The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-06-17

/ enough 70 declare, now couAu ! uuu IL ILLS
afternoon In my portfolior
did you find 1T"
Eyes: / think we missed II In our search.
! was awfully glad to getit again.
-Odd." commented Lawrence.
And then Miss Montague suddenlyr re-
mombered how Davaris had come out Of
the library that afternoon, and startled
her so. What could he have been doing in
the room2 Was II not odd that she found
The photograph there a few hours after
Davari 8 bad been there1
Lawrence was not prepared TO explain
how the picture was replaced, for he did
not know Of Davaris' strange appearance
that afternoon. Neither did he think IL
best to tell Miss Montague 1t was quite
likely that the Greek had brought 1t back.
Lawrence came into the room and sat
down near Gladys. There was . light in
her brown y e that captiyated him;
there was a heightened color In her face
that be could not account for. He did not
know that Davaris had left her q half
hour before. He did not know that he had
played to her on the violin. He had not
heard the Wild words the Greek had ut
tered before he left.
r. love you 90 much, but / can never
marry you" the Greek had said. And To
all this Miss Montague had answered not
q word. She bad listened in wonder to
the Greeks passionate utterances until
he had dashed out Of the room and left
her. She was quite at a loss to account
for his strange actions; she felt that she
did not know whether she loved him or
not. There was o fascination about him
though, and his mysterious ways put q
glamour OF romance over him.
And now when Lawrence came In she
was not quite herself; she still heard the
notes Of q violin, the tones Of an impas-
stoned voice.
why nave we been so awfully formal"
she hoard Lawrence say. "Ihave known
you for SO long, and at Bar Harbor you
always let me call you Gladys-Gladys;
It's such a sweet name"
She laughed merrily. She looked up
into Lawrence's face with archness. Her
mood had changed quickly. why. Ned,
how very droll you are tonight, The
Ned" had slipped out before she could
prevent 1t. and she was on the point OF
correcting herself. Then she saw that he
did not notice 1t, and so she went on:
Fancy you speaking to me across the
dinner table and calling me Gladysr
What would people Think"
They would think We had known one
another ever since we were children; they
would think he said eagerly, but she
interrupted him.
That would be very true, but you
should call me what you ike-you know
as well as / what Is good form-wkat is
conventionaifs
Il wish" said Lawrence. you wouldn't
always be talking about what is conven
ventional. Idon't care q rap about con-
~ventionality. 1t Is stupid-this not al
lowing people to dc what their feelings
prompt them; n Is hampered, checked,
held backi No wonder. all the men are
mere tailors dummies, whose chief aim in
life Is to talk nonsence to pretty women,
who appear to like 1t, but who are really
laughing In their sleeve: con~ventionality
I makes men foolish or cynical, that is all r
Really, aren't you going q little too
far. Don't you think there must be q
limit to everything? II it we're not for
con~ventionaIity what would society bel
Don't You think the polish Of convention
alityis necessary to prevent jangling and
discord2 A good deal is hidden by the
surface polish Of society. Suppose we all
showed our likes and dislikes out plainly
every time we had a chance; think what
q disagreeable state OF affairs that would
createp
What l mean is this: / don't think
frankness is used enough" said Lawrence.
Suppose ! meet a man / heartily dislike,
/ know about him /; / know he Is o rascal
find him in the society of q group of my
/ friends, and one OF them introduces me to
him. He may have good manners. and
may be very agreeable and fascinating,
but he is. well-a little off color. Conven-
tionality demands that l should bow cor
Tally and mutter o few4sweet tibs; my
common sense tells me to decline to have
anything to do with him. II ! refuse to
meet him, 1t would make a scene whichso-
ciety forbids; if / talk to him, and have
anything to do with him l am acting a
lie? OF / cannot make his true
character known; conv~entionality calls
that sianderl So all / can do Is to tolerate
him until he departs"
Il think that this is all that Is expected
Of one" said Miss Montague. Tact goes
hand In hand with conventionality. and
II they are rightly used you will admit,
yourself. that the combination is better
than brutal frankness. Suppose / am in
troduced to a man at a dance, and / find
him extremely stupid and commonplace;
] don't tell him sol dance with him, per-
haps, but ! a contrive to get him out Of
the way without ~wounding his feelings,
Tact does that" said Lawrence, and
then he relapsed into uneasy silence. He
looked at the toes OF his boot and clasped
his hand neryously. Miss Montague was
too much perturbed to notice him; she
had not forgotten what had happened be-
fore Lawrence had come inflow Davaris