The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-21

Arnott's chair again! Really Percy. she's
awfully good-natured.
Percy Bcyis dropped his eyes to the lower
nodded to the man then turned and smiled
in Mrs. Vincent's face.
'Hester's a dear girl, aunt I'm very
fond of her; but she has a mania for the
Diseased which is almost unwholesome.
His aunt laughed.
That crippled fellow, now, he'd be
| bound to appeal TO her. Her heart Is a
regular Hospital for Incurables.'
| We'll. come now; it's a sad case -
Mrs. Vincent spoke indulgently. ''Paraly-
| sis at thirty seven; such bright career.
He did great things in India. I'm tod.
| He was an able officer, certainly. But
| there"-lightly-" malaria's the deuce. You
never know what aftermath of disease it
may leave behind it, &.
! 1t was at Eastbourne. The band was
! playing. They talked or listened in turn,
pacing up and down.
Said Mrs. Vincent presently. with a
downward nod. which, gentle though 1t
was, set the bird OF paradise plumes in
her bonnet waving bravely:
When is it to be. Percy? Have You
+, spoken to her yet? oh, come now"-her
nephew feigning innccence-"there's been
some sort of understanding between you
for the last eight years. Isn't it time you
came to something definite?''
TO be definite" said Mr. Bevis, in his
. airy. complacent way, lis TO be dull. 1t
is the incomprehensible that attracts and
holds attention. AS a proof OF itf-he
stopped, glanced down. then laughed
don't mind confessing that only Hester S
inaccessibility has kept me faithful all
these years
Faithful" Mrs. Vincent's upper lip
curled at the word.
Well? It's good, oldfashioned vir-
tue"
my dear boy, Do you suppose haven {
/ heard of your numerous flirtations-with
the pretty widow in Ceylon; that horrid
Barker girl at Gibraltar: then the woman
with the red hair and equally rudy repu-
| tation: the"
"Sh. 'sh''-her nephew. softly Gliding
| her indiscretion in thus discussing him,
struggling feebly with the SNUG smile of
] complacence- A lady passed them. He
! broke off. whispering. Fine woman, that. -
Mrs. Vincent turned her head. "She
ought to be-" dryly- II 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 attract
ed by farthing rushlight."
Mrs. Vincents worldly little laugh rang
out.
| How the stories OF our youth mislead
| us, The sex of the Bluebeards should have
| been reversed: it is he who would have
| gone picking the lock OF his wife's incom-
prehensbilities; having succeeded. OF
course. she would have ceased TO interest
| him.
Come. come now. aunt: one. Eve, has
banded down other traditions
Eve, Eve is out date. hopelessly old
fashioned, like our grandmothers Woman
has progressed since Ewes time. handing
her babies and weakness over to her hus-
band TO nurse. Besides. you forget"-a
CLEAN of malicious humor sparkled in her
eyes-"while you have been waiting for
dead mems shoes and Hester has been
looking round for her vocation. Time has
not been standing still with either"
Good gracious, aunt,'-his tone ex-
pressed anxiety-"do look decrepit?
have all my teeth left, assure you.
You are thirty-one'' his aunt reminded
him. Hester twenty-nine Unlike you,
she looks her age. an extremely silly thing
for n woman of the world to do"
"Ah. women age so much sooner than We
men" he began tritely. She cut him short.
More fools they, They should deny
themselves the luxury of sentiment. re-
Emotion she added. conscious that she
was growing hungry. and consequently ir
ritable, lis TO women what strong drink
Is TO men-and both designations are wear
ing to the system. The Front Is thin
ming. Where's Hester? Isn't it time We
we're getting back to the hotel?"
IF Hester looks her age" said Mr.. Be-
Wis. presently. its certainly through no
excess of sentiment or feeling. She's the
embodiment of propriety. of cold calm i'm
passiveness. She reminds me-" he added.
with his eyes half closed, "of a frozen
Lake
After a twelve-hours' frost-exactly.
Don't trust to appearances; the ice is very
thin
Mrs. Vincent glanced about. Her nephew
was growing interested.
The Danger board attracts me" In
quite another tone, There's a delightful
sort of enjoyment in skating over the
risky places"
You'll go through"
"A cold bath is always invigorating."
UNI" She shot a shrewd glance at
the obstinate face beside her. Take care
you don't find eddies and Inducements
you little dream of. 'Sh, they're playing
Chopin. Hester's not in sight. Find me a
chair: want 10 rest and listen
on the lower parade Miss Wolstencroft
was walking, her hand on the arm OF the
paralytcs chair.
Il could do it in half the time" she was
assuring him with insisteuce.
The answer came In dry tone: You
measure with a womans eye. Miss VOL
stencroft. and they are all afflicted with a
geometrical squirt
oh"
THE things impossible. tell you. The
pier is twice the length you estimate.
couldn't run il myself in under"
He stopped. looked blank, gnawed his
mustache in a sort OF helpless fury. then
gave the order to turn" in a peremptory
tone.
The man obeyed Miss wolstencroft
came around to the windward side OF the
chair. Finding cushion displaced by the
restless, impatient head she patted and
smoothed 1t. apparently oblivlous TO any
awkwardness in the air arising from his
slip.
cts really marked, the way in which
we thin women are sighted, Major Ar
mott" she went on brightly. Just as II
flesh meant strength-it doesn't. it buries
it, Now. / am very strong. l have pasty
face. know; but that arises from nasty.
carping disposition. I'm slight because I
grizZle. There-excuse the slang-but /
could run the length of that pier in thirty
seconds. and, at my time of life, consider
that a very fair record
She smiled down on him her kind, cool
ing smile" as Bevis called it. Its effect
on Arnott. looking up, was rather the re-
verse
Strength. speedt What's the use OF
em. Pray he growled out savagely.
Pride OF strength is about as foolish
thing as envying the flight of butterfly.
rough hand makes a dab at 1t. and the
airy fiutterings are stopped, the pretty, gay
wings reduced to pulpy film sticking to
the hand of a schoolbOy''