The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-14
XVIII.
TIRED WINGS.

In spite of the fact that she had
! laughed at Graham's blindness in fall
| ing into her trap, Molly Lafond felt
enough curiosity to induce her to en-
ter into several conversations with
him during the course of that afternoon.
| He sat by the door whistling. Out in
| the sun the men cut logs, notched ends,
\ ed between personal encouragement
| of the workers, and a curious eXani-
nation of the idler.
Graham interested her because he
puzzled her. The young man no longer
| held to the quizZical and cynical ~atti-
tude he had assumed in the morning,
| but neither did he at once manifest
| that personal interest which she had
! imagined inevitable. He caught at her
statement that she had done nothing
| but read, read. read" In the course
! of twenty minutes he had made her
most keenly aware of her deficiencies,
and that without the display of any
other motive than frank desire to
discuss the extent of her knowledge.
| He opened to her fields whose exist
| ence she had never suspected; he show
| ed her that she had but superficially
examined those she had entered. -Au-
thors she had much admired he dis
! posed of cavalierly, and in their stead
| substituted others of whom she had
never heard.
II like Bulwer," she remarked Sc
cure in her classic because it had been
| the only one of Sweeney's collection to
come in a set and bound in brown
leather.
"Bulwer, yes" said Graham, pulling
| his little moustache, and speaking, as
his habit sometimes was, more to him
self than to his companion. eve all
go through that stage. but we get over
it after awhile. You see. he's super
fetal and awfully pedantic There is
much beauty in it, too. l remember
in one of his novels forget which
there is a picture of child tossing
her ball skyward. with eyes turned
upward to the skies, that is worth a
| good deal"
Its in What Will He Do With
IT," crisd Molly, aglow at being able
to interrolate correctly.
Yes asented Graham, indifferent
ly. "I5 has something to do with
youth, think. Before our critical
judgment grows up and finds him out,
there is a peculiar elevation about Bull
wer's themes and treatment. His world
is blown: but it is big. and his figures
have a certain scornful nobility about
them. If l We're to compete with the
gentleman under discussion" he con-
cluded with a slight laugh, II would
say that he throws upon the true gold
the lign: of his own tinsel."
Molly was subdued, humbled. She
was deprived at stroke of all her wea-
pons. For the first time she found
herself looking up to a man, and Won
dering whether she could ever meet
him on terms of equality. She caught
herself covertly scrutinizing Graham
to see If he too, realized his advan-
tage. He was genuinely interested;
that was all. He seemed to take it fol
granted that she was already on his
level. This encouraged her somewhat
Whenever she again Joined the grour
of sweating men at work on her house
she felt subtly that she was returning
from a far country. She had brought
back with her something new. The
nature of the conversation had lifted
her to the contemplation Of fresh pos.
sibilities Of human intercourse. With
a defiant toss of the head she INDUCED
herself TO the extent OF imagining sew
eral Bulwer-like conversations, ~
which she dealt out brilliant generali,
ties 10 the universal applause. IL wG'
the first ilight her wings had essayud
the flrst charm not merely physica
that she had experienced with one OF
the ether sex. She felt she was coins
10 Ike this man Graham.
And yet that very citation was on,
Of the reasons why. after dinner IN ths
hotel" she walked with Billy KNAPP
although Graham WAS plainly waitinl
for her. a rad been her first flight
her wings we're tired. The reaction
had come.
The dinner Itself ana its manner
had much 10 DO with bringing fhis Il
her CONSEQUENCE. Entering al On,
end ~ fbc hotci dining room, she nrs
became aa are ~ the cook stove az No.,
other. r. behind b. uns. Down ih,
reufff fEtefdea fhr three bench
fanksf to4fd tables. polished nmooff
~ fhe Combined iuNuenffa uf nplls
FfftHf aHd much rubbing AZ cfftalf
J fsgit inteigais haa been etatQlsg fn