The record-union., 1897-12-05


il was ever the misfortune of an mex
perienced man to meet
The girl turned a pair of wondering
eyes on the speaker, as if to assure
herself of his identity. Although her
heart was chilled by the hippant
speech, nevertheless she laughed and
lifted her eyebrows.
Your present tone indicates a con-
siderable evolution from the inexpe-
rienced state" she said, languidly.
Merely a frail exterior to hide the
rooted sorrow Within"
She opened her lips to say, Don't oe
foolish" but decided that it was an
engenue remark, so contented herself
with a shrug OF her shoulders.
That is very effective" he said, in
reference to her expression of indifer-
ence. Il rather like the pose. Though
not exactly original in its tallinS-and
convenient"
''On occasion-yes. Now. for exam
pie. This is all so uninteresting 1
don't like jollying,' and surely expected
better from YOU
Now, who is jollying?" he asked:
then in a lower tone. but if 1 tell you
that I am most awfully in earnest?"
The girl searched his face with her
eyes again, and this time felt a little
encouraged.
Then do the subject the respect of
treating it in a serious manner
Il tried that method once. with what
success you are aware. / am now try
ing new mode of attack better adapt
ed to the game and my opponent"
Such an inference is no compliment
to my understanding-or yours. You
viii certainly never succeed By such
course"
Instruct me, then. am wofully ig
norant in such matters. Give me
better formula for the solution of the
difficulty, you, the worldly wise
THAT remark navors of sarcasm, but
there is more truth in it than you
might imagine. / am wiser in some
ways than l have been at times in the
past. Whether you believe it or not
L have changed a great deal"
THAT is unfortunate. Not seriously
I trust?"
Yes" she said, seriously is The
word. You have changed, too," she
added. abruptly. Not for the better,
either You We're disagreeable enough
before. You are insufferable now"
II have been changed, you mean. My
adaptability has been taxed to the ut
most to meet the demands of the times;
but it pays, it pays, even if you have
to revolutionize all your principles to
do it,
"I notice one characteristic which
seems to serve you in any position
There is an undercurrent of the same
ax- irc- in, oil
Haven't 1 had sufficient cause for
becoming a cynic and a skeptic?'
mo more than most men,
Than most men who have come
within range of your allurements,
might readily believe, but perhaps the
rest were rational beings, which L was
not. / grant l was not. 1t was the
old story of the moth and the candle"
P'tite gave a gesture of impatience.
you talk to me as though / were a
debutante," she said, with her lip
curling
1T is to reassure myself that at
heart I know that l am in the hands
of the most experienced of seducers."
Jack Crawford, 1 am tired of this
nonsense. l am not child. You for
get that I am somewhat older than
was when you saw m last.
How can / forget that when you re-
mind me of it every five minutes?''
girl back of them here claimed
Jacks attention, and while he talked
with her P'tfte bit her lips to keep the
tears from coming. On his turning to
her again she looked straight at the
horses, and said:
Mr. Crawford"
Miss Merryfield?"
Did you ever see an elephant try
to dance skirt dance?"
: did you ever hear of a sl<ylark
wanting to be an owl?''
But my role is a natural sequence.
Yours is assumed"
"A natural sequence of what?"
Experience-satiety."
"Then you are willing to acknowledge
that when a woman has perfected her
self in the arts of heart breaking there
is nothing new under the sun. If you
are blase now, by the time / come
back"
Where are you going?" she inter
rupted.
Around the world next month"
when the season promises so much
this year," the girl asked, falteringly.
He fixed his eyes on her.
"Why should I stay?" he asked. ITO
learn more thoroughly the lesson Of the
sawdust doll?"
Ptite threw back her head.
"Now," she cried. you are quite like
myself. Keep it up. 1t is vastly more
becoming" Then, after a moments
hesitation, 81 am sorry you are going,
tbouob We needed yOu
'We?"
Tied and I. We are going to be mar
ried some time during the year. You
won't mention it before you go, please.
We are not announcing it yet"
At that moment the unprecedented
idea of the trip became a definite pur
pose.
Back in the hotel, however, he rea-
soned out the matter to better suit his
desires. He felt certain that she had
made the announcement on her own
responsibility and that Ted, though his
willingness to accord with it was not
to be doubted, was as yet in ignorance
of her concession. If she still cared
enough to dare so far then he had cru
ely misjudged her. The unhappiness
she must have experienced during the
past six months was all and more re-
venge than he could have desired. She
was a sandy little piece, he thought.
He admired the spirit which had
prompted her to risk her life happi-
ness for the sake of hiding her true
feeling Now that he felt so surely his
position of creditor he could afford to
be generous; but still he did not care
to take the chance of a, second rejection
by going to her at once. His remorse
was not sufficient to warrant such a