Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-12-11

his confounded Our dance, Miss Bel
linger, believed Deuce take TIN
My gaze lolioWa'u TS' Tie tSe par as the,
passed between the double row o
palms toward the ballroom. For
moment the music swelled higher, ant
mingling with it in my ears came tht
silvery ripple of Joan's laughter. Con
fusion seize the clown!-he seemed tt
have the knack of amusing her, il
nothing else. Then the door of the
conservatory swung to behind them.
I rose from the settee, frowned with
eringly at big hydrangea bloom and
thought things not to be found in the
category of polite proverbs. From
this genial mood I was reused by the
froufrou of a woman's dress and q
tripping football which caused me to
glance round quickly, half-expectant.
ly. But it was merely my sister Ber.
tina.
"What's amiss, Tom?" asked she
merrily. "You don't look extrava.
gantly amiable tonight"
Don't I, indeed? Well. I feel
even less cheerful than look"
"You couldn't, Tom, DEAR" Bertha
protested, flippantly. "Come, now,
what is it? Anxiety about Aunt James
health?"
ooh, hang Aunt Jane!"
"Tom-Tom!" and Bertha's hands
went up in simulated horror. "Your
own blood relation, too. How utterly
depraved of you !''
AS matter of confession L never
could bring myself to due state of
honest sympathy where Aunt James
neurotic ailments were concerned.
True, they were the only only relax
ations the poor old soul allowed her.
self, but then she ever and inexorably
worked them for all they were worth.
Among other instances, whenever she
felt one Of her attacks" coming on,
would do but that she must
have her favorite niece to wait upon her,
hand and foot, from morning till
night. 1t was precious hard lines on
Bertha, maybe; yet it is the penalty n
girl has to pay for being gentler
nurse than sister.
"Not Aunt janet" Bertha went on,
after pause. "Then it must be
Joan. That was she saw Just now
with Captain Moston, wasn't it :?
Have you and she been falling out or
what?"
"Quite the contrary. We were
getting on famously together until
that conceited iackanapes thrust him
self forward and carried her off.
"Why, what can you complain of in
that? l suppose he simply claimed
the waltz she had promised him.
What are parties and dances for?"
"The only rational use of them is to
keep people out of the way of those
who don't want to dance. Otherwise,
they're nothing but stupid circuses, in
my opinion.
'"Tom, you're grumpy bear "a
morose, irritable, surly, rude
person!--and I'm sorry uncle ever in
vited you down here at all. You've
scarcely been "a hours in the house
yet, and already You show temper
There, Joan must
be an angel to have tolerated you for
i've minutes!''
I did not feel called upon to find
fault with the classification. Ny
quarrel was not with Miss Bellinger-
nor vet with Bertha,
"Well," said I, quickly, "this
swash-buckler fellow - this army
bounder-who is he, anyway"
"Captain Moston is nothing more
than q gentleman, retorted Bertha,
with what she considered an air of
delicate irony. "He isn't one of your
sort at all, Tom"
"Whoever he may be, he needs
lesson in manners" rejoined hotly.
'The way in which he has been hang
ing round Miss Bellinger ever sin e
I've been here is absolutely insuffer-
able. OF course you haven't noticed
it; you've been upstairs with Aunt
Jane all the time. But I have, and
by Jove! there'll be ructions soon if
-
"Oh, now I begin to understand,
interposed my sister, amusedly.
'That's how the wind blows, is it?
You're jealous, Tom. Gracious me,
it's clear youdon't know Captain Mos
ton since You wonder at that. Just
wait until you see him flirting with
me. You forget you haven't had an
of witnessing that yet"
81 don't care twol ence whom he
Hirts with, so long as it isn't Miss Bel
linger," replied l. Besides, it isn't
fair to her. No man has right to
any girl as he does, unless
he seriously thinks about-meaus to
to"
"And how do you know Captain
Moston doesn't?" Bertha put in, hur.
riedly.
ooh, I've come across the type be-
fore-the irresistible, self-complacent,
professed gallant, who never"
Flushing scarlet. Bertha stamped
her foot angrily.
81 won't listen to you. It's dis
graceful! He is-he is At all
events, I know Joan likes him-is
very fond of him, in fact. She told
me so herself. Aud if she had to
choose between you and him, I'm per-
fectly certain which she would favor"
Here Bertha broke out into another
high-pitched giggle. "Really, Tom.
I'm almost sorry for you. If you wish
to Oust Captain Moston, 1 can assure
You you'll have to get up very early
in the morning."
This outburst was indeed a fscer for
me; but did not intend that nv tor.
ment of q sister should note its Of.
fects.
81 wish you wouldn't be so slangy,
Bertha" i said, reprovingly. at
shows shocking bad form in girls"
Thanks for the benefit of the ey.
ample, "retorted she, airily. "Only I
didn't mean it for slang, either. It's