The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-26
p J.

OAAE VI tue QGDNAdAlAE1H N@NNf% NAIN NGN- -
always so cross II one puts them next 10
men they don't know and who can't help
them. and so thought I'd just ask YOU.
you're so g~ood-natured. You don't mind
do your
u mind being called good-natured." said
Miss Langham. smiling. Mind what. Mrs
Porter" she asked
He IS a friend of Georges" Mrs. Porter
explained. vaguely. Hes a cowboy. Il
seems he was very civil TO George when he
was out there shooting in New Mexico. or
Old Mexico, / don't remember which. He
took George TO his hut and gave him
things to shoot. and all that, and noS he
IS in New York with a letter OF introduc-
ton. It's just like George. He may be a
most impossible sort OF man. but, as l said
10 Mr.. Porter. the people I've asked can't
complain because 1 don't know anything
more about him than they do He called to-
day when I was out and left his card and
Georges letter OF Introduction. and as a
man had failed me for tonight. ] just
thought I would kill two birds with one
stone, and ask him to III his place, and he's
here. And, oh. yes" Mrs Porter added.
I'm going to put him next 10 you, do you
mind"
Unless he wears leather leggings and
long spurs I shall mind very much" said
Miss Langham.
well. that's very nice OF YOU purred
Mrs. Porter as she moved away. He may
not be 50 bad, after all; and III put Regi7
Eald King on your other side. shall y" she
asked. pausing and g~lancing back
The look on Miss Langham's face. which
had been one OF amusement. changed con-
seiously. and she smiled with polite &C
quiescence.
AS you please. Mrs. Porter" she an
sWered. She raised her eyebrows slightly.
81 am. as the politicians say. in the hands
OF my friends"
Entirely too much in the hands Of my
friends she repeated as she turned away.
This was the twelfth time during that
same winter that she and Mp. King mad
been placed next 10 one another at dinner,
and It had passed beyond the point when
she could say that It did not matter what
people thought as long as she and he under
stood. It had now reached that stage when
she was not quite sure that she under
stood either him or herself. They had
known each other for a very long time;
100 long, she sometimes thought. for them
ever to know each other any better. But
there was always the chance that he had
another side, one that had not disclosed it
self. and which she could not discover IN
fhs strict social environment in which they
both Lived. And she was the surer OF this
because she had once seen him when he
did not know that she was near. and he
had been 30 different that it had puzzled
her and made her wonder Il she knew the
real Reggie King at all.
Il was at a dance at a studio, and some
French p-antomimists gave a little play.
When Il was over, King sat in the corner
talking to one OF the -Frenchwomen and
while he waited on her he was laughing
at her and at her efforts to speak Eng
fish He was telling her how to say certain
phrases and not telling her correctly. ana
she suspected this and was accusing MIN
OF It, and they were rhapsodizing and ex-
claiming over certain delightful places and
dishea Of which rhpV hofh knaw IN Paris
with the enthusiasm Of two children. Miss
1angham saw him OF his guard for the
FIRST time, and instead Of q somewhat bored
and clever man OF the world, he appeared
as sincere and interested as a boy. when
he Joined her. later. the same evening, he
was as entertaining as usual, and as polite
and attentive as he had been to the French
woman, but he was not greatly interested.
and his laugh was modulated and not
spontaneous. She had wondered thar night,
and frequently since then. If, In the event
Of HIS asking her 20 marry him. which was
possible, and OF her accepting him. which
was also possible, whether she would find
him. in the closer knowledge of married
life, as keen and Ight-hearted-with her as
he had been with the French dancer. II
he would but treat her more like a comrade
and equal, and less like q prime minister
conferring with his queen! She wanted
something more intimate than the Difference
that he showed her. and she did not like
GH.6 - 49,
was as worldIy-WiSe az himself, even
though & were true.
d was a woman and wanted to be loved.
in spite o. the fact that she had been loved
by many men-at least It was so supposed
and had rejected them.
Each had offered her position. or had
wanted her because she was lifted 10 match
his own great state. or because he was
ambitious. or because she was rich. The
man who could love her as she once be
iieved men could love. and who could give
her something else besides approval OF her
beauty and her mind. had not disclosed
himself. She had begun to think that he
never would. that he did not exist. that he
was an imagination OF the playhouse and
the novel The men whom she knew were
careful TO show her that they appreciated
how distinguished was her position, and
how inaccessible she was to them. They
seemed to think that by so humbling
themselves, and by emphasizing her posi-
lion they pleased her best, when II was
what she wanted them to forget. Each OF
them would draw away backward. bowing
End protesting that he was unworthy to
RAISE his eyes to such a prize, but that II
she would only stoQC 10 him. how happy
his life would be. Sometimes they meant
Il rincerely; sometimes they were gentle
manly eoVenturers OF title, from whom it
was a business proposition. and In either
case she turned restlessly away and asked
herself how long II would be before the
man would come who would pick her up
0H n4 sdnole Eno EaIop or with her, with
his arm around her waist and his horses
hoofs gathering beneath them. and echoing
the tumuit n their hearts.
she had known too many great people In
the world 10 feel impressed with her oUn
position at home in America; but she
sometimes compared herself 70 the Queen
in In a Balcony" and repeated 10 herself
vita mock seriousness:
And you the marble statne an the time
They praise and point At as preferred 10 life.
yet leave tor the nrst breathing womzn's cheek
%trzt aAnesrs. gypsy's CT street banadine'sf
And II It were true. she asked herself
that the man she had imagined was only
an ideal and an illusion. was not King the
best OF the others. the unideat and ever
present others? Every one else seemed to
think so. The society they knew put them
constantly together and approved. Her
people approved Her own mind approved
and as her heart was not apparently to
be considered. who could say that I; da
NOT approve as well? He was certainly
q very charming fellow, a manly, clever
companion. ana one who bore about him
the evidences of distinction ana tborouub
breeding. A. far as family went. the KInes
we're as old as a young country could ex-
pecp and GeEgie King was, moreover In
spite OF his wealth, a man OF action ana
ability. his yacht 3ourneyed from CONT
nent 10 c%ontinet. and not merely Up the
sound to Newport. and he was as wei
known and welcome 20 eonsuls along the
coasts Of Africa and South America as he
vas at Cowes or Nice. His books Of vow
ases were recognized by geographical So
cietieF and other sarf0uS bodies who HAD