St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-07-28
DECEIvERS EVER
By Gwendolen Overton.
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5 BY owendolen overton.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Is all mistake to suppose the
a good judgment and level head al
the outcome of experience. They al
born, not acquired. The man of til
world who has tried all things and hel
fast that which is bad may go all /
pieces over some Henrietta, throug
whose Wiles the. green boy from th
country district would see in an in
slant. The capitalist and the bank pres
adent fall victim to quite as many bunc
games as the farmer and the cowbo,
And the same lack of rule holds goo
in the world of women. The blushin
maiden from French convent may b
quite as able to take care of herself a
the young woman who has absorbe,
modern fiction, seen men and manner
OF many sorts and been given her owl
head in all things. 1t is matter o
common sense and intuition, and it a.
depends upon the girl.
But Miss Porter's father did not sc,
that. He had theories to the contrary
and he believed in letting girl from
her earliest infancy see all she wanted
OF the world. that, having attained t.
maturity, she might be able to judge
accurately for herself. 1t was a com
Portable theory, moreover. and saved
Judge Porter trouble. There were
those-certain neighbors and friends
of little Miss Porter's deceased moth
er-who would not admit that it was
theory at all. They said that Porter
neglected his only child and let her run
wild.
At the age of five little Miss Porter
was gourmet; smoked her cigarettes
with an air, and swore fluently. But
at the age Of 20 she was as innocent
il not as ignorant-as the aforesaid
convent maiden is popularity supposed
to be.
It was at this period that she met
Galverley. He was English, and hand
some and agreeable. One of her not
entirely unobjectionable girl friends
had presented him, and, after the Gus
fom of America, and more especially
Of the west, nothing further was nee
essary. If Miss Porter thought about
it at all she thought it would have been
the height of folly and inhospitaiity to
have asked further questions.
But by and by one of the aforesaid
friends of her mother decided, after
nluch prayer and fasting, that it was
her obvious duty to warn Miss Porter,
since there was no one else to do it.
She trembled at the necessity. Once,
in the days of Miss Porter's tender in
fancy, some other good advice had been
met with storm of bad language, at
the mere memory of which the good
lady had shuddered and shriveled ever
since. But that had been long years
before. Miss Porter's language was
moderate now, not only moderate but
slightly British, as appeared when she
received her mothers friend and led
her to a cozy corner and proceeded to
brew tea.
The fve-o'clock tea habit had never
been very strong with Miss Porter.
Doubtless it was another result of the
Influence of CaIverley-who was just
tlen in the library across the hall,
smoking and reading and making him
self entirely at home.
II saw you at the theater the other |
night,' began the elder woman.
YES" said Miss Porter.
"Who was the man you were with?"
1T was the scandal of Miss Porter's |
was good one in spite of |
all-that she did without chaperons
upon most occasions. Il daresay it
was Mr.. Calverley." said Miss Porter.
She knew it was, and so did the other.
! .'Calverley? Do l know him? What
S the rest of his name?"
Miss Porter tried not to look proud
Is she spoke the sonorous syllables and
emphasized the hyphen. 1T was Giles
Iartpole Clay aytonCalverley." she said.
.Oh." said her mothers friend; land
where is he frorn?"
He was from England, from London.
sOh!" she said again; "and who is
le p
Miss Porter informed her that he was
veil connected-splendid connected.
.he was little vague, but that was be-
anse she could not keep all the names
It her tongues end.
How had she met him? It was becom-
nr decidedly cross-questioning, and
Iiss Porter raised her brows. There
ras the same look in the baby-blue eyes
eneath them that had preceded the
sit language years ago. But she was
ute deadly civil now. Il met him
hrough a friend. Were you at the
ance last night?" she said.
..I'lf tell you about that later. Tell
,e about Mr.. Calverley first, dear Are
on perfectly sure about him? One has
, be so careful Of these Englishmen
no are not properly accredited"
Miss Porter Iaughed-a naughty
ugh. Not properly accredited, indeed.
friend of the prince, q relative of more {
{ less half the peerage, on nickname
rms with all sorts of dukes, and lords, =
i'd things. man of his perfectly ap-
aren't means! Not properly accred- 4
ed. indeed. Her rebuke was terrible, 6
,ouch brief. She mentioned her own \
dyment and knowledge of the world.
"a her mothers friend withdrew, baf- 7
"a vet doubling.
As she went she caught sight OF Cal n
.r.ey in big leathern chair before $
: IRE, smoking his briar pipe, and 3
,at night she told her husband about {
.sWhat can John Porter be think :
. of?'' she demanded. e
.His own troubles, perhaps" he sug- (
,s*ed.
tsrhe man is taking possession Of the q
hole place.
Her husband lrep9ed into poetry: tg