The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-12
AN INTERLUDE.
yawned on the garden seat, and
Audrey sighed in the hammock.
What a life" she said


I yawned on the garden seat, and
Audrey sighed in the hammock.
What a life she said.
We'll, there are compensations." 1
felt bound to admit The weather is
perfect. / believe If 1 looked round 1
should see one of the finest views in
the Home counties, and l must say they
do one uncommonly we'll"
20! l did not mean here and now-I
meant generally"
Really" 1 protested. When young
lady-beautiful, accomplished"
FINISHED. ended, you mean" she said,
with little laugh NO, my dear Al
bert" Fdear Albert. is sign of init
macy, not affection) you are saying
these pretty things to please yourself. L
will confess to you that I am not beauti-
ful-it is only way l have Of making
my hair attract attention from my face.
ANY youth I have is the result of exper-
fence. and I'm not at all sure that I'm
a lady
Aren't you taking rather an extreme
view of it?' 1 said. What is the mat
ter? Is the latest baby language too
complicated for you, or can't you take
Now, if l were to say these things about
you, thousand swords would leap
from their scabbards. and"
20. no, they wouldn't" said Audrey,
philosophically. "All the swords and all
the scabbards have been carefully lock-
ed away by nice girls, who regard me
as a danger triumphantly hraved and
passed by their lords and masters Be
sides you are only reminding me that
there have been a good many
mo. no. Nothing of the kind, L pro-
tested.
But there have been a good many. I
suppose they have seen through me
not that they wanted to. poor dears.
Men never want to see through US.
They only want us to throw their re
Elections Somehow or other, though,
they have seen that I am not nice /
suppose. 1 just taught them the arr
amandi, and they went forth conquer
ing, and to be conquered.
/ coughed uncomfortable IntrosDec-
ton turned inside out is very painful.
Shall 1 tell you a story?" she asked.
''Oh, no. please don't" 1 said
II think l WILL she answered Give
me a cigarette"
1 gave her one. which she lit, and then
she began abruptly:
did you know that a man called
Bentley Pine had been here2"
No" 1 answered. The name,
though, suggests to me one of the big
steam yachts and a line of ships that
go somewhere or other from Glasgow"
Yes, 1t suggested that to me. Have
you any notion of the kind of ideas
that get into a woman's head. when
she is poor, is perilously near thirty.
and sces her little parlor tricks don't
did, and"
NO I haven't the slightest" I said
hastily
20, yes, you have" she replied
''Well he came-it was to help in that
concert. Captain Mitchell sent him, be-
cause he couldn't get leave. He was
shy and rather badly dressed and he
did not understand us in the least
Nobody took much notice of him, and
so ] had him all to myself. My worst
enemies cannot say that 1 miss my OPP
portunities."
They don't" / said
1T was rather hard work at first He
simply reveled in being in the country
like the people at a Sunday school treat
He wanted to walk and breathe it all
in. You know how 1 adore muddy lanes
and damp woods"
Il know that as a rule, the handi-
work of man is good enough for you"
I said.
well, I dragged out an old walking
skirt, and braved them. Do you know
that the grass ride through the pine