Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-10-20

table was s,reND.
one Of the best Known litterateurs
in London, and a Brilliant converse
.ionalist-his tongue could be as
scathing as his pen, and i; was SAID u
him, with regard to the latter weapon
Of warfare, that in half q dozen pol
ish.d sentences he could do more to-
ward damning a book than any two OF
his compeers. A big, loosely'made
man. Mr.. Everdent. with shrewd gray
eyes and the pessinism OF a modern
Studying his face as he lounged by
the window. his hands in his pockets
OF his smoking JACKET, L could see
that he had a lively sense OF humor
combined with hS other Characters
tics, and understood the interest his
personality aroused.
Presently a serrant brought him a
visiting card on a salver.
The lady would be obliged il you
would grant her an interview, sir
Lady Hilyari, muttered Everdene'
reading the inscription. Il cant re-
call the name. Bother the woman;
what does she want? However-ask
her to come up. Blake
When she entered, a fair, elegant
woman Of perhaps tire-and.twenty, in
an irreproachable Partisan toilet, he
was still more convinced that he had
not the privilege of her acquaintance.
M. Aubrey Eyerdene?' she queried.
Mr.. Everdene bowed.
Pray take a seat, madam.
Mo- she said. Il have come to
quarrel with you, and don't sit down
in the houses of my enemies
ITO quarrel with me" His eye
brows went up. The thought came to
him that his visitor was not in her
right mind.
Yes. Perhaps | had better explain
myself at once. am the author Of
Fashion and Footlights!'"
Mr.. Everdene, standing perforce be-
cause she would, pulled his mustache,
while the fair stranger tapped her No.
s shoe on the carpet with impatience
and looked pitchforks and daggers.
Fashion and Footlights,'" he re-
aected aloud. Fashion and Foot
lights Ha."
Comprehension stole over his face,
and with it a slight amusement. He
ished among q pile of volumes and
brought out three bound with an ele-
gance destined to win the hearts of
suburban circulating libraries,
Here it lie. | reviewed it in the Cen.
turion, didn't IL"
NO" she said, you hanged and
quartered it,
II am sorry. May | ask how you
found out that l was the culprit?H
oh, by accident. It's a long story,
and unimportant, since You don't deny
the imputation. Now. Mr.. Everdene
/ know it is very impudent of me, a
stranger, TO come to your private ad
dress and worry you. | am doing Z
very unusual thing, ! am afraid, and
Mrs. Grundy would be mortified. But
fools rush in you know, and widow:
are privileged. You must have a little
patience with me because" for the
first time her lips relaxed and sht
smiled a smile that was sweetness it
self-"well, just because I'm a woman
and you're a gentleman. Acknowl
edge the truth. now, on your honor
Don't you think you were unneces
sarily harsh to my poor little ~lfterar,
effort?'
NO" he said, bluntly, ~ Away
give my true opinion of things, and
consider your books had many faults.
If she had been a man he woult
have said: Il thought it was exces
sively bad" with the b%rusqueness o
conviction, and pIobsb bly, declined t,
discuss the matter But to o lady i
was impossible to be rude. He re
garded her absurdlr unconventional
presence with a tolerant kindliness.
"Of course. | admit that there ar,
faults, but upon one or two points II
your criticism | cannot agree will
you. ! should very much like to dis
cuss them with you. May I?'
Certainly" His mouth was twitch
ing under his mustsche. But don
you think, pending the verdict. tina
you had better sit DOWN. You will b
fatigued. Hyou'l permit me to whee
this arm chair nearer the FIRE for yo
sol
Having carefully arranged it SO tina
she should face the light, he seate
himself opposite to her-the A b CO
diplomacy-but she did not appear t
notice it. She was drawing arabesque
on the carpet with the point Of he
ivory-handled umbrella.
II should very much like to know,
she said, what you think of me fc
coming here?"
II think you are plucky-yes, an
recklessly unconventional"
Candid, at any rate. And | lik
that" She looked up. Nov for ii
first indictment on the list, Mr.. Eve
= dene! You accuse me of improbable,
l deny it."
His manner bordered upon preoccr
= patton. In truth he was thinkir
what wonderful lashes she had, ar
how becoming a flush OF excitemel
could be to a clear, pale skin.
you assert" she continued. war;
ly, that is ridiculous to suppose tn,
a man and woman of the world cou
fall in love at first sight, as / make n
!. hero and heroine do, and that such Or
y y ceedings are limited to boys and gir
) in their teens and the pages of pen,
!" fiction. ] should have thought tn
Mr.. Aubrey Everdene would ha
shown wider sympathies."
N Then you really believe, Lady H
b yard, that adult, sensible people
conceive such abrupt attachments?r
II am convinced that 1t happens 4,
qnentlY."
"Oh, come, not frequently"
"Well-sometimes," she amendt
u could give you u dozen instances
Hs 1anLoJ Ar l-.-