The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-13

Peytee, leaning back and looking up at
him with brilliant black eyes.
Because / heard Miss Charley say
that you and she wore the same sized
gloves"
He was looking down upon her with
pleased fatuous sense of being rather
neat in his way of introducing his sub
ject and of shining little in this early
scene of tho lovely happy drama he had
in his mind.
Charley in turn was looking down mp
on them both from the garrot window.
She now saw him sit down on Mrs. Pey-
tees right hand, decidedly close to her.
take string from his pocket and begin
what proved to be the troublesome and
lengthy task of measuring the forefinger
of her left hand. OF course it was Mrs
Peytee who took care that the little task
should be amusingly difficult, and Of
| course Harry was so innocent-in the
masculine way-that he was all unwarn-
cd by his conscience of the coquettish
character of these delays.
From her window Charley could even
sec the shy, happy embarrassment on his
face and the quizzical, half languishing
glance of the widow.
| Naturally from all this she drew con-
clusions, and inevitably, like most hu-
man conclusions, they were erroneous.
How natural and assured her mistake
was, however, how little it resembled
the conduct SO often displayed in tho
first act of a play by a heroine who sac
riflces all ordinary intelligence to tho
interests of the playwright, probably
only those can fully understand who
have some knowledge of tho curious and
complicated code that governs Irritation
and lovemaking in largo sections of
southern society. An exposition Of this
code would be interesting, it seems to
me, but my present mission will be bet
ter met by simply saying that Charley,
according to the ideas in which she was
bred, had good grounds for feeling that
she had looked upon more significant
scene than any that had passed between
her and Harry, or that, if he were only
flirting with the naughty Mrs. Peytee,
1t was only tho more probable that he
was only flirting with her-a form of
amusement, this, by the way, in which
up to some rather indefinite point he
was encouraged by society-that is to
say, by the women generally. Such
things are mainly regulated by women
in any society in the world. and it is
perhaps not aside from my story to say
that Harry Williams was exactly the
sort of young male creature who never
has any clear idea Of what arc the SUBJ
tleties of any such code, no matter where
he lives.
The measurement for that fatal ring
was hardly finished when Charley turn.
cd and flung herself face down upon
the hard floor. She had no conscious
ness of right to blame any one. She
was conscious only of pain and the de-
termination to hide it.
Now, poor Charley was blessed or
| cursed. as you choose with an unusual
command of feminine powers Of dis
| stimulation, and her natural pride, which
| was great, was re-enforced by social
training favorable to its strongest devel-
| opment. Now, it put her upon course
Of self control and play acting that for
| the time seemed like to cost her cruelty,
although, according to her lights, she
was behaving with just that virtue and
discretion which, if southern women
are to be believed, should most endure
happiness. She treated Cousin Kate
with deferential cordiality and met
Harry, when escape would have beon
noticeable, with pleasant, elusive mock
ing gayety. He felt and could not un-
derstand a saddeDing change in the tenn
perature, argue against the fact with
himself as ho would.
Life in such aplace rs this is as IL
| the whole world had taken hasheesh
and the ordinary measurements of time
were lost. The long hours in such
household arc more than weeks amid
| life's ordinary routine.
BY evening tho day after she had de-
voted herself TO this purpose Charley
| had contrived to spread subtle impress
sion of slight but growing WEAKNESS
with Mr.. Williams society and of an
awakening disposition to be interested
in that of another young man. The Of
fees of the mining company gave an
unusual proportion of young men to the
small circlo Of summer visitors at Over
topia That was its ono great recommen-
dation.
In the meantime Charley was begging
her father TO leS her 60 for visit across
the mountain to the Alpine House, q
much larger and more fashionable cara
vansary. He paid small attention TO her
and put her OF with saying he'd SEQ
about it after the wedding; that ho must
take her ~ that
Concluded Tomorrow
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