Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-10
AN EPISODE.

feet.
"We are lucky to find it %unoccupied,'
she said, especially at one of Mrs. Cur
don's garden parties. She will be pleased
I don't believe there is square inch of TIN
avn to be seem"
"The whole world is here. I know
Miss Lindsay; I have shaken hands with
it,"
"It is one of the penalties of being =.
great author"
Cor Of being notorious"
You are too modest, Mr.. Holland
Have you not shared the honors of tn,
afternoon with the prince and the lates
lion-just imported from South Africa
was it not?"
And felt like q martyr all the time
But there you have the proof, Miss Lind
say. Don't think I am complaining
Fame and notoriety mean the same-il
London. And in this"-he indicated tn,
screen of shrubbery which cut off the littl,
nook from the rest of the garden, but die
not shut out the strains of the Blue Hun
garians or the hum Of many voices-"i1
this l have my reward. l forgive the liol
hunters"
sit is a relief to be out of it," she ad
mitted. "Do you know, Mr.. Holland, thai
these nooks-yes, there are moro of then
are u pet idea of Mrs. G%urdon'ss"
II must thank her. She is a woman O
genius"
She laughed merrily. ooh, no, she is
only all incorrigible matchmaker - and
finds them useful"
$50 Sha .t 1anst holiovor l., IoyooJJ lr
asked, picking up tho thread of a former
conversation.
Cor in marriage. 1t is not always the
same thing, is it?"
'It should be-" he replied, with an all
Of the deepest conviction. He was looking
up into her eyes.
"What does somebody say--that il wo
man love Is q disease; in man it Is an cpl
sode.."
~ seem to recollect that" he said
"But it Is nonsense: love cannot be sum
med up in an epigram."
Again she laughed. ~ am afraid you
have a very bad memory, Mr.. Holland. Ii
1t another of the penalties of-notorietyy''
SIN my case l am afraid SO. Is Mere.
dith the culprit?"
/ ido ULaV " SouI COlISClCllCc,
sir. The sentiment appears in q brilliant
study Of society entitled Providence and
Mrs. Grundy,' for which, if the title page
10 to be trusted
"Ah, / remember now. Please spare
me, Miss Lindsay. You don't know the
evil effects of phrasemaking-it saps q
mans morals until he has not even a nod.
ding acquaintance with the truth. And
you have taken your revenge"
"But, really, Mr.. Holland, I trusted to
your-your knowledge of human nature,
shall / say? I was glau, for my own
cake
"For what, If l may Ask"
"That in man it was an episode 1t
makes life so much easier to believe So"
"You will let lie retract in sackcloth
and ashes, Miss Lindsay? Honestly I have
some reason to do so. 1t is three years
since I wrote that miserable book. Can
You guess my excuse?'
sit seems to infer a compliment-some-
where" she said rather doubtfully.
II am very much in earnest, - he said,
getting up and standing above hor. And
he looked 1t. II didn't know you then.
II I had, the thing-call it an epigram il
you like-would never have been written.
How could 1t when"-
Here the bushes were parted, and a face
"a tanned, handsome, open face 1t was,
albeit just now the expression was not too
pleasant-showed in the interstices. Miss
Lindsay nodded brightly.
"Come in, Ralph" she said.
"Very sorry, I'm sure" said the new
conner. II didn't know, Nell''- Then he
disappeared.
Miss Lindsay smiled.
Captain Havelock seems-out of sorts, :"
remarked her companion, sitting down
again.
Probably he Is looking for my moth
err" said she. II told him to attend to
her"
"He is a capital fellow" he said indif-
ferently. "Done something In India,
hasn't he?"
ga small affair Of outposts, - she replied
in the same tone. Only perhaps it was as
we'll that he was not studying her eyes
very intently at that moment. "He held
Q fort somewhere on the frontier for a fort
night against a couple of thousand tribes
men, with only a European sergeant and
50 Sikhs under him, and he was reduced
to 80 rounds of ammunition and no pro.
visions before he was relieved. 1t is quite
a common thing out there. He told me so
himself"
"He is modest-as well as lucky" said
Holland. "You and he are old friends,
Miss Lindsays"
I've were brought up together"
Like brother and sister,"
EXACTLY. We quarrel quite as much,
ct least"
"And make it up, I dare saya But I am
sure the quarrels are not serious. Apropos,
ann I forgiven"
"Was there q crime, Mr.. Hollands Real
~, / have forgotten"
I'VE were discussing''-
"'George Meredith, was 1t notS'
"Then l am not forgiven for that unfor-
tunate fault OF my YOUTH You are very
hard, Miss Lindsay. You have taught me
the error Of my ways, and yet you refuse
to credit the conversion! How can / con.
vince your I am quits sefious''-
"Oh, I hope not, !" she said. ut is too
warm for anything but frivolity." He red.
dened q little and nervously plucksd the
grass round him. Miss Lindsay watched
him with some curiosity out OF the corners
Of her eyes; the symptoms were not un-
known to her. "Thsre IL q green thing on
your coat, Mr.. Holland" she went on.
"Thanks." He 1icked the insect of.
II have something to say, Miss Lindsay
4 kind Of confession. It IL stupid, but I
don't quite know how to say It."
us It nocessarys" she asked innocently
Il don't like confessions, Mr.. Holland,
We are low church people"
ut means . lot to me-" he continued,