Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-12-03
A Farewell Performance.

Jack Halliday and Doris VERBAL
were what the society papers---espe.
cially the penny ones--call "smart PEG.
pie" They lived in dear little world
of their own, whose inhabitants had
nothing whatever to do but eat, drink
and be merry; q charming sphere
where everybody tried their very
hardest to be amusing and amiable,
and where nothing was ever taken
seriously-that is, in public. When
they did a good deed, they did it by
stealth and threw mud at it afterward
when they spoke of things human
and divine they hid their true selves
and real meaning under an impenetra-
BILE cloak Of hippant slang and cheap
witticisms. Halliday and Miss Verrall
had much in common. They used the
same devices to conceal their good in
stincts, and occasionally went 80 far
as to hint at decided liking for this
or that play, person or picture. Now
and again they caught sight Of one
another for brief instant, but the
passing glimpse was always too short
to lead to longer one. They had
known one another some two years,
and, living in the same small world,
met almost every day in the season and
every other one outof it. These meet
ings could hardly be considered profit
able. Sometimes they firted for
change-the firtations of this peculiar
people are 80 like love as to be undis-
tinguishable from the genuine arti-
cle--and, maybe, shook off the motley
for an occasional brief moment of rest
simply pause between two acts,
with the orchestra playing in between
to remind them that they were still in
the theatre. Thus, the net result of
their acquaintanceship was that Doris
Verrall had never got word Ct sober
sense out of Jack Halliday, while Jack
Halliday had never heard syllable Of
wisdom issue from the delicate lips of
Doris ysrrall.
Doris was an only child and mother
less. She and her father had kept
house together and mutually spoiled
one another these last 10 years. They
had miniature Mayfair palace all to
themselves, an Arcadia that would
have surprised most of the Utopians,
among whom Doris took her pleasures,
by reason of its restful simplicity and
quiet affections. Father and daughter
were very fond of one another, each in
their own way Mr.. Verrall in digni-
fed, old-world manner that reminded
one OF Balzac's elderly aristocrats,
while Doris showed her affection by
being disrespectful. She treated
Daddy" as she playfully styled Mr..
verrall, like big spoiled child, and
he was as clay under her fingers. The
old gentleman was allowed to live his
own life in peace and quiet. while
Doris danced and made merry under
the chaperonage of score of friends.
1t was Sunday evening in June.
The sky was clearing fast after days
rain, and London looked as though il
had just come home from the laundry.
Doris and Mr.. VERBAL, who had gone
down to the park for mild constitu-
tional, ran up against Jack Halliday,
bent on similar errand and bore him
home to dinner. He had never dined
en- famille with the Verralls and won
dered what it would be like.
The dinner was success. All three
enjoyed it-Jack Halliday most of ALL
II was different from the shallow gilt
ter of his everyday life. 1t reminded |
him Of the "Home, Sweet HON" that
Patti sings about, and the domestic
Doris, carefully looking after her
white-haired old father, was an unex-
pected revelation. 1t seemed strange
TO think that this pattern of filial az
lection was the cynical, witty and flip
pant Doris Verrall he had hitherto
known. For moment or two the |
bhought made him uncomfortably self
He was an intruder, he
had no place in the domestic economy
,f that household, no right to pry into
heir attachment and intimacy. This
feeling gave way after the first few
No one, save himself, no.
iced the incongruity of his presence;
he was evidently a welcome guest and
to the picture. Doris had
never seen him 80 quiet before. To
aim she seemed a new being, more
ike one of the people in the books he
'eads in his lonely chambers than the
Miss Verralr of yesterday.
They grew silent after time, while
Mr.. Verall talked lovingly about
books aud pictures aad men and
women who had written and painted
hem. The old gentleman had
Iimple, homely way about him that
vas restful, Doris aud Jack listened
and again Halliday
bought OF the people in the books,
shile the girl looked encouragingly at