The Yale expositor., 1895-03-29
INSTALLATION.

red herring, with olives, gherkins, beet
root, etc.-had come and gone. The
soup, q consomme OF delicious flavor,
had had its day, and now the fish was
before them. And still she had not
spoken!
Justin Crawford ventured to survey
her stcolthily, with relieved curiosity.
She was slim, pale woman, with
features refined to the point OF thin
ness meditatlve grey eyes, and hair
whose undulrtions shone prettily i'll the
soft glow OF the shaded lights.
~She must have caught my name,
ne said to himself, with subdued grqti-
fcation. "She is probably n domestic
woman, and domestic women are often
deliciously ignorant" lie almost
thought he might venture remark.
THE red mullet is good tonight. Do
you know what it always reminds me
off"
NC. Tell me-" And she looked up
with all the simple Difference or Il
woman of the old regime.
Mortimer Collins novels" he said
"TIe was so fond of it, and he made
al his favorite characters eat i'll
suppose as a reward"
Il have not read his books" She
Isaid Indeed, i seldom read novels"
This" he said to himself, els a
Iwoman in n thousand! His spirits
rose. and he waXed timorously confi-
| Dental.
| Neither do l." he said. And yet
people are always asking me what
novels l like best l don't like any.
| l prefer book with no conversation
in it. The eternal ctitchat in the aver
age novel is s,D me intensely wearisome.
l like something Notwithstanding
one can smoke with. Lambs and Stew
| enson's essays suit me very well. Bid
| you ever rend Bacony'
II think-we got him at school"
| There was IN agreeable dnbiety in her
soft grey eyes.
| $50 did we. It's such sharn ito
| call his tdiings essays They were
| achievements, and like essays best"
| Perhaps she was listening, but she
did not answer, and ahere was a far
| away lQdk In her tranquil eyes.
| 'She is wondering hog her children
are getting on ut home without her.
he decided. He knew she wac 'rnar-
ried, for the had noted aer marriage
| ring, and also Il guard OF dim OLD
| gold with an antique device imprinted
upon IL 7hat she we're alt've it. How
Superior ITO those assertive diamonds
most people wear he thought. Her
ring is like her-Of plain. unassuming
gold, with just sWfticisnt pattern on
1t to individualiZe IT.
She noted his glance ana frightened
TO a sgmblance OF yivacity. you are
looking at my old ring" she said. 1T
is an heirloom in Ely husbands family;
1t has mounted guard over wedding
| rings Ger more than n hundred. years.
See, here is the pGsy inside it,""and rs
she tedf II off he aoted its finely worn
| appearance, its shape curved todfit the
finger nnd not aggresstTely round like
the Ino&ern ring.
! May j hold it?7 he said anil look II
| from her and held 1t up in his long,
nervous fingers. Y like these old rings.
They seem to me 1ltly to eptionlize the
| old-faslhOned woman. She had a grac-
ions atSaptability ;Hnd fitted herself
| about u mans heRrt just as this ring
does shout your Ginger. The modern
| woman-ilille the modern ringL-is al
| ways tire same-rounu, assertive and
complete. She never adapts herself to
| any one. Allow me-" and he returned
II t@ hsr with q Now full of antique
gallalftw
There was n mellow flavor about
their hosts old Burgundy. 1t tempered
| the unqriet mind agreeably and filled
their silence with serenity.
A raNiSbing entresD came neSt-speech
wore anisnsult TO St-nnd as they par
took on Z, the last uneasy fear forsook
him, ana her thoughtful eyes betrayed
a fine content.
''You do not care for too much con-
versatiOn," he said knsinuatingly.
"lt depends" she said. II think peo-
pie are toe fond OF talking nowadays.
1t is al because the magazines say con-
versatien DC a lost art, and people try
| TO prove III 4 mistake. We need ihler-
ludes OFT silence to breed our fancy in"
| How tl<lightful!''-and he felt al
most gay. she would not quote my
essay @n silence so casually did she
know she Was talking 40 the author"
Il agree with YOU" he said aloud.
| "The only conversation / thoroughly
| appreciate is that OF children"
Her face lit up at once Are they
not delieious?- she said
| "Now,' he thought, flor the Gus
tomary Nnectiote." Aloud, II am sure
you are a mother"
Il base two children-,a lit1e boy
and giri:''
And the little boyT' Rfe had noted
the differing infections i'm her voice.
She flushed family, and her eyes fell.
.'IIe is my little boy" sAe said in a
low tone, -gnd 'that is all taere is rbout
| It,"
He WIS at once content. How could
he dream Of this exceptional woman
| giving way te the customary anecdote?
1T Is Il great deal" he responded
gently II know how IL fesAs. 1T is
| like reading sSuin a book gou read
twenty years ago and have forgot, but
rs you read ID all comes before you
again. Boys are usually like their
mothers--I am srpe yo6rs is" And his
kindly glance seemed TO say that In
} that case the boy had done we'll
Across the table a vivacious lady
with carefully curied hair and Sudic-
liiously tinted complexion whispered TO
the man beside hey: Look at Justin
Crawford. l never saw him talk SO
much before!'
When the sweets came, she partOOk
OF them with n lively greed taat rather