The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-12-12

iudNc SlUlNiAuH pluluSdl.
"You seem to he ionely," she
said, one day, "as they strOlled
(eom end TO emu o. .c platform,
and without any friends here. |
am alone, too; there is nobody l
care to speak to. l like to talk
to you. Why shouldn't we keep
Ompany?'"
The request for the moment
staggered the journalist. Claire
entered into voluble explana-
tons.
"Perhapsyoudon't like theidea?
If so, of course say so at once" she
said, looking rather mortified.
Cor perhaps in Indiana-where
you say you came 'front.' isn't
customary. OF course, we each
pay for ourselves"
81 am afraid / Z on'tquite under
stand" said Cyprian, really mysti-
fed.
GLOW funnyp Claire exclaimed,
with a roguish glance at him. 81
thought everybody understood
keeping company O!"-and her
face became suffuseC with bushes
-"you didn't think ! meant the
same as being engaged did you?
"Of course, it's quite different"
she explained, at hurricane speed.
Naturally, people who keep com
pany' may become engaged after
wards if they fall in love with one
another. But ! didn't mean"
SLOW stupid of mew said Cypri-
IN, anxious to spare further ex-
PLANTATION. "It's awfully good of
you to propose it. You must for
give my stupidity. / see now, if
we keep company we are simply
companions, and share expenses;
out if you and | were engaged
"Of course, then you would have
to pay for everything" the girl
concluded, with a merry laugh,
taking it for granted that all was
now arranged satisfactorily. GAN
light, then; is that understood?
I've been wanting an evening out
'or a long while. Take me some
where this evening; l don't much
mind where"
Thus commenced a new stage in
Jyprian's acquaintance with Claire
Edwards. He soothed his con
science with the girl view of it, as
a cas- of mutual charity, allowing
: two lonely, dull people to find
amusement in one another's com
: pany; but at length he began seri.
Ously to take himself to task. He
knew he was rapidly falling in
love. He discovered that this girl
of the people was as refined in
: her manners and ideas as any
woman he had met, but, although
he had no strong opinions in the
} matter of caste, he felt that to
choose a wife from POpham's
, tenements would be madness on
his part.
He did not allow his mental per.
turbation to show itself when he
D was with Claire. Then he forgot
all his resolutions; he only felt
I that she was beautiful, and good
e as beautiful. Strangely enough
then, he felt that he was all un
/ worthy of her; she seemed as mucl
beyond his reach as if she had beer
Il one of sOciety's wealthy, high borr
d daughters, and he were in realit,
a miserably paid packer in a fur
|. niture warehouse, in which guis,
r. he masqueraded. For, of course
p if you would study seriously tn
d customs of a horde such as POI
j. hams sheltered, it is by no mean
sufficient to rent a room and plan
le yourself in its midst. You mus
have some work, some occupation
IS to lull suspicion.
d There is at first about you an a
he mOsphere of distrust which wi
be an insurmountable barrier t
Investigations until you have bee
admitted inside the freemasonr
of the place. Cyprian Beck, VIII
ii was no fool, had therefore mad
IN it a point to obtain a 'job"-it
m pay didn't matter-before he mac
an effort to live among the "wor.
n. ers."
A. Claire tbnrafora Enau, him on