. Perhaps
this reticent lady disliked looking back
through long interval Of years. or per
Mountjoy's guess At the truth still ioct III
doubt. In either case, she deliberately
dropped the subject. Iris took Il M. Sif-
ting by the only table in the room. she
was In position which placed her exactly
opposite to one Of the prints-the magnid.
cent portrait OF Mrs. Siddons ~ The Trag.
81 wonder If Mrs. Siddons was really m
beautiful - thatw she said, pointing
to the print ''Sir Joshua Reynolds il re.
ported to have sometimes hattered his Sit
terra"
ArA vimpany's solemn self-possessed
eyes suddenly frightened; the name Of the
great actress seemed to interest her. On
the point, apparently. Of speaking, she
dropped the subject Of Mrs. Siddons al
she had dropped the subject Of the Theatre.
M0untjoy was left 10 answer Iris.
We are none Of us old enough" he 10.
~ NJ - has - =
mas brush has been guilty Of nstterv IT. y.n or
not" He turned to AH Vimpany. and
attempted to look into her LIE from \ naV
point Of visw. when Miss Henley vas
% fortunate - to make your acouaint-
ance. he said, you were traveline In Irs.
iaAd. Wa It your aEst visit to that nm
happy country"
land" ~ ~
Having again dsliberataly dlsappofnted /
9ount4o{, aAe weD algl1t6d IN feenfSe
eaeas q tos sab5eee q Gs1and bI . 1oss