The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-10-18
LOVE ASTRIDE
A BROOMSTICK


jor Arnott's chair again Really, Per
cy, she's awfully good natured!'
Percy Bevis dropped his eyes to the
lower terrace, took off his hat to the
woman. nodded to the man. then turn
ed and smiled in Mrs Vincent's face.
Hes er's a dear girl, aunt; I'm very
fCnd of her. hut she has mania for
the Diseased which Is almost nnwhole-
some
His aunt laughed.
THAT cripple fellow, now, he'd be
bound to appeal TO her. Her heart is
a regular Hospital for lncurables.'
well. come, now; it's sad case
Mrs Vincent spoke indulgently Par
alysis at thlrty-seven. such n bright
careeri lie did great things in india,
I'm told"
lie was an able officer. certainly.
But there lightly 9malarla's the
depce, You never know what after
math of disease II may leave behind
IT,"
|, was at Eastbourne. The band was
playing They talked or listened in
turn, pacing up and down.
Said Mrs Vincent presently. with 4
downward nod, which. gentle though
It was, set the bird of paradise plumes
in her bonnet waving brayely:
"Whon is 1t TO be, Percy? Have you
spoken to her yet? Oh, come, now
her nephew feignlng innocence
there's been some sort Of understand
Ing between you for the last eight
{ years. Isn't II time YOU came tn some
thns definite?"
'"ro be definite" said Mr.. Bevis, in
his airy, Complacent way, lis to be
dtll. 1t is the lncomprehensible that
attracts and holds attention. AS II proof
OF it'-he stopped, glanced down, then
laughed don't mind confessng that
only llester's inacce ssibility has kept
me faithful all these years.
Faithful" Mrs NIncent's upper lip
eavlled at the word.
well? It's good. old fashioned vir-
tue"
my dear boyl Do you suppose |
haven't heard OF your numerous fiirta-
tions with the pretty widow in Cey-
Ion, that horrld Barker girl at Glib
raltar; then the woman with the red
hair and equally ruddy reputation; the
-"
Ssh, 'sh"-her nephew, softly child
ing her indiseretion in thus discussing
his, struggled feebly, with the SNUG
smile OF complacenee. A lady passed
them. He broke of, whispering, Fine
woman, that"
Mrs. Vincent turned her head "She
ought to be" dryly Il know her well
by sight. Gets her figure and her gowns
from my own tailor. Well, there's
truth in what you say. Men are drawn
to the mysterious, as inevitably as a
child's eyes are attracted by fartblng
rushlight."
Mrs. Vincent's worldly little laugh
rang out.
How the stories OF our youth mis-
lead US! The sex of the Bluebeards
should have been reversed; it Is he
who would have gone picking the lock
Of his wife's prehenslbilitie
having succeeded, OF course. she would
have ceased to interest him"
Come, come, now. aunt; one, Eve.
has handed down other traditions"
Eve! Eve is out of date, hopelessly
old fashioned, like our grandmothers.
Woman has progressed since Ewes
time, handing her babies and weakness
over to her husband to nurse Besides,
you forget'-a CLEAN OF malicious hu-
NOR sparkled In her eyes--"while you
have been waiting for dead mems shoes
and Hester has been looking round
standing still with either"
Good gracious, aunti"r-his tone cx-
pressed anxiety lido I look decrepit?
I have all my teeth left. assure you"
You are thirty-one," his aunt re-
minded him; he Ster twenty nine IN.
like you. she looks her age, an ex-
tremeiy silly thing for a woman OF the
world To do,H
IF Hester looks her age" said Mr..
Beyis presently. ITS certainly through
no excess of sentiment or feeling. She's
the embodiment OF propriety, of cold,
calm impressiyenes She reminds ne"
he added. with his eyes half closed.
''of frozen lake"
"Af.er a twelye-hours' frnst-exact.
y. Don't trust to appearances; the Ice
3 very thin"
Mrs. Vincent glanced about. Hei
.apheT was growing Interested.
The Danger board attracts me-" In
quite another tone, There's a delight
full sort of enjoyment in skating over
the risky places
You'll go through"
"A cold bath is always invigoratlng.'
UNI" She shot a shrewd glance Of
The obstinate face beside her. Take
care you don't find eddies and under.
snrrents you lEtlt dream OF. 'Sh!
they're playing Chopin. Hester's not
in sight. Find mo chair: l want to
rest and listen"
On tho lower parade Miss Wolsten-
croft was walking. her hand on the
arm OF the paralytic's chair.
y could do 1t In half the time" she
was assuring him with insistenee.
The answer came In dry tone: you
measure with a woman's eye, Miss VOL
stencroft, and they are all afflicted with
a geometrical squint"
oh"
THE things impossible. tell you.
The pier is twice the length you esti'
mate. ] couldn't run 1t myself In I'M
der---U