Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-10-02

:fOf sulu HIS
"iou might have made pretty speech
then. Remember, lima is city-bred and
used To all that sort OF thing"
And she moved away, while Roland Bit
his lip, wishing he had sir Philip DarrelPs
golden tongue. lie used To call IL soon
founded foreign palayering" at one time,
but Cupid alters some mems estimate OF
the graces of life.
Roland and lima were left pretty well
alone, for Sir Philip and the rest were at
the other end OF the room, and there SEEM
ed TO he good deal Of fun going forward.
lima longed to join the group, but she did
not like TO play rechlessly, and Roland
was long over his moves.
"Oh, Roland" she said at last, "don't
take "A month over "a move, there's "A good
/ boyW
Roland looked up. lima leaned back,
clasping her hands behind her head, and
met his eager look with one Of indifier-
ence.
"You see," he said, al am not thinking
of the game"
"Then wish you would, or / shall read
a book while you are meditating."
.Ilma, why are YOU so cruelI"
His tone and look startled, even fright
ened her; but she was too young TO know
how to meet such IN advance. She turned
pale, but her eyes flashed angrily.
.'Don't be foolish, Roland, Or"
81 am not foolish, lima" he interrupt
ed. 81 mean what say do indeed
"Well, then, | am foolish, and don't
! know what it is that you mean, and |
don't want TO know. | will sweep up the
men if you will not finish the game prop
erly."
..Ilma, will you let me explain another
timer"
"Yes-no-how can | stop you? DO
move your queen, or l shall take her.'
Roland turned very red and obeyed in
silence, though he bit his lip till the blood
| almost came. In three more moves he
was checkmated and lima declared he de-
served Janie's condemnation.
.Play "A game OF draughts, lima; that
won't take long, and it's quite early in the
evening"
"Not now, Rol--presently."
.rhey don't want YOU over there. They
are playing ut something"
But, even as he spoke, Darrell crossed
the room; and the next moment he was
bending down to lima.
cam | too inpatient! May not beg
now for a little music:"
How different this man from blunt coun-
trvfied Roand-the soft sweetly-modulat-
hlc.pleading, wholly deferential, the man.
ner that forbade denial because 1t made
a favor of acquiesccnce! Was Roland
blind that he could not see how the young
face lighted up a. il WAS turned TO Dar-
rell? Was his ear too dull to catch ring
in the girls voice that was not in it when
she spoke 10 her Cumberland cousin?
.What shall play" she asked, rising
at once.
"Play some OF the pieces you played
from memory at the Court the other
day"
.Some" said lima, laughing. "You
mean One.'
.Do YOU offer IA wineglaSs of water to a
thirsty man, lima? You know you would
never tire me with music. You might be-
come weary of playing, but should never
be tired of listening"
lima went TO the piano and played, and
Roland came near-not that he cared for
classical music or understood 1t, but he
could not bear to leave lima alone with
Sir Philip Darrell.
Suddenly Roland noticed that the dam
ask rose was gone.
"Ilma," he said, as the girl struck the
last chord in morceau of Schuberps,
..wherc's your rose?'
lima started and looked down ut her
dress.
al don't know" she answered; 81 did
not take it out. | must have dropped IT,"
perhaps while you were playing chess
suggested Sir Philip.
"No; l saw il when you left the table,"
said Roland.
..It must be somewhere about the floor;'
and lima looked around her. "Never
mind, Roland; you'll have to give me an
other"
Just then Rose drew near.
ssRoland, we want you for whist; aunt
Rachel has no partner. Come along"
Roland could not well refuse; he could
not make pretence of wanting TO hear
classical music; SO he was fain to he VIC
finland never was there u more unwill-
ing one.
"WiI you play that last piece again?"
asked Darrell soon as he was gone.
lima complied and while she played,
Sir Philip, who was looking down, caught
sight of something lying near his foot. Ii
was Roand's little-cared-for rose. He did
not pick it up ut once; but when lima had
finished playing he raised it and placed it
OIL the piano before her.
"Your rose" he said. ~ wonder that
did not see it earlier; it fell close to
me-
"Thanks." There was no pleasure in
her face. She took up the rose as If she
hardly knew what to do with IL. The
stalk is broken off," she said with per-
picked look. 81 can't put it back in my
dress it's not much good now" and she
let 1t drop on the piano again.
Sir Philip Darrell bent forward with .
quickly drawn breath, and his deep gray
eyes flashed.
."You have not always so treated the gift
of flower" he said.
Crimson as the rose itself were Ilma's
cheeks and brow; eyes, nall turned To
him, had seen the look in his, her ear had
caught-nay, TO her very heart had rung
the tone in his voice. Yet she knew
nothing and felt nothing clearly. She had
a sense Of losing some safeguard, Of bav-
ing some veil or mask torn from her. She
saw how Darrell read her conduct about
the flowers ho had given her; but she
could not, in that bewildering moment,
tell whether he was right or wrong. She
could not think at all.
h.,ran man of tho world with "A wa