Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20

| CioOSe TO stay.
! Il do not choose to stay, either. No lady
ever says such word as fool l am sure
| my Aunt Mary would disapprove my hav-
! ing you longer as friend Missile said
drawing her skirts about her much as a
prim bantam folds its wings. Mrs. Loudon
also rose. her eyes narrowed till they show
ed only spark of red fire between the lids
| She opened her lips though to speak,
| laugh.
| Her mind was made up to marry Roth
| We'll His bulk and stature, his wholesome
blonde comelness appealed to her even more
! than his wealth and position More than
all, there was the excitement of winning
him In spite of himself She understood
him well enough to know that in the outset
she repealed rather than attracted him.
She had dreaded nothing save another
woman. Was that girl across the piazza
the other woman? Rothwell had changed
| countenance at sight of her. She must be
the native Molly had unearthed, but how
did she make herself look as though she
had come from the sleeping beauty's castle,
! instead of remote everyday plantation
She was individual, even distinguished.
| Mrs. Loudon was never weak enough to
| undervalue an adversary. She crossed the
piazza with her finest high manner and
said, holding out her hand: You must be
very brave, Miss Rhett. I said as much
when Molly told us you were coming. Some
| how l half hoped you would stay away"
Indeed! Why?' Patricia asked, rising,
but overlooking the proffered hand. Upright
| she SHOWcU lItHcty tdtl, anu tNln almost 10
angularity. Her head, clouded over with
dusky hair sat on long neck as a rose
| sits on its stem. She had fine dark brows,
too-so dark the violet pupils underneath
violet was sort of luminous black. Mrs.
| Loudon had somehow a sense that black
ness a danger signal.
| She had prided herself upon her fine pres
| ence-Patricia overlooked her by at least
| three inches, and had besides something
| classic in poise and pose. But it was some
| thing in her gaze, steady, compelling, that
forbade Mrs Loudon to speak after her
| wont, wholly brutal truth. To the woman
of her fancy, the uncouth country girl, or
prim pretentious spinster. she would have
| said airily: Il did not want you because
| knew you would be in the way-and un-
| swered Patricias eyes rather than her
| question: Il did not know why-now I
understand 1t was instinctve-I hated to
| have you make US rattlepates ashamed of
j ourselves"
| why not rattlepates, II one may rattle
| gracefully and graciously?" Patricia asked.
| Molly dashed out to them abject in apology.
II meant to be home-indeed 1 did. dear
| were so heavenly"
| IF you had come back a minute before
| You were ready 1 should be implacable,"
| Patricia said, softly patting Molly's hand.
| Il love our woods in springtime SO well
| l cannot bear to have them sighted"
| Molly, I'm positively ravenous-I shall
| ring for tea Mrs Loudon interposed. She
| caught up a silver lotos flower and began
| striking keen chimes
| Rothwell pre-empted the cushion nearest
| Patricia's feet and sat watching her as
| though in a trance. In the deepest pine
| shadow it was already dusking, yet pure
| red light filled all the west Patricia, fair in
| the shine of 1t, seemed somehow to make
| all the other women leaden. She slipped her
tea, playing daintily between sips with her
| gold spoon, quite though she had done
| it every day of her life. But when he
would have brought her a fresh cup, she
| shook her head, saying in half whisper:
Il drank this only because it was part of
| the game"
What game?" he asked in her own key.
She smiled elfinly The game of money
| in-idleness," she said. Il have always
wanted a look in at 1t. Now 1 have to
| pinch myself occasionally to make sure
really am where 1 am
| Come inside to the fire. The only ex-
| cuse for country-house parties is sitting
around fire." Tregars said, stalking ma
| jestically ahead. Molly pushed Verna Ash
after him, while Taplow himself solicitous-
| ly huddled the rest inside. Somehow Hugh
| Anstruther caromed against Patricia as
| they went through the window. Anstruther
/ had a dour face, square-tawed, with lips
| shutting like wise He had the name Of
| never speaking to a woman If he could
get around 1t. Naturally everybody mar
veled to see him sit down beside Patricia,
| burning out: Il shall doubt We forgive my
| clumsiness unless ye're willing to talk to me
| a Bit
ooh, did you hear how she came?' Miss
| Ash asked in loud whisper. THE foot
man told my maid. Fancy! Muleback! I'm
| sure she's not proper person.
so am 1! No woman can be a proper
person, In the eyes of her sisters, who cap
| tivates two most eligible men, almost in the
wink of eyelash,' Tregars said, smiling
| grimy. Mrs. Loudon, who had been plying
Miss Ash with questions, looked up at him.
also smiling. Il would not ride mule If
tlot !, -
said, leaning across to speak in Rothwells
| ear. Tregars laughed. Tell US things we
| do not know, bold one Ten mules, nor
twenty, could not carry you heavenward-
| you know enough never to be misfit''
| You mean cannot bear to be lonesome"
Mrs. Loudon said, her eyes darkling. II am
glad my devotion to my friends begins to
| be understood"
stop quarreling, you two-I am going to
| say things to that GIRL" Verna said. III
| Molly has no more sense than to have her
here, somebody has got to teach her her
place"
| Tregars frowned impatiently, Mrs. LOU
don stirred as though she meant to rise, but
| Miss Ash was not to be stayed. She leaned
toward Patricia, asking with rasping &C
| cent which seemed to her tremendously SUI
! perior: OH Miss-er Brett how do YOU
| crackers amuse yourselves? l believe crack
ers is the right name
| ut Is name OF varied application" Pa
trcia said. Anstruther looked puzzled
| he knew too little of the life about him
| to understand the slur. Rothwelrs eyes
| flashed. But before he could speak the but
| Ter, still somewhat dazed, announced that
! dinner was served. and stared with at lea st
! a semi human amazement to see the after
| noon arrival go out to 1t upon his master S
| arm.
Thus it all began. The end came apace
| Patricia suffered more from the friends she
made than the foes. That Is. however a
| common human experience. Molly was her
+, slave. Taplow her stanch defender. An
| struther. after the first amazing break, con-
| tented himself with staring at her from
| afar Rothwell was hard hit and did not
| try to hide 1t. The other men gave her
| up as a puzzle. AS for the other women,
their hatred was so lively they had devel-
| oped sisterly tolerance for each other
| Tregars indeed christened them the Ven
| gerbound. Miss Ash made him, whether of
no. the Vengerbund's confidante After
| each sitting he wrote down things in the
| notebook from which he planned one day
to evolve the great American novel,
! Weather permitting. the Edgecombe pack
hunted three days each week. More than
half the time the meet was Wake Forest
lawn. This because of Gagged foxes and
convenience. The place lay centrally with
more than half the best runs round about
it. Running full strength the pack showed
/ twenty couple. More generally there were
ten. or at the most twelve. Jack Wish.
4 head huntsman who had In y,an,n-