The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-09-16

Hy[ P;o,,- ~ ono
WMHVAN of Mrs. Gurdon's
Fhlai garden parties. She
will be pleased. Idon't believe there
is a square inch of the lawn to be
seem"
1.-The whole world is here. know,
Miss Lindsay; have shaken hands with
it,"
ut is one of the penalties of being
great author.
'sOr of being notorious?"
s'You are too modest, Mr.. Holland.
Have Won not shared the honors of the
afternoon with the Prince and the lat
est lion just imported from South
Africa, was it not?"
''And felt like martyr all the time.
But there you have the proof, Miss
Lindsay. Don't think am complain
ing. Fame and notoriety mean the
same-iu London. And in this"-he
indicated the screen of shrubbery
which cut off the little nook from the
rest Of the garden. but did not shut
ont the strains of the Blue Hungarians
or the hum of many voices-''in this 1
have my reward. I forgive the lion
hunters"
''It is relief to be out OF it," she
admitted. ''Do you know, Mr.. Hol-
land, that these books--yes, there are
more of them-are a pet idea of Mrs.
Gurdon's?''
II must thank her. She is woman
of genius"
She laughed merrily. ooh, no, she
is only an ineorrigible match maker
and finds them useful"
so she, at least, believes in love?"
be asked, picking mp the thread of a
former conversation.
Cor in marriage. 1t is not always
the same thing, is it,"
''It should be, he replied, with an
mir Of the deepest conviction. He was
looking up into her eyes.
what does somebody say?-that
in woman love is disease; in man it
is an episode"
II seem to recollect that" he said.
''But it is nonsense; love cannot be
summed up in an epigram."
Again she laughed II am afraid
you have very bad memory, Mr..
Holland. The sentiment appears in
brilliant study of society, entitled
Providence and Mrs. Grundy,' for
which, If the title page is to be trust
Cd"
"Ahi I remember now. Please
spare me, Miss Lindsay. You don't
know the evil effects of phrase-making
1t saps mans morals until he has
not even O nodding acquaintance with
the truth. And you have taken your
revenge"
"But, really, Mr.. Holland, I trusted
10 your-your knowledge of human
nature, shall say? l was glad, for
my own sake-"
'.For what, if may ask?"
THAT, in man it was an episode
It makes life SO much easier to believe
co."
"Ycnwitf let me retract in sackcloth
and ashes, Miss Lindsay? Honestly,
] have some reason to do SO. It is
three years since / wrote that miser-
ablc book. Can you guess my ex-
suse?"
at seems to infer compliment
somewhere" she said, rather doubt
fully.
Il am very much in earnest" he
said, getting up and standing above
her; and he looked it. II didn't know
you then. If had, the thing-call it
On epigram if you like-would never
have been written. How could if,
when---?"
Here the bushes were parted, and
face-a tanned, handsome, open face
it was, although just now the express
sion was not too pleasant-showed in
the interstices. Miss Lindsay nodded
brightly.
Come in, Ralph" she said.
VERY sorry, I'm sure" said the
newcomer. 81 didn'tknow, Nell"
Then he disappeared.
Miss Lindsay smiled.
Captain Havelock seems-out of
sorts, ]" remarked her companion, sit
ting down again.
Probably he is looking for nv
mother" said she. 81 told him to
attend to her."
.sHe is a capital fellow" he said
indif'erently. ''Done something in
India, hasn't hep
"A small affair of outposts, /" she re-
piled, in the same tone. Only. per.
haps, it was as we'll that he was not
studying her eyes very intently at that
moment. HE held fort somewhere
on the frontier for fortnight against
b couple of thousand tribesmen. with
only European sergeant and fifty
6ikhs under him; and he was reduced
TO thirty rounds of ammunition and
no provisions before he was relieved.
i is quite a common thing out there.
He told me so himself"
He is modest--as we'll as lucky
said Holland. ssYou and he are old
friends, Miss Lindsay"
Eve we're brought up together"
Like brother aud sister,"
Exactly. We quarrel quite as
much, at least !"
And make it up, / dare say? But
] an sure the quarrels are not serious.
Apropos, am / forgiven:"
Was there q crime, Mr.. Holland?
Really, have forgotten.
We were discussing