The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-20
AN EARLY BIRD.

Bother the fellow" / muttered savage
~ Just when I'D screwed up my nerves
almost to the point of putting the ques-
ton, and so settling my fate one way or
the other, here he must come and upset
everything with his COMPOUNDED Our dance,
Miss Bellinger, / believe Deuce take the
man, and his dance, too
Ny gaze followed the pair as they passed
between the double row of palms toward
the ballroom. For a moment the music
swelled higher. and mingling with it in my
ears came the silvery ripple of Joan's
laughter Confusion seize the clown-he
seemed to have the knack of amusing her,
if nothing else. Then the door of the con-
servatory swung to behind them
/ rose from the settee, frowned wither-
ingly at a big hydrangea bloom, and
thought things not to be found in the cate
CORY of polite proverbs. From this genial
mood was reused by the frou-frou of a
woman's dress and a tripping football
which caused me to glance round quickly,
half-expectantly. But it was merely my sis
ter Bertha.
whats anliss, Tom?" asked she mer-
rily "You don't look extravagantly amiable
tonight"
Don't I. indeed? Well, I feel even less
cheerful than 1 look"
''You couldn't, Tom, dear" Bertha pro-
tested f1ippantly Come now, what is it?
Anxiety about Aunt James health?"
ooh, hang Aunt jane
'Tom-Tom," and Rertha's hands went
up in simulated horror. Your own blood
relation, too. How utterly depraved of
you
AS matter Of confession, never could
bring myself to a due state of honest SYM
pathy where Aunt James neurotic ailments
were concerned. True, they were the only
relaxations 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, nothing
would do but that she must have her favor
lite niece to wait upon her, hand and foot,
from morning till night. 1t was precious
hard lines on Bertha, may be; yet it is the
penalty a girl has to pay for being a gentler
nurse than sister.
mot Aunt Jane?" Bertha went on after
a pause. ''Then it must be Joan. That was
she I 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 Jack
anapes thrust himself forward ard carried
her off,"
why, what can you complain of in thatY
I suppose he simply claimed the waltz she
had promised him. What are parties and
dances for?'
1.-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"
TON, you're a grumpy bear--a downright
morose, irritable, surly, rude person-and
I'm sorry uncle ever invited you down here
at all. You've scarcely been twenty-four
hours in the house yet. and already you
show temper-that-that-. There, Joan
must be an angel to have tolerated you for
five minutes
l did not feel called upon to find fault
with the classification. My quarrel was not
with MISS gsd yet b Mifh sePfns
Ter felloW-this army bounder-who is ne,
anyway"
Captain Moston is nothing more than
gentleman" retorted Bertha, with what she
considered an air of delicate irony. HE
isn't .1E, one of your sort at all, Tom" ,oor
in manners, | rejoined holly. The way in
which he has been hanging around Miss
1teiV ns1 9neT OF Course gse you haven't
noticed it.; you've been upstairs with Aunt
Jane all the time. But have; and, by Jove,
therell be ructionS soon If -
oh now | begin to understand" inter-
posed my sister amuSedly. That's how the
wind blows, is it? You're jealous, Tom.
Gracious me, it's clear you don't know Capt apt;
Moston since you wonder at that. just wait
until you see him flirting with me. You for
get you haven't had an opportunity of wit
Il don't care twopence whom he fiirts
with so long as it isn't Miss Bellinger," re-
piled l. Besides, it isn't fair to her. No
Ao- rf,r,k 4 a
he does, unless he seriously thinks about
means Toto
And how do you know Captain Moston
doesn't?" Bertha put in hurriedly.
"Oh, I've come across the type before
the irresistible, self-complacent, professed
gallant, who never g..
arggriy: ,,.+on % Won re- d,.gracef,,,
He is-Ahe is At all events, know Joan
likes him-is very fond of him, in fact. She
told me so herself. And if she had to
choose between you and him., I'm perfectly
certain which she would favor S3rh , here
giggle. Really, Tom, I'm almost sorry for
you. If you wish to GUST Captain Moston L
can assure you you'll have to get up very
early in the morning
This outburst was indeed a facer for me,
but did not intend that my torment of a
sister should note its effects.
Il wish you wouldn't be so slangy, Ber-
tha," said, reprovingly. 1T shows shock
ing bad form in girls.
retorted she airily. only didn't mean it
for slang, either. It's a piece of advice 20
be taken literally. I'll eXplain-though you
don't deserve any such consideration from
me, really. Now listen to this. Every morn
ing, before breakfast, Joan wanders off by
herself through the park toward the shrub
berry, and soon afterward, by an odd coinci-
dence, Captain Moston also strolls away,
but invariably in the opposite direction.
Now, doesn't that strike you being
somewhat significant? While you are lazy
ing in bed-unless you have amended your
habits of late-no doubt he is improving the
golden opportunities. You recollect uncle's
adage, that women are apt to gauge a
mans affection by his persistence especial
ly where But the waltz is over and here
comes the crowd. My poor Tom, truly 1
pity you"
And with a mock-solemn shake of her
head she was gone.
mooned up into the billiard room, where
subsequently 1 was badly beaten by my fiji
teen-year-old cousin Harold in a hundred
up game. His flukes were phenomenal
Say, Tom, you're a bit off color tonight,
aren't your he exclaimed patronizingly.
Never saw you make such a rotten show
in my life. But what dyou, think of my
play, Ell? I've come on a lot lately, haven't
1? Fact is, Captain Moston's been tipping
me a few wrinkles the last day or two.
TOIlv pIax hap pantaip