The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-07-08
A MQ1e[ Of Temperament

Major Owen passed almost with a
look of relief down the steps from the
crowded reception-rooms into the gar,
den. He was not a musician, and, al
though all that was best and most I'M
pronounceable on the London concert
stage was at present performing in her
ladyship's drawing-room, the only
comment he could find to make to
Philip Rutherford was that there was
too much of this beastly fiddling."
Then he had left Philip Rutherford,
and annexed Miss Phoebe Horton
(much the prettiest of the three Miss
Hortons), and now passed into the gar
den, looking as one who passed out OF
the valley Of the shadow. Chinese Ian
terms twinkled everywhere. The gar
den was no wilderness. London gar
dens are not big enough for that-and
at the moment parts OF it were densely
populated but the Major and his COM
panion passed through the groups near
the house into the comparative solitude
beyond. There, as 1t was necessary to
say something to Phoebe, he said that
he didn't care for a violin. He was a
man of few ideas; when he had got one
he never made the mistake Of express
Ing 1t in the same way to woman as
TO man. In general condemnation
Of the violin Phoebe supported him en-
Enthusiastically, and the walk In the
garden would not have taken more
than three minutes fifteen seconds by
q respectable thermometer. And that
was all there was against the Major
absolutely nothing else. He returned
Miss Phoebe Horton to Philip Ruther-
ford in excellent condition, and sought
put Christine. He found her, and he
Judged by her appearances that there
was a storm gathering. Unquestion-
ably the best thing to do with gath
ering storm is to take it into supper.
BY the time it has finished its supper
It has probably forgotten the cause of
Its storminess, and holy calm follows.
So the Major, who, though he had
few ideas, was not an impractical man,
tuggested that he should take Christine
In to supper.
| mo, thank you" said Christine. II
don't want any supper"
WELL" the Major said vaguely, "one
must do something"
81 don't want to do anything" said
Christine.
"Well," the Major said again, cts
very hot in here, and this music doesn't
much appeal to me, you know. Will
vou come out into the garden?"
Christine got up, sighed, and said
that she only came because she was
tired of saying mo" to everything.
They passed out together. The gar
den was almost empty now; nearly
everybody was in the supper-room.
You like this garden, don't your
laid Christine.
well, yes," he said; these lanterns
and things aren't bad. If you gel
right up to the far end you can't heal
che musical least, not enough tt
matter"
| did you 60 up to the far end JUS
pow?" said Christine.
! What do you mean?"
Nothing"
ooh, come! One doesn't say thos,
things for nothing"
Very we'll, then. For the last hal
hour you've been hiding in the gar
aen."
ooh, come! You mustn't say sucl
things"
The passion deepened in her voice.
You've been hiding in the gardel
with Phoebe Horton" She tried t,
laugh. Il thought you'd had time t.
explore It,"
GAS matter of fact" said the Major
I don't suppose ! was out here fiv
minutes. If I'd been out here for fiv
tortnights, what would it have matter
I'd to you?"
Nothing" she said, drearily
Nothing matters to me now"
Then he observed that things wer
growing more serious. He took he
two hands.
"Tell me-" he said, what is it,"
She began to cry.
An hour and a half later Majo
Owen got out of hanson in Jermyn
1t. He paid the man his legal far,
added another shilling because tn
man didn't grumble at it, and went u
TO his chambers. On an ordinary OF
casion, being middle-aged gentlema
Of some discretion, he would have gon
straight to bed; this was not an ord
nary occasion. He changed his dres.
coat for smoking jacket, mixed him
self brandy and soda, lit cheroo
and sat down in an easy chair. BIZ
his mind was too disturbed for mat
, ton. He got up ai.ain, and paced tn
room, circling like a planet round tn
! little table on which the tall glas
s sparkled like a star under the electri
light. At last he stood still.
Il have done for myself" he said.
Freedom was at an end. His CON
Z Portable chambers, that early In til
5 evening he had regarded as his pei
: manent abiding-place, now seemed tn
5 Iunsubstantial fabric of a vision; tn
J breath Of Hymen, and they were gon
Then came second thoughts Had
really done for himself? Christine wa
charming; she had distinctive ways {
) lher own, but she was none the les
charming. She would, he considere,
do him credit. The money did NJ
} happen to matter much In his cas-
5 but he remembered vaguely that thel
was money. What seemed much moi
important was that she looked yer