The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-05

AhAAeAPiiNatlOA tdDIeS anu lose their
jobs" he said, surlily.
1T is a shame-she'S an arrant flirt,"
whispered the niece. Whereat Bobby
hared up angrily, declaring that she
was the most genuine woman he knew.
And the niece looked at him pityingly,
wondering how many minds a man
could have In a minute.
In month everybody was watch
Ing, with different emotions, the love
drama unfolding under their eyes; for
Bobby's heart had surrendered, and,
although Felicia smiled at the clerks,
she looked oftenest at Bobby and with
UGH soft light in her eyes that his
IulSes were in a whirl. 1t was the first
ctiVe romance the house had known,
md everybody was interested and took
part, more or less, in helping it on But
1t was to the major that Felicia car
ried her doubts and quavers and the
story of Bobby's jealousies. And 1t was
most fatherly advice he gave her. sit
ting. close beside her in the bow win
dow, with his big, outspread paper
shielding them from inquisitive eyes.
But the niece saw in the majors atten-
tons quite another meaning.
lie is paying madam and Bobby
back In their own coin for the long
trampling on his finer feelings. 1t is
but retribution, but / tremble for the
consequences" she confided to Miss
Sally; and the two watched daily for
an explosion.
But when it came ii was different
from what they had expected. Two
months had passed, and the love affair
had gone so far that the sitting-room
was given up early in the evenings to
the young couple. The righthand clerk
was the only one who objected to this:
he wanted to sit with Felicia himself
But she had declared to the young
man that this could not be, for she
believed the niece was consumed with
secret love for him, and she could
not help to wound her. So she had
sent him away. That was the night
before the explosion. Bobby and Fee
l1c1a had sat up late, and angry tones
had penetrated to the ear of the niece.
who had drawn her chair close to the
wall in the next room-in order to
avoid draughts. In the morning the
major found Felicia crying behind the
curtains of the bow window.
TITS Bobby" she whispered; 81 wish
you'd make him behave himself"
1t had been twenty years since the
major saw woman cry; his chivalrv
was aroused, his finer feelings We're
outraged. At that moment Bobby en-
tered the room
Sir" said the Major, his fine old
race aglow, this lady has complain
ed to me of i'll treatment AT vour
hands. In the absence of her male
relatives l am her protector. You
must Immediately retract whatever it
is you have said to offend her."
Il will not" said Bobby, doggedly:
you do not at all understand"
Il do not need to understand any,
thing, sir; except that lady has been
made to shed tears, and that she has
appealed to me to obtain her satisfac-
ton. AS your senior officer in the war
department, 1 demand for her an in
Simultaneous apology" There was
figth in the old mans every tone, and
the niece and Miss Sally. listening in
the hail. squeezed each others arm in
an ecstacy of excitement.
'T salute my senior officer" Bobby
said, half mockingly, 'and ask him if
it would not be perjury on my part to
swear that art-the cutting of cold
marble and the daubing of senseless
pictures"
("O-o-hi" from the bow window
that that-kind of stuff is higher
and nobler and sweeter than lover
That is what Felicia is quarreling with
me about"
And this is all the trouble, my
dear?' the Major asked, and Felicia
nodded, her face still hidden.
"He-he said Gibson was atrocious,
and whistler was a bore; and he made
fun of the old masters and said he
didn't give a-a-"
Damn" supplied Bobby. shame
facedly.
Sir" roared the Major; "to LADY,"
II Observation-Disclosures on my knees.
That was not what made her angry;
it was because I said home was a
thousand times better than picture
gallery, and love ten thousand times
sweeter than art. Is it not true, sir?"
The major fitted the tips of his long
fingers together. Eyes," he said, slow
ly, 'but you might have whipped the
devil around the stump little and not
told her so brusquely. I will speak
with her a moment"
He and Felicia retired behind the
newspaper while Bobby pounded up
and down the room miserably, and the
two women outside felt their blood run
in delicious waves from hot to cold.
Evidently the major had a hard time
with his spoiled protege, but at last he
came forward and said, stiffiy:
"Felicia is willing to accept your
views so far as your own love for her
is concerned, but insists that in all
other affairs you must acknowledge
that art is higher and better. This is
a concession, a very great concession,
on her part; If you cannot apologize
along these lines, my friend, Col. Ford
will make whatever arrangements you
desire"
Bobby's lips twitched at the veter-
ans ponderous gravity but he. bowed
low. Your kindly offices In this mat
ter are appreciated. / acknowledge
the lady's generosity and accept her
terms" And the next minute ne was
behind the paper with Felicia, and the
major was whistling loudly to the nre
in the CRATE.
That night madam wrapped for at
tention and announced the betrothai;
and Bobby blushed like a peony when
the major got to his feet and spoke or
the union as II IL had been some In
ternational alliance involving the WELL
being of the country.
And then a strange thing happened
to madam's household; 1t was as II TINS
lump of love had leavened the whole
with romance. The right-hand clerk.
remembering Felicia's words about the
niece. wrote her a letter that threw her
first into Mysteries and then into rap
lures. The left-hand clerk talked PIN
ingly of lovely goddess In the next
street The bookkeeper drew up
mental balance sheet, and found that
his years exceeded his opportunities,
and ended by asking Miss Sally to
nurse his rheumatic knee the rest of
her life. He did not, OF course, put 1t
inst that way, but Miss Sally UNDER
stood. and, being OF a phllanthropic
turn of mind, she consented.