The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-09


| kiss her"
took no notice Of hts foolish remarks.
or OF the laugh from the group OF men
| around him. II is better to Ignore vul-
garity when you have no repartee.
crossed the room to speak to Lady
| Marten. The room was crowded As
| was speaking TO her Lady lexington
arose from her seat and came to her.
She was followed by girl whom rec
| 0gnized Though how she had changed
and how beautiful she had grownD as
| Alice.
While Lady lexington was saying her
adieus I turned to Alice. / saw she
recognized me.
Alice. my Geari" a said felt rather
than saw Lady lexington wheel about. :.
Alice put out her hand and smiled
took her hand
what an immense girl you have
srown." went on. You've grown too
big to kiss
She looked surprised, but ! bent for
ward and kissed her lightly on the cheek
MIR. Meriyalel" she said. but I thought
she did not look offended
"oh. you must stiil call me Jerry" I
said hastily II suppose you will be
leaving school soon7''
Lady Lexington. who had been regard
Ing me as II I were an intrepid frog, in
terfered
Miss Manseil has left school some
years" she said in an awful tone
"Oh, she has a governess. suppose.
Well, Alice" said. II hope you are a
better girl than you used TO be-"
Alice, we must go" said Lady oclxing-
ton.
"Good-by" 7 said. I still held her hand
II VIII call some day and take you TO
the waxworts''
She smiled as she left me and followed
Lady lexington from the room. I was
glad she smiled | should not have acted
as / did.
During this Incident the stiffness in
the room was terrible. Conversation he
gan again turned to Lady Marten and
began to speak Of Pinero's coming play.
But she was laughing convVlsively.
You wicked, dreadful young man" she
said. mfr. burden told me what you in
tended to do but couldn't have be-
iieved you would have dared Not even
you. And Lady lexington therer'
protested that Miss Mansell and I
were old friends. Nothing could shake
her conviction that we had never met
before. that had kissed girl who was
an entire stranger This was the general
IMPRESSION, thanks to Robby's foolish
talk.
But am not so bad as all that.
The next day | called at Lady 0ckine-
toms house I did not expect 20 be adj
mitted, but l felt II would only be kind
to call.
The door was opened by an uninteilgent
page boy. Lady lexington was out Miss
Mansell was In. Joyr
On the stairs encountered the butler.
who knew me. He direcAd killing
glance toward the lad. But II was too
late.
Alice was alone in the room. She came
to me with the prettiest air OF confusion.
took her hand
"Alice--Niiss ManseIl.. I said. "for the
Inst twenty-four hours my friends have
been telling me that I have made a mis-
take Did make a mistaken"
MIR. Merlvale." she said. for the last
twentv-four hours Lady Lexington has
been telling me you didn't make mis-
take. Did YOU make mistaken"
II was all right; che was smiling
"Alice-MIss Mansell, cannot tell lie
unnecessarily; IL was not a mistake-it
was Intentional.
She shook her head
II don't think II was quite nice OF YOU"
she said.
responded eagerly.
You are quite right: II was horrid.
But | have an explanatio ton"
Explain" she said, majestieally. AT
the moment we heard ring
1T Is Lady lexington exclaimed AL
Ice
"shall ! hiie9' I asked
we bte going 10 the PtnkertOnS' to-
night" she satd. looking out OF the win
dow rs Lady lexington entered
CHAPTER III
Tho general election was on. had 10
make four speeches every night. besides
oanVassing during the day. | should have
preferred not to. But had an agent lie
said he was my agent otherwise should
have thought, our positions were reversed
Among other things he made me go TO
church on Sundays. II was necessary he
said, {, eoncIliate the church people We
also went 70 the Methodist chapel 10 con-
ciliate the Dissenters. The result was
we annoyed both.
At the church I recognized n lady with
Alice's back hair. She also had Alice's
profile In fact, she turned out 10 he
Alice herself She was visiting her uncle
Col. Western, with whom she had lived
In her younger days.
| told my agent that our great defect
was n want OF lady cunvnssert lie prof.
fcred hts wifs I accepted her, but sail
l would call on Col. Western and see q
! couldn't pick up asfew more
"Eut Col Western "a opposed 20 as"
He Is most good natured," | replied
Il ar sure ne win lend us few"
NV agent sighed. He was eonscien-
tious man. and had serupies "a 10 whether
/ was a 1T person for the house Of COM
mons. 'It he We're only as sensible as
some OF his speccheaf'' he said To my