The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-07-21
THE time OF ROSES.
by r. FRANKFORT MOORE.

since Lady Barkstons garden partyF'
l inquired of Miss Windram so soon
as succeeded in elbowing my way
through the dead wall of Mrs. Ben
nett Wyse's guests who stood between
us. The result of brief calculation,
entered on the next morning, was to
convince me that, during the six
minutes it took me playing the part
of pick, in order to reach Miss Wind
ram, / made as many enemies as had
made during the thirty years of my
life preceding Mrs. Bennett Wyse's
"At Home"
"Have l avoided you, Mr.. Glyn?"
she asked, opening her eyes very wide
and (but this was doubtfuD very in
nocently.
"The question is not if you have
done it, but why you have done it," L
said with some measure of severity.
Suppose 1 deny that that is the
question:" she suggested quite pleas
antly, though without quite such
show of innocence as had been asso-
ciated with her previous inquiry. 1t
is quite possible to speak pleasantly
without any particular exuberance of
innocence.
Suppose you deny it Well, in
that case you will have-have denied
it," said |. "But it so happens that
you won't deny it, Miss Windram."
"I'm not so sure of that. If any
one would make it worth my while 1
might"
"No one will make it worth your
while. There is nothing left for you
but to speak the truth"
"Great heavens ! 1t is come to
that?"
"Why have you avoided me? We
were good friends up to that day
have put blue mark opposite that day
in my diary"
"Yes, we were good friends ; good
friends are those who have a sound
quarrel every time they meet, I sup
pose?"
Precisely; friends whose friend
ship is strong enough to survive n
quarrel"
"Did we quarrel that day?"
"We certainly did not. Where
would society be if man and n young
woman quarrelled because, when he
asked her"
els there any need for you to tell
everyone in this sitting room what
one problematically foolish young
man asked a certainly idiotic young
woman?"
felt that there was something in
her question.
I had not, however, been speaking
louder than usual it only seemed so
because of sudden momentary
diminution in the volume of sound
proceeding from two hundred guests
of Mrs. Bennett Wyse, who had been
speaking at the same moment. tried
to explain to her and then she asked
me what l thought of the Signora
Duse as an interprter of emotion as
compared with Madame Sarah Bern
hardt, and if 1 held that an actress
who was n admirable exponent of the
strongest emotions might be depended
on to interperet the most powerful
passions.
''It is a nice question" felt bound
ruck and I think I'll be able to tell
you all that 1 know regarding the
higher emotions. These people are
not to be depended on; one minute
they are taking fortissimo, the next
they are pianissimo."
"W uld you have them rehearsed,
Mr.. GIyn ~
swell, good deal might be done
by judicious stage management"
"And conductor with an ivory
baton ? There's something in that, |
admit. Your idea is that they should
become forte when you are speaking,
so as to afford sort of background
for your wisdom
"Wisdom? What man with the
least pretence to wisdom would come
into a crowd like this for the sake of
talking to girl who has persistently
avoided him for the past year and a
month";"
"What man, indeed %
"And this brings us back to the
original question. Why have you per-
sistently avoided me?"
could see that she was a trife put
out by my persistence in returning to
the topic which had originated with
me. She had apparently found some
imperfection in the feather tips of her
fan, and thought it would be unwise
to neglect the opportunity Sof pulling
of the uneven fufis. Some of them
settled upon my waistcoat, where
allowed them to repose undissnrbed
q few made a bee-line for the cavern.
GUS nostrils of our neighbor, General
Firebrace. He sneezed with consider
able force of character.
"Well, you see, so many things have
happened since May 3D. last year, Mr..
Glyn," said Miss Windram, when she
had satisfied herself by the repeated