The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-10-06

covered voice.
But, mamma. everybody else has
teacups and things in their pariors
now, ready to pour tea and chocolate,
you know"
'When DO you expect to pour tea and
chocolate. Eli1or?"
Mamma, dear. You know it is a
shame to have this beautiful china hid
den away, and nobody ever sees our
dining-room."
What will you do when we have
company"
Mamma, darling, you are too ridicu-
Ious. You know very well we are per.
fectly safe on that score, and we might
as we'll have one room look pretty"
Mamma was silent if not convinced,
but Harold Phelps remained an agnos-
tic. 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 it, was but anoth-
er bit of girlish extravaganza.
Il thought better of you. Elinor,"
he said, viewing the table with evident
disgust. Nobody knows what l have
suffered in other peoples parlors lit
tered with dining-room trash. Posi-
lively, when l see n Of those vel
lasting little tables with it's four or
six or twelve cups 1 am tempted to be-
come profane or to stealthily tip it
over. l know l shall do so some time.
What will people drag into their par
lors next? 1 had hoped one spot might
remain u%nprofaned by the rage for
china"
Eiinor's scarlet lip curled, but she
kept silence. Had she spoken she
would have been rude, something I'M
pardonable in a Van Tooker. Harold
Phelps had laughed at her Theosoph-
ical society, he had doubted the in
fallibility of Ibsen, he had publicly de-
clared that he didn't care, and worst
of all, he had intimated thatif Mamma
Van lockers French had o 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 all this to the fact that young
men do not like intellectual young
women, and hat he thus covered his
humiliation at having fallen in owe
with her. But to fiout her cherished
china was an objectionable o~ffense.
That Harold and she had been sweet
hearts since he wore knickerbockers
and her dusky hair fell in ripples owe
her shoulders-Miss Van Tooker de-
tested curls-did not, as might be sup
posed, facilitate the course of true
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-
ton of Harold's attire did not win her
heart, for being intellectual she rather
admired the ill-itting coats and lavish
display of throat affected by the pro-
who addressed her various So
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
to himself in spite of his disap-
OF these things Elinor was thinking
when the bell tinkled and Christine,
from the laundry, ushered
into the room a young lady whose fur
wrapping and a fluff of yellow hair
shone brightly.
"Nell, you darling how ar, you?"
Gilmore emerged from the sealskin
embrace and held her friend at arms
while she inspected her.
Elizabeth Ware, 1 wrote you a
last night addressed to River
side, Cal, and now you walk into our
parlor Is calmly as though you had
announced your arrival weeks ago."
Il came hurriedly. We are on our
way to New York to meet Harry.
it too lovely? I've volumes to
tell you and 1 know I'll never get
through in three hours. Mamma was
driving out this way, and 1 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
md this time ushered in Harold
Phelps.
Miss Ware, to speak POLITICALLY, I've
been following u tress of your yellow
hair all morning. Irwin Brown told
you were in town, but l doubt
whether instinct would have led me
here when l missed you at the hotel if
hadn't caught a glimpse of your hair
a carriage coming this way. l
1 couldn't be mistaken, SO
lere 1 am in pursuit of information"
Harold, 1 find you are as cruel as
,ver; at your old tricks of raising my
ropes only TO let them fall again.
First. you have been in pursuit of me;
IN immensely lattered. Next, it's
,nly for what 1 know; I'm Of secondary
First, always, because without you
could not obtain my information,
md if Julia did not learn the name of
that perfectly delightful boarding
,lace' with those elegant people you
described in your last letter before she
starts ont west tomorrow she would
lever forgive me. Besides, 1 assure
vou, 1 really wanted to see for myself
he wonderful effect upon you of our
Then you must stay for lunch; can't
lie, Nell? There isn't time to see