The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-10-05


But. mamma. everybody else has
tracups ami things in their parlors
now. ready 10 pour tea and chocolate.
you x now"
When % you expect to pour tea and
chocolate. Eiinor?"
Mamma. dear. You know il is a
shame 10 have this beautiful china hid
den away. and nobody ever sees our
dining room"
"Wha, will you do when we have
company"
Mamma, darling. you are too ridicu-
ious- lou know very well we are per
fectly safe on that score. and we might
as we'll have one room look pretty"
Mamma was silen, IL not convinced,
but Harold Phelps remained an agnos-
tie Not that he had any idea that the
splendor Of the parlor decorations re-
suited from the plundering OF the
china closet The purchase of the
stuff. !" as he called il. was but anoth-
er biz ~ girlish extravaganza.
II thought better Of you. Elinor."
he said. viewing the table with evident
disgust Nobody knows what have
suffered in other peoples parlors lit
tered with dining-room trash. Posi-
lively. when ! see one % those ever
lasting little tables with its four or
SIX or twelve cups i am tempted 10 be-
come profane or 10 stealthily tip it
over know shall do so some time.
What will people drag into their par
Tors next / had hoped one spot might
remain unprofaned by the rage for
china
Elinor's scarlet lip curled. but she
kept silence Had she spoken She
would have been rude. something I'M
pardonable in Van Tooker. Harold
Phelps had laughed at her Theosoph-
zeal society. he mad doubted the in
fallibility of Ibsen. he had publicly de-
clared that he didn't care. and worst
of all. he had minated that il Mamma
Van lockers French had not been
that Of Stratford ate Bowe she would
have hustled out OF the house uncere-
moniously certain volumes which lit
tered the library table. Still. Elinor
credited ali this TO the fact that young
men do not like intellectual young
women. and that he thus covered his
humiliation at having fallen in love
with her. But TO fiout her cherished
china was an objectionable offense.
That Harold and she had been sweet
hearts since he wore knickerbockers
and her dusxy hair fell in ripples over
her shoulders Miss Van Tooker de-
tested curls-did not. a. might be sup
Il o. 81 -
love. Neither did Harold's bank ac-
count. for she. foolish girl. had scruples
and feared people would say she bar
tered the Van Tooker claims Of long
descent for mere money. The perfec-
tion OF Harold's attire did not win her
heart. for being intellectual she rather
admired the ill-htting coats and lavish
display Of throat affected by tine pro-
fessors Who addressed her various so-
cieties- so when he ventured to offer
her his heart and hand on the very
evening he laughed at her china. her
! sharp Mo- proclaimed So clearly the
cause OF his discontinue that he
smiled 10 himself in spite of his disap.
! pointment.
( OF these things Elinor was thinking
when the bell tinkled and Christine.
appearing from the laundry. ushered
into the room young lady whose fur
wrapping and q fuff of yellow hair
shone brightly.
Nell. you darling how ar. you?"
Gilmore emerged from the seals.Sin
embrace and held her friend at arms
length while she inspected her.
Elizabeth Ware. | wrote you a
letter last night addressed TO River
side. Cal. and now you walk into our
parlor as calmly as though you had
announced your arrival weeks ago"
Il came hurriedly- We are on our
way 10 New York to meet Harry.
Isn't IL too lovely? I've volumes "a
tell you and | know I'll never get
through in three hours Mamma was
driving out this way, and | begged
her TO drop me here for lunch and
meet me downtown later on"
Another ring at the bell. The long
suffering Christine again discarded
her apron. rolled down her sleeves
and this time ushered in Harold
Phelps
Miss Ware. to speak POLITICALLY. I've
been following a tress of your yellow
hair all morning. Irwin Brown told
me you were in town. but doubt
whether instinct would have led me
here when missed you at the hotel il
! hadn't caught glimpse Of your hair
in carriage coming this way.
thought | couldn't be mistaken. 81
here am in pursuit Of information.
Harold. | find You are as cruel as
ever: at your old tricks Of raising my
hopes only 20 let them fall again.
First. you have been in pursuit of me
I'm immensely battered. Next. its
only for what know; I'm Of secondary
Importance.
First, always. because without you
I could not obtain my information
and il Julia did not learn the name OF
tina; perfectly delightful boarding
place with those elegant people you
described in your last letter before she
starts ont west tomorrow she would
never forgive me. Besides. | assure
YOU. | really wanted To see for myself
Y III. wonderful effect upon you of our