The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-20
THE SWALLOWS MURMER
N. Y. Timss.l


by the skillful application OF his psychol-
ogical theories that he had come to regard
his own idea of my character as some
thing to be received with awe and enter
tanned with reverence. That was why he
shook his head as he leaned back in the
big wicker-work chair on Mr., Breece's
veranda. He was smoking cigar and
contemplating through halt-closed eyes
the spectacle of Ellen Breece-commonly
called NelIie-playing tennis with three
young things in knee breeches and stock
ings. Frederick Elson regarded them with
the amused contempt of thirty-fve years Of
life and five years of brilliant success. He
did not bestow any of the contempt on
the girl No man could do that She was
altogether too beautiful, and while Elson
shook his head he could not help admir-
ing her.
"Come, Mr.. Elson !" she called, waving
her racket at him; "come down here and
keep score for US. You look too lazy and
useless for anything sitting up there half
asleep"
Elson rose and walked slowly down the
steps He was too good-natured to resent
the girls easy impudence and too con-
scious of his own personal force to notice
the smiles of the young things with down
on their lips.
"Miss Nellie" he said, 81 know very
little about tennis, and your father ex-
poets me in the library in half an hour to
talk over the case"
"Well, the case will keep. It's been
keeping long enough, goodness knows,
and it can wait till our game is over. Now,
then. Mr. Dennis, it's your serve"
'Oh, really, though, is it," asked the
young thing.
Eyes. really, though, it is" answered
the girl mockinglv, at the same time send
ing a mischieyous and bewitching glance
at him from her deep gray eyes. The
young man fairly gasped with delight, as
he stood motionless gazing at the girls
face. She stamped her little foot and
cried:
"Play. you ninny! Don't stand there
like a wax figure"
The youth served the ball rather feebly
and the girl was &C once tranformed into a
bounding young goddess. 1 suppose the
tennis girl is the modern ideal of Diana.
At any rate she has health and activity
: and develops the human form divine.
Nellie Breeze, playing tennis, was lovely
to look upon. Her light-brown hair had
a marvellous touch of gold in it, and, coied
I'D tightly under her tennis hat, it looked
like half-concealed crown. Her checks
we're flushed, her lips parted and her
brilliant, strong white teeth flashed be-
tween them. Her sleeves were rolled
up to the chow, scorning sun
burn and displaying forearm
3 81 hn
Young men who were engaged in the
game with her watched her movements
with their hearts in their eyes. Ii was
plain that they wOrsbiped her. And it
was equally evident that she accepted
the worship her just right, and had
no notion of giving anything in return
for it except the inestimable privilege OF
obeying her orders.
That's out Oh, you goose" she ex-
claimed to her partner, Mr.. Frank Hark
ness, a pale. Misunderstanding youth. The
poor fellow had caught her eve just as he
was about to strike the ball, and she had
given him a look which made him POM
mel the helpless little sphere with undue
force and sent it far out of bounds. And
then, of course. she blamed him for it.
There was no disputing the fact that she
was a true daughter of Eve.
"Pm very sorry" began Hardness.
'Oh, what's the use OF being sorry?"
she cried with bewltching transparent
pretense OF anger.
well, what else can dor" asked the
young man. "Shall kneel and ask for
forgiveness ?"
Without waiting for an answer he
dropped on one knee, and Selling her
hand, raised 1T toward his lips. But she
snatched it away and gave him a resound-
hrv h., h.
other two youths could enjoy his dlscom-
future and before he could quite realize
what had happened, she bent over him
with great gentleness and said:
ooh. I'm so sorry hit you so hard"
Don't mention it. / beg of you," ex-
claimed the enraptured youth. 81 didn't
mind it; indeed rather liked it you
know"
At that she mercilessly boxed his other
ear, and went capering over the grass sing
ing:
r." He likes it. he likes it. he does"
Elson watched all this with curious
eyes, and as the girls went waltzing over
the grass, said to himself:
"She's witch y
At that moment Mr.. Breeze appeared
on the verands and beckoned to the
Young LAWYER.
"Come, Elson," he said, at don't like to
break in on your pleasure; but | have to
go 10 the city tomorrow and then you can
play tennis with Nellie and the boys ali
day"
play tennisl" cried Nellie. "NIr. Elson
play tennis! He was playing the Judge,
that's what he was playing"
There was a little note of genuine vexa-
ton in the girls voice which made Elson
stop and look at her inquiringly. Then,
as he turned to 90 into the house, he said
TO himself:
''She wishes to bring me to her feet,
too. If she only knew that | am half
down already; but it won't do, Fred, it
won't do"
Elson had been visiting at Mr. Breeces
country house for nearly a week. He had
accepted his clients invitation to escape
the heat OF the city for short time in the
dull season. The visit, moreover, gave
the two men opportunities to discuss at
their leisure an important case which the
younger was to handle for the older at the
next term. On arriving at Mr.. Breece's
place L son had seen Nellie for the first
time Her beauty had attracted him. and
at first her volatile ways had simply be-
witehed him. He was sufficiently skilled
in determination to discover about
forty-eight hours after his arrival that he
was rapidly falling in love with this eifer-
vescent girl of tUentv-ona Then he