Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-25

in her mind, at the same time noting
that the door to the outer Office was
closed.
Donald had hurried forward, flushing
little with surprise or embarrassment,
to give her a chair. sits an i'll wind
that blows nobody any good" he said,
with that little mockery of his old man
ner he had come to assume before 9TH
ers. sit is pleasant that you let your
self be blown this way; but must say
I approve your taste rather more than
your judgment. 1 should hardly have
supposed you would care TO venture out
such day as this"
"Oh, l am sure you could not have
expected me-" little sheer in her tone
his trained ear could not miss.
~ believe most women like to go
beating their way through Storm"
chimed in Mrs. Rogers in her vivacious
way at seems somehow to satisfy
that craving for antagonism that seems
to be inherent in the female heart"
"Do you think SOP" returned Donald,
with smile Of careless courtesy, tiny
frown furrowed between his eyes.
land do you enjoy this peculiar crav-
ing?"
"Oh, yes; we all do. And most Of US
wear our lives out beating against the
wind-that is, contriving imaginary
troubles to fight; don't you think so,
Mrs. Bartels?"
1--WE are not always driven to taxing
our imaginations, l think; Providence
spares US the effort" sharply glancing
from under her long dashed, insolently
dropping eyelids. She had become per-
suaded that Mrs. Rogers held something
in her hand which she was concealing in
a fold of her gown.
providence! all" with shrug OF her
shoulders. Better call it the devil and
spell it as it should always be spelled,
without the d. 1t is the evil in peoples
own minds that leads them to look for
trouble and find it, nine times out OF ten,
Mrs. Bartels. If women never hated
until there was reason for hate, il they
were never jealous until they had cause,
il they never went mad in any OF the
thousand and one phases of feminine
madness there would be lots less trouble,
Mrs. Bartels, and, with careless in
consequential little smile, "Orodelphia
would be good deal pleasanter."
'Do you think SOP" indifferently, her
eyes fixed with the sharp scrutiny OF
cat watching a mouse. She was bound
to see what was in that hand. All the
time it had been creeping upward with
a scarce perceptible movement, crump-
ling something more closely in its grasp,
until, as Mrs. Rogers rose with her last
word, with a swift movement she pushed
something under the edge of her basque,
but not so dextrously but that the keen
eyes watching had caught glimpse,
mere corner betrayed, Of little roll OF
bank notes.
But must not stay here arguing
moral questions while my poor boy lies
hazarding his immortal soul with pro-
family" she exclaimed, with her child
ish laugh. "The doctor.iS laid up with
rheumatism, you know" she explained
to Anita, as If it were the most cheer
full bit of news possible, "and his re-
marks sometimes seem fairly to impart
q sulphurous odor to the room. 1t is
considered good for rheumatism-sul-
phur-and l don't know but the doctor
has some scheme of his own for fight
ing the disorder with the fumes Of his
diabolical EXPLANATIONS, at least it seems
to ease his mind wonderfully"
Donald joined in her laugh, but with
a perfunctory air. "You should hire
Chinaman to help him swear" he care
lessly suggested.
81 hoped you would volunteer" with
a laughing pout. 81 came around, you
know, to see if Mr.. BartelS and you"
innocently turning to Anita, as II In
genuously impelled to explain her pres
ence there, "out of kind charity, to re-
vive my dropping spirits, would not
come around late this afternoon for a
little game of tennis; but the wind
seemed to answer for you before l had
fairly gotten the invitation out OF my
mouth"
81 should not have supposed you
could consider it necessary to wait for
even the wind to answer such an invita-
ton as that" with an insolent smile,
after brief stare of incredulity. "fou
know that I do not play tennis, Mrs.
Rogers"
mo" slightly discounted, "but if
YOU would only learn, you would enjoy
it so much"
"Rut you are not going out in the
dust?" interposed Donald hastily, his
protest, however, somewhat lukewarm
in tone. won't you wait until the
storm is over, Mrs. Rogers"
"Oh, no; the doctor is waiting for me,
and" gayly nodding herself out OF the
door, "two's company, while three
all, you know. Good afternoon, both
Donald closed the door after her with
a relieved expression, turning to Anita
expectanty.
at was SO delicate Of her to remind
me-. was it notP" looking up at him with
AN uglv sheer; "but it was quite I'M
necessary. Nobody could have been
more regretiully conscious than Of
making up the proverbial crowd"
"Nonsensew impatiently. "Why will
von ALWAYS impute ideas to that poor
woman that never enter her head? She
referred to herself, of course"
COZ course nothing on earth could
have induced me to come in had l
dreamt how painfully superfuous was
m he" she went on as II he had not
snoLen. "And even worse than that, to
interrupt your tete-a-tete-to drive your
guest away" with smile OF bitter
irony. 81 cannot sufficiently express
my regret.
SNonsensey" cried Donald again red
denipr angrily. There was no reason
On earth why you should not have come
in. as you know perfectly well. And as
for driving her away; she had finished
her business before you came in and
would have been gone long ago had she
not stopped to speak to you"
"Her business?-that invitation TO
,lov tennis of course you meant to