Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-07-03
LOVE OF MRS. FERRIS
by prHELYN LESLIE HOUSTON.

"YOu were fayiHgy" she murmured, laz
! ily. "Oh, ye-; / AN, no doubt. But in
what does my PECULIARLY make itself par
ticularly worthy Of comment just now"
| Ms. Berriss had large, shadOwy eyes that
were either g-eeu OF yellow or gray, her
| friends were never sure Which, sc now
stared throuFh the thin haze Of reiiamed
smoke that drftcd from biz cigar arcund
! her bronze head, and added gialuit0usly:
you are rather nice looking when you are
smoking. don't you know. You look quite
amiable."
"By which, the natural inference would
be that ! usually appear"
Napoeonic--ye., cheerfully. lie was
| always Sowing, you know. quite wonder
| how Josephine could ever have loved him
a. she did"
Mr. Dacres strong white teeth closed
down on his cigar which promptly as
sumed an angle Of IS dogrce, He took It
| from between his lips and regarded 1t
gloomy as he rolled it between his fingers.
"Tnere-now, you are Pemperor," Mrs,
Ferrss remarked, resting her two elbows
on the broad arm of her chair and her
chin on her palms.
"When that sword-cut between your
eyebrows sinks deep the way it does now,
all you need is to pull some Of your hair
down over your forehead. This way"
give PEmpereur" she said, saluting
gravely "You are rather tall for the lit.
tie corporal, but otherwise you are he to
the life"
81 thank you"
Mr. Dacre lighted fresh cigar, while
MIS-. Ferriss put two more cushions in her
big chair and then seated herself Care
| fully stufhng one Of the cushions to fl the
small Of her back, she sighed conteniedly.
81 am at peace with all tie world. The
| Leader has pied two Of my stories and
my rent is paid up to last month-which
Is quite az much as any wC.lrcpulatcd
landlord should expect Had Le uot lecn
20 amenalle to reason. should have
bought new gown and rad the rGnt three
months behind. But believe in encourage
ing good behavior, and he seemed duly
grateful"
M- DacIe leaned forward and looked at
her eearchingly.
"Are you actually that much in debt.
| Mary" NC asked.
That much in debt! Only two months!
| Prithe, uion.gneur have you been a
slave Of the quill for 20 years to find them
miliionaresy was siH months behind in
April"
And she settled her head back among
the cushions with an air of conscious rec
titude.
why don't you marry Harland" he
asked, slowly. after a moment He cotid
give you wealth. luxury, release from thi.
'demnition grindY And he is good looking
and no fool"
| "M-yes," murmured Mrs Ferriss
thoughtfully. "Ho could do, and Is, all
that. And perhaps"
We'll" said Dacre, sharply.
Dear me, you quite made me jump"
very plaintivey.
"Yes, | know-T am always doing or say.
ing something You once said that il you
married me, I would break your heart ="
He threw his cigar into the fire and stared
at the flames moodily.
"Ye.-but think added that you would
not bore me. Which is the greater Of the
two evilsH she said, comfortably. But
you did not tell me wherein | was pc.
culiar woman at this particular time"
He looked at her ntently for a moment.
"Well, | cannot altogether understand
you" His voice sounded dull and weary
Mrs, Ferriss irowned. Then getting up
from her cushions, she began to pace the
floor slowly, her soft tea gown trailing in
silvery folds behind her
go on she said, presently.
He stared into the fire and did not SPEAK
Soon she went to her desk and took out a
letter.
DO you reoollect one time my writing
you Of Angelo Where said there is al
ways Laura
Going over to him, she laid letter on hi,
knee.
That was your answer Do you rsmsm.
ber"
Bending over him, she read:
"Of course, dear, there is always Bea.
trice or a Laura. | think Michael Angelo
lost his Laura, or Laura, mayhap, was OF
clay Strong men like Angelo are ever the
prey of designing women and little men
That accounts for Mioaael's hardness OF
line and the grim, stern quality in SO much
of his work Greek beauty is fluid his
was full OF angles. How you and would
gioat over the old stun in Rome, Venice,
Florence Yet, | do not know-you are q
delicate woman, beautiful and fond Of the
Injuries I'm worse than Michael Angelo
l have the rird on, | sleep hard and dine
cheap and walk alone in the bleak black
winters night through sleet and drlvin,
rain Then know You never could endure
a man IN q flannel shirt and thick boots"
"Nou quite roveled IN metaphor, when
you wrote that She laughed, little,
low, odd laugh, then went from him back
to her cushions
"lhc first and the last OF our being i,
doubt You say And you do more you
doubt an the time"
Her voi.c was low aud sweet. lie lifted
hi, head and her eyes, smiling, inscruta
bic, met hs
"Nuu 's" not a cr pretty man Meth
er were Angelo and Napoleon and Dante
You are AN intellectual success aud you
have bank account ~ well as a brain
But that Du.u has an ever present lago-
It b. it, one weakness Nou loved me. hu
you uii mot trust me. You knew eat my
debt, followed me thick As ANTHONY, h,e
of ship, she smi,d a little bitterly
"AnJ YOU doubted always Thcu Nj liar
land appeared upon the scene lie is, a
YOU -sy, NOT only distinguished looking
but wealthy And
"lhcn Nnu really intend TO marry"
III, Isc. secuted aNcr IN granite a, b,
rose 90 Do, l,tJ and faced her. She, too
had rD,cu end f,r face had pal,d
She looked at hlm long moment, thel
she 'a,i. very gently:
We
NJ. Fcri,s moved softly to his side an,
Slipping lrr baud up 10 his face, sh
tuacl D., toward her
"ra Nun trnk YOU could trust me rov'
o |N q" o .