The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-08-22
A CHANGED CRITIC.

Mr.. Aubrey Everdene looked out
upon Sackville street and yawned. Only
an instant before he had written ''finis"
to a 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 litterateurs in
London and a brilliant conversation
list, his tongue could be as scathing as
his pen, and it was said of him, with
regard to the latter weapon of warfare,
that in half dozen polished sentences
he could do more toward damning a
book than any two of his compeers. A
big. loosely made man was Mr.. Everdene,
with shrewd gray eyes and the pessim-
ism of 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 lively sense Of
humor combined with his other charac-
teristics and understood the interest his
personality aroused.
Presently a servant brought him a
visiting card on salver.
The lady would be obliged if you
would grant her an interview, sir.
Lady Hilyard, muttered Everdene,
reading the inscription. Il can't recall
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 %, in an irreproach-
able Partisan toilet, he was still more
convinced that he had not the privilege
of her acquaintance.
"Mr. Aubrey Everdene?" she queried.
Mr. Everdene bowed.
Pray take seat, madame.
NO." she said. Il have come to
quarrel with you, and don't sit down
in the houses of my enemiesl''
''To quarrel with me"' 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. l 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.
shoe on the carpet with Impotence
and looked pitchforks and daggers.
"'Fashion and Footlights, ," he re-
fected aloud. Fashion and Foot
lights. Har'
Comprehension stole over his face and
with it a slight amusement He fished
among pile of volumes and brought
out three bound with an elegance des-
tined to win the hearts of suburban cir
culating libraries.
Here it is. Reviewed it in The Cen
turion, didn't I?''
No." she said, you hanged and
quartered it!'
IT am sorry May l ask how you
found out that I was the culprit?''
"Oh, by accident. It's a long story
and unimportant, since you don't deny
! the imputation Now, Mr.. Everdene,
know it is very impertinent of me, a
! stranger. to come to your private adj
dress and worry you. am doing very
| unusual thing, | am afraid, and Mrs
| Grundy would be Mortified. But fools
rush in, you know, and widows are
privileged. You must have little pa
| thence with me because"-fOr the first
time her lips relaxed, and she smiled a
smile that was sweetness itself-"well,
just because I'm woman and you re a
gentleman. Acknowledge the truth,
now, on your honor. Don't you think
you were unnecessarily harsh to my
poor little literary effort?'
NO. he said bluntly; Il always
give my true opinion of things and
consider your book had many faults. "
Ii she had been man, he would have
said, Il thought it was - bad, with
the brusqueness Of conviction and prob
ably declined to discuss the matter, but
to lady it was impossible to be rude.
He regarded her absurdly unconvention-
al presence with tolerant kindness
''Of course, l admit that there are
faults, but upon one or two points in
your criticism l cannot agree with you
| should very much like to discuss them
with you. May I?'
Certainly" His mouth was witch
ing under his heavy mustache. But
don't you think, pending the verdict.
that you had better sit down? You will
be fatigued If you'll permit me to
wheel this armchair nearer the fire fo1
you-sop'
Having carefully arranged it SO that
she should face the light, he seated him
self opposite her-the A. B. c. of di-
plomacy, but she did not appear to no.
tice it. She was drawing arabesques Oh
the carpet with the point of her ivory
handled umbrella
81 should very much like to know, -
she said, what you think of my com,
ing here?'
Il think you are plucky-yes and
tecklessly unconventional -
Candid, at any rate! And l like
that" She looked up "Now for the
first indictment on the list, Mr.. Ever
eene. You accuse me of improbability
deny it."
His manner bordered ON preoccupa-
t1on. In truth, he was thinking what
wonderful lashes she had, and how be-
coming flush of excitement could be
to clear, pale skin.
You assert, " she continued warmly,
''that it is ridiculous to suppose that a
man and woman of the world could fall
IN love at first sight, as l make my hero
and heroine do, and that such proceed
ings are limited to boys and girls in
their teens and the pages of penny fic
ton. | should have thought that Mr..