Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-09-21
SHE WAS RIGHT.


the writing table was strewn.
One Of the best known litterateurs in
London and brilliant conversational
list. his tongue could be as scathing as
his pen, and it was said of him with re-
gard to the latter weapon of warfare
that in half dozen polished sentences
he could do more toward dannnng
book than any two of his conlpeers. A
big, loosely made man, Mr. Everdene,
with skrewd. gray eyes and the pessi-
mism of a 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 char
acteristies and understood the interest
his personality aroused.
Presently servant brought him n
visiting card on a salycr. THE lady
would be obliged if you would grant
her an interview, sir. -
Lady Hilyard, muttered Everdene.
reading the inscription 81 can recall
the name. Bother the woman What
does she want? Howeyer-ask her to
come up, Blake -
When she entered, a fair, elegant
woman of perhaps five and twenty, in an
irreproachable Partisan toilet, he was
still more convinced that he had not the
privilege of her acquaintance.
Mr.. Aubrey Eyerdcne?' she queriAd
Mr.. Everdene bowed
sPrav take n seat madam -
NO, she said. II have come to
quarrel with you, and don't sit down
in the houses of my enemies. +"
"To quarrel with mel" 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. | am the author of
Fashion and Footlights.
Fashion and Footlights, ~ he re-
flected aloud. Fashion and Foot
lights. Hal"
Comprehension stole over his face,
and with it a slight amusement. He
fished among pile Of volumes and
brought out three bound with an ele-
gance destined to win the hearts of sub
urban circulating libraries.
Here it is. / reviewed it in Tho
Ceaturian, didn't I?".
No" she said, you hanged and
quartered ii
II am sorryl May ask how you
found out that was the culprits''
ooh, by aceidentl It's long story
and unimportant since yon don't deny
the imputatio1. Now, Mr.. Everdene, |
know it is very inpertinent of me.
stranger, to como to your private ad
dress and worry you. am doing a very
unusual thing, ! am afraid, and Mrs
Grundy would be Mortified But fools
rush in, you knew, and widows are
privileged You must have little pa
tience with me, because the first
time her lips relaxed. and she smiled q
smile that was sweetness itself well,
inst because I'm u woman and you're a
gentleman Acknowledge the truth now
ON your honor Don't you think you
were unnecessarily harsh to my poor lit
tie literary effortY"
"No,' he said bluntly. 81 always
give my true opinion Of things. and
consider your book had many faults.
II she had been a man. lie would have
said, II thought il was excessively
bad, " with the brusqueness Of conyie-
ton, and probably declined to discuss
the matter. But to lady it was impos-
sible to be rude. He regarded her sib-
surdly unconventional presence with
tolerant kindlincss.
"Of course ] admit that there are
faults, but upon one or two points in
your criticism cannot agree with you.
l should very much like 70 discuss them
with you. May II"
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 win
be fatigued. II you'll permit me to
wheel this armchair nearer the fire for
you-soF
Having carefully arranged it so that
she should face the light, he seated him
self opposite TO her--the A b Cof diplo-
macy, but she did not appear TO notice
it. She was drawing arabesques ON the
carpet with the point Of her ivory han
died umbrella.
II should very much like to know"
she said, what yon think Of me fm
coming here?"
II think you are plucky--yes. and
recklessly unconventional
Candid, at any rate And / like
that. She looked up. Now for the
first Indictment ON tho list, Mr.. Ever
dene. You accuse me Of improbability
| deny it.
His manner borderod upon preoccupa-
ton. In truth, he was thinking what
wonderful lashes she lad and how be
coming flush Of excitement could be
to clear, pale skin
You assert, " she continued warm.
ly. that 1t is ridiculous 10 suppose that
man and woman coula fall in love
at first sight, as | make my hero and
heroine do, and that such proceedings
are limited to boys and girls in their
teens and the pages Of penny fiction. ]
should have thought tina. Mr.. Aubrey
Everdene would have shown wider sym
pathies
Then you really believe, Lady Hill
yard, that adult, sensible people do con-
ceiye such abrupt attachments"
II am convinced that it happens fire.
| quently."
sob, come. not frequently"
"Well-sometirnes, she amended
81 could give yen dozen instances +"
He lacked the heart 10 argue with her.
1t would have been ike breaking but
ter1y on a wheel. and, after al, there
might be more sentiment in fin de steele
humanity than he thought Women have
wonderful intuition IN these matters.
''Well, suppose we let that slide for
the moment and proceed to indictment
| No 2. What other phrase Of mine do
| yon take exception tor
lyon said that had not the remotest
idea of construction, and that Fashion
and Footiights' was evidently speci-
men Of that objectionable class Of fic-
tion which you regretted TO see was
| growing so prevalent-the amateur nov
el. born Of vanity and a lack Of whole
some occupation.
Her voice died away with a tremor.