The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-01

|
| fast was over, he now sat back in his
chair and permitted his thoughts to
wander. They did not wander far. He
! flushed little finding them presently
! on Rosemary who had brought in her
tray and was clearing the table.
The sun shOne on her neat frilled
cap, on her neat quick figure, on her
| chestnut hair, on her ruddy chubby
arms which the sleeves of her fresh |
| print gown rolled back above her
| elbows, displayed. From behind some |
sheets of manuscript he had caught |
| up as screen to an alarming fit of self |
| consciousness which had seized him |
at sound of her footsteps, he stole in
| termttent glances at her. She seemed |
unconscious of him and intent upon
her work. Her lashes lay in two
dark semi-circles on her rosy cheeks
| as she contemplatively gathered up
| the forks and spoons and folded the |
| table cloth. Yet one experienced in
| wOmen's ways would have known that
she was perfectly and pleasantly aware
of his embarrassed looks.
| Whose violets?" he demanded alb
ruptly. pointing to the tumbler on the
| mantelpiece.
Yours" she said laconically, fash
Ing her brown eyes.
| who gave them to me?"
| ME" she said.
| w nat 1Or
She swept a hand lightly in the air
Il jest like dom things fur people,"
she said casually.
| There was an interval of weeks
wherein the inventor relapsed once
more into his distracted state.
Then Mrs. MacMicking appeared in
the doorway with a flushed agitated
face, "Sakes alive, Mr. Pendlebury"
| she appealed, come down to the
| kitchen thprp'I UarV lilyalv bo
| der done!'
| Pendlebury his mind entangled in
| inventive meshes, waved a hand alb
sently. Send for the police" he said
But at that moment a confusion of
voices audible from below became ar
ticulate. EFF you're goin' to shoot me
| l reckon l can take it about as we'll
as most folks" Rosemary was heard
to say defiantly-but a very definite
falter at the end of her bold speech
i showed she had but little relish for
the prospect.
Pendlebury was not long in arriving
at the kitchen. BY the fireplace the
girl stood, alarmingly pale to one who
knew her normal complexion. But
though one of her hands graspng the
back of a chair was Visbly trembling,
she held up her head and made a
brave show. In the doorway confront
ing her man with a mean and angry
face stood covering her with the muz-
Zle of a small revolver. There was a
smile of malicious triumph on his lips.
In younger days Pendlebury had
been an athlete. 1t was not long be-
fore the revolver had changed hands,
the muzzle now covering the assail-
ant. IF you move hand or foot"
Pendlebury said, breathing hard. "Tll
swear I'll put a bullet through you.
Mrs. MacMicking, fetch the police"
The man laughed insolently.
"Pooh!" he said advancing with
staggering air. Eye kin spare yerself
wind. faint loaded"
Rosemary, the strain over, had sat
down suddenly in the nearest chair
and was sobbing Historically.
She's my girl the man said bully
ingly Il s'pose you're her new flame,
an you're the reason she's shut down
on me. We'll" with a contemptuous
stare, II don't kingratuate her.
Pendlebury. having examined the
barrels, set the revolver on the table.
He began to roll back his shirt
sleeves. IF you don't get out of this
in less than a minute" he said thick
ly. IN thrash you within an inch of
your life"
His blood was up. His strong frame
showed threatening. He tossed the
long hair from his eyes.
The other man was city-bred,
anaemic and soft-muscled. Il wasn't
goin' to stop" he retorted You're
mighty oncivil kimpiny." He picked
up his weapon and slouched out with
an air which professed to be casual,
but was manifeStly timorOus.
What is it all about?" demanded
Pendlebury. Reaction having set in,
he had a shame-faced sense of having
been betrayed into melo-drama.
Mrs MacMicking shrugged her spare
shoulders. "Sweethearting, she said,
contemptuously.
"Tain't any sweetheartin of NINE"
Rosemary broke in angrily. He's
only my cousin and 1 amt niver bin
set on him. He's bin reckonin' to
marry me ever since we went to skule
together"
Pendlebury still with that sense of
shame facedness began to retreat.
will he bother you again?" he asked.
No" she said. hes of to Eng
land in the morning. Twas all be-
cause l wouldn't go with him.
| When Rosemary next carried in her
tray she confronted a fury. In the
place of the distracted moodily-ab-
sorber worker to whom she was ac-
customed she found half-crazed
tempestuous person pacing the room.
He turned a face electric-white and
contorted with rage and disappoint-
ment on her.
THE fiends take you!' he cried vio-
| lently, you and your sWeethearting.
I've lost it again. I'd just got 1.-THE
thing I've been shaving for for years.
And now it's clean gone"
Her mien had been downcast, her
eyes We're still red. But at this unex-
pected attack, so soon as she could re-
cover from her stark amazement, the
red chased once more to her cheeks
She threw up her head. "Twant any
fault o mine" she retorted. her eyes
flashing. You hadn't got any call to
NEEDLE with my affairs. l could get
shot if l liked"
His excitement having exploded, he
began to calm. You didn't seem to
like" he said grimly.
only fools take things at their face
value" she asserted. and dumping her
last dish on the table flung out of the
room.
IF I'd known before I went down
that I'd lost it," the man muttered,
staring after her, I'D likely have kill
ed him."
For three weeks he worked desper-
ately, scarcely resting or sleeping.
Rosemary ministered TO him In a ST.
lence which protested to be offended,