Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-02-14

to be sure, does not mean that they were
Ut all moro disposed to be friendly to
one another, but then they were only
neighbors In q large and metaphorical
sense Of the term. Strictly speaking,
young Fulton was Mrs. Naylor's neigh
Dor, while Sir Thomas Clutterbuck had.
as q matter Of course. seated himself
opposite 20 Mrs. Alrton. and between
the two couples arose barricade OF
rugs, wraps and umbrellas. Sir Thomas,
for his part. would have been just ~
we'll pleased II the intervening barrier
had been n higher and denser one. He
had conceived an immense adminticn
for his charming vis.a.vis. and, had he
been spared the presence Of third per-
sons, there Is no telling what he might
not have been imprudent enough to say
TO her between London and the Mid
lands. Asit was no had to content HIM
self with subdued whisperings and ar
dent glances.
What provoked him little was that,
although he was 30 close 10 the object Of
his earthly affections, she had taken
such precautions against catching cold
rs to bc almost invisible. Her sparkling
blue eyes, her lovely complexion tun.
touched, he was prepared to swear. by
any Of the appliances which are too fire.
quentIy made use Of by women who
would look far better without their
add, the really wonderful golden brown
hair, which was perhaps her crowning
charm-all these were enveloped in a
volumirous white gnuze veil, and when
he made some complaining remark upon
the subject she said:
"Oh. know they are hideous things,
and nobody wears them nowadays, but
I really csn't help il. As sure as ever /
venture upon a railway journey with.
ont wrapping nv head up l get such 0
cold that / have to go TO bed for q
week"
Sir Thomas gallantly declared that
he would submit to any temporary dep
rivation rather than be the means OF
bringing about suoh catastrophe as
that. but after time he felt impelled
to put forward further mild remon.
STRANGE. Mrs. Aston was certainly not
herself that afternoon. Her customary
vivacity seemed to have deserted her.
More than once he suspected that che
was not even listening TO him. So at
length he bent forward and said:
"what is tho matter? am sure
something is troubling You.
"Troubling met" she repeated. "Oh.
dear, mol Nothing in the worldl Ex-
cent. OF course Here she j.rked up
ono Of her shoulders slightly and threw
significant glance over II In the direc-
ton Of Lord Arthur, whose attentions
70 Mrs Naylor were Of somewhat
needlessly demonstrative order. II hate
that sort Of thing. It's 10 silly and vui-
gar" she said.
II she bad told the truth (but that
was quite out Of the question:, she
would have had to own that she was
much moro seriously uncomfortable
than tho spectacle Of any Irritation,
legitimate or otherwise, conid have rem
dered her. for. while Sir Thomas was
gently insinuating that his lifo Of late
had been complete blank without her,
she had been furtively feeling in her
bag, and had arrived at the truly ap-
palling conviction that she had got hold
OF the wrong bottle. There could be no
doubt about IL. Shape and size were
alike unfamiliar. and II was as certain
as anything could be that her hair dye
that inimi,able, unapproaohable prep