The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1891-07-29

book was very small indeed One little
lock of hair had squirmed away from
restraining hairpins and was curling
prettily near her pink ear. He felt
curious desire to put it in place, and
then he became conscious of two voices
speaking behind him in not inaudible
whispers.
'slsn't that Foster Willard with Edith
Arnold in front of us?" asked somebody.
"Why, sure enough it is" said some
body else. II thought she Tilted him a
year ago"
Hush, he will hear your
They must have made it up. Queer
isn't it."
The choir began to sing again. and
the people all rose. Willard heard no
more. Edith held her prayer book up
to him, and they read the responses out
| of it. Like those flashes of previous
existence that the philosophers talk
about, it all came back to HMM
tangible, indefinite and yet familiar.
How often he had heard that smooth,
full voice, reading the same old. sweet
words of the Episcopal service. He
seemed to take up the thread of life a
year back. as if the year just passed
had been a dream from which he was
now awakening.
The TIE Deum was over and they sat
down again. Presently the two women
behind began to whisper again. Edith
| was intent upon the service.
pretty bonnet she has," said one.
"a trifle too high, 1 think. They
say she threw Howard Gale over, too.
] don't see what those men find in her.
She is a perfect flirt."
For that reason, probably, they like
her."
81 suppose Mr.. Willard took it too
easily, and she wants to bangle him
again"
''Dangle him."
Eyes. You know what I mean
keep him around and abuse him."
''Hush! I'm afraid he heard you.",
mo, he didn't. It would be good
warning to him, anyway"
Willard moved uneasily, and the
whispers broke off suddenly. He won
dered if Edith had heard them. He
glanced at her, and she looked SO un-
conscious that he concluded she had
not.
The rector had commenced his SER
mon and she was giving close atten-
ton. Willard listened awhile, but it
did not interest him. He seemed to
have heard the same sermon thou
sand times, and his thoughts wandered
| away into other channels. They went
back to the old days when he had been
wont to read the responses out of Edith
Arnold's prayer book, and then he
thought of the two women he had
heard discussing his case.
He looked at Edith surreptitiously as
she sat there listening SO intently to
the sermon, and he thought she did not
look like a girl who would care to
''dangle" anyone. He knew he might
be mistaken, for he did not claim to
know women. No man does who has
once thought he did. But certainly
she did not look like girl of that sort.
He knew she had never seemed SO to
him, even at the last. But, then, who
could tell? Perhaps she would like to
dangle him. as they called it.
He wondered if he would care and
concluded that he would not; it might
even be pleasant. Something suggested
to him that he might let her try, and he
favored the suggestion.
They rose to sing the last hymn and
then knelt a moment while the rector
prayed. The organist played a low,
solemn occasional and the people be-
gan to file out.
They passed the choir gallery as
they went out, and the tenor was help
ing the alto to put on her furs.
''See," said the alto. ''there is Edith
Arnold, with Mr.. Willard in her train
| again. They must have made up
You're not looking at all"
II have something better to look at, p"
said the tenor
'Oh" said the alto, and then
stopped. Willard turned his collar up
again when they reached the door,
Not long SERVICE" he said, for
want of anything better to say.
NO" said Miss Arnold, absently.
Ibid you like the sermon?"
well, ] don't know. 1 didn't hear
much of it. forgot to listen"
''Oh!" said Miss Arnold, very much
as the alto had said it a moment before
81 think the soprano would do bet
ter if she would leave out some of those
trills and quirls," suggested Willard.
do you?" said Miss Arnold. 81
don't know. I'm afraid l was not
listening"
Oh" said Willard.
Il don't think meant that exactly"
said .dith.
Meant WHAT"
Nv hat you thought when said /
was not listening"