The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-03-24

she stretched out her hand to take IL
a call that was almost past due. and
gave him a slight, friendly pressure of
her little hand, he felt-well, he did
not know exactly how he did feel.
But he made the call, and he found
the young lady so bright and lively.
and the people so generally pleasant,
that he soon made another, and then
another. Then he gave a little theater
party and supper, and Mrs. Barth and
Miss Barth were among his guests, not
long after which he was invited to
dinner and found a callow youth
named Symes, who, by the way, was
rather attentive to Miss Mary, one of
the most disgusting specimens of hu.
mainly he had ever encountered.
AS his women friends had been very
few, 1t was quite natural that he
should think of Miss Barth more or
less. He had, to tell the truth, rather
analysed her. She was amiable.
though with a pretty spirit of her
own, Clever In many ways and well
read. He liked to talk with her. for
she was sympathetic and had the rare
n precious gift of a sense of humor.
Yes, he liked her better, perhaps, than
any girl he had ever met-but-and
that was a serious matter-she had
absolutely no appreciation of china
beyond mere prettiness, and she was
shockingly Indifferent to i~ntaglios and
worries and bronzes.
mo" he said to himself, lit would
Y do-never in the world"
But 1t showed that at least he had
considered it.
Nevertheless he continued his visits.
and his liking for her did not dimin.
ism. Once or twice he found the man
named Symes there, and on those oc.
casions he went away feeling vaguely
depressed. AT last he invited Mrs.
Barth and her daughter to inspect his
curios, and they came.
1t would be hard to say lust how
many times Hollister was chilled and
disappointed by the girls attitude to-
ward his treasures. On the other hand.
lt may be said, it would be hard to
say how often he experienced differ.
ent emotions altogether. But he had
kept back until the last the Venetian
vase. He banked on that.
Nov come over here" he said. "If
you don't like this" and he
showed it to her.
Genuine admiration sparkled in her
eye. "ohl" she gasped. THAT is love-
She stretched out her hand to take
1t, in much the attitude of the Eve.
and in that instant her foot slipped on
the rug that covered the polished floor.
There was a slight crash, a musical
jingle and the vase lay shattered in a
thousand fragments.
Fol the smallest possible space of
time HOLSTERS face changed. Then
In perfectly even tones he said. as she
lnvoluntarily stopped, "Take care! The
glass might cut you" Then he add
ed, meeting her dismayed look with
a reassuring smile, Its nothing. It
a pretty thing, but I've lots of
pretty things, though | really don't
believe you think so. Please don't feel
badly about 1t or shall be sorry in.
Two days later HOLSTER was in the
Barth parlor, and Mary came to him,
holding out her hands impulsfvely and
with actual tears in her eyes.
"oh, Mr.. Hollister!" she cried, "I
to tell you. That vase-I saw
Binney yesterday and he told me
he believed it was dearer to you
than anything you had. And I broke
it! And you were so kind and good
about it! can't begin to tell you
how i feel. -"
He took her hands in his and drew
her gently toward him. LET me tell
you something" he said in a voice
that shook slightly. 1T was a thing
! cared for-perhaps as Binney said.
But when it smashed give you my
word did not feel a pang. Do you
know why that WASP"