The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-09-03
A CHANGED CRITIC.

Nh. Aubrey Eyerdene looked out
upon Sackville street and yawned. Only
an instant before he had written ''fnis'
to q magazine article with dash Of the
PEN across the Last sheet. and now the
MSS lay ready for the post among the
debris Of printers proofs new novels
awaiting review, etc, with which the
writing table was strewed
One Of the best known l~itterateurs in
London and o brilliant conversation
list, his tongue could be rs scathing a.
his pen, and it was said Of him, with
regard to the latter weapon Of warfare,
that in half o dozen polished sentences
he could do more toward damning o
book than any two of his compeers. A
big, loosely made man was Nj. Everdene,
with shrewd gray eyes and the pessim-
ism of q modern Studying his face as
he lounged by the window, his hands in
the pockets of his smoking jacket, one
could see that he had o lively sense of
humor combined with his other charac-
teristics and understood the interest his
personality aroused
Presently a servant brought him q
visiting card ON o salver.
1.-THE lady would be obliged if You
would grant her an interview, sir"
Lady Hilyard, - muttered Everdene,
reading the inscription. "Ican't recall
the name. Bother the womanl What
does she wantf However, ask her to
come mp. Blake"
When she entered, q fair, elegant
woman Of perhaps %, in an irreproach-
able Partisan toilet, he was still more
convinced that he had not the privilege
Of her acquaintance.
"Mr. Aubrey Eyerdene?'' she queried.
M. Everdene bowed.
PRAY take . seat, madame"
mo" she said II have come TO
quarrel with you, and ! don't sit down
i'm the houses of my enemies"
ITO quarrel with mei'' His eyebrows
went up. The thought came to him that
his visitor was not in her right mind.
Eyes. Perhaps / had better explain
myself at once. I ann the author Of
Fashion and Footlights.
Mr.. Everdene, standing perforce be-
cause she would. pulled his mustache,
while the fair stranger tapped her No.
8 shoe ON the carpet with impotence
and looked pitchforks and daggerA
Fashion and Footlighta, = he re-
fected aloud "'Fashion and Foot
lights. Hail.
Comprehension stole over his face and
with il a slight amusement. He fshed
among o pile OF volumes and brought
ont three bound with an elegance des-
tined to win the hearts OF suburban cir
culating libraries
Here IL lie. Reviewed it in The Cen
turi0n, didn't Ir'
mo-" she said, "you hanged and
quartered iti"
81 am sorry. May / ask how You
found ont that ] was the culprit2n
'tOh, by accident. It's q long story
and unimportant, since you don't deny
the imputation. Now, Mr.. Everdene,
know it Is very impertinent Of me, q
stranger, TO come to your private adj
dress and worry you. ] ann doing q very
unusual thing, I am afraid, and Mrs.
Grundy would be Mortified. But fools
rush in,' you know, and widows are
privileged. You must have a little pa
thence with me because''-for the first
time her lips relaxed, and she smiled q
smile that was sweetness itself-"well,
Just because I'm o woman and your q
gentleman. Acknowledge the truth,
now, ON your honor. Don't you think
you were unnecessarily harsh 20 my
poor little literary efort?"
No" he said bluntly; II always
give my true opinion OF things, and
consider your book had many faults"
liz she had been o man, he would have
said, 81 thought 1t was --- bad, with
the brusQueness of conviction and prob
ably declined to discuss the matter, but
to q lady il was impossible to be rude
He regarded her absurdly unconvention
al presence with a tolerant kindness.
"Of course, / admit that there arr
faults, but upon or two points ii
your criticism I cannot agree with you
I should very much like to discuss then
with you. May I?,
Certainly" His mouth was twitch
ing under his heavy mustache. sBu
don't you think. pending the verdict
that you had better sit down? You vii
be fafigued. If you'll permit me d
wheel this armchair nearer the fire TO
you-sol"
Having carefully arranged 1t so thu
she should face the light, he seated him
self opposite her-the A B. G. CT eli
plomacy, but she did not appear to no
tice it She was drawing ar~abesques d
the carpet with the point Of her ivor.
handled umbrella
II should very much like to know,
she said. what yon think of my com
ing here7',
III think yon are plucky-yes, an
recklessly unconventional.
s.Candid, at any ratei And I lk
that. She looked up. Now for til
first indictment hi the list. Mr. Evel
dena Yon accuse me Of improbabiIity
I deny Il.
His manner bordered on preoccups
rEE.-ss