The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-29

against the hurting of missiles" fin
ished the widower.
The piano executing the funeral
march ceased to execute, discounted
by the persistent and overpowering
violin; the banjo and the coster-songs
were given over; even the collegians'
music was defeated; and the neighbour
hood was forced to listen to the daunt-
less fiddle, but not without protest, for
there came an indignant, spoken cho-
rus from the quarter whence the col
lege songs had issued: "Ya-a-ay!
Wetherford, put it away! She'll come
back The violin played on.
I'VE all know each other here, you
see. Mr.. HAIRLESS Miss Hinsdale
smiled, benignantly
"They didn't bother Mr.. Wetherford
Swift" said the widower mot that
time Do you hear him ?-'Could we
come back to me, Douglas?
"Oh, but it isn't absence that is
killing him and his friends" cried one
of the young women. 1T is Brainard
Macauley."
THAT is a mistake" said Tom Mere
dith, as easily as he could. There
goes Jim's double-quartette. Listen,
and you will hear them try to"
But the lady who had mentioned
Brainard Macauley cried Indignantly:
moment it threatens to be interesting.
They were together everywhere until
the day she went away; they danced
and sat out together through the whole
of one country-club party; they drove
every afternoon; they took long walks,
and he was at the Sherwoods' every
evening of her last week in town. That
is a mistake!'"
I'm afraid it looks rather bleak
for Wetherford," said the widower. IT
went up to the Journal Office on bust
ness, one day, and there sat Miss Sher-
wood in Macauley's inner temple, chat
ting with reporter, while Brainard
finished some work"
Helen is eccentric" said the former
speaker, but she's not quite that &C.
centric, unless they were engaged. 1t
is well understood that they will an
nounce it in the fall"
Miss Hinsdale kindly explained to
HAIRLESS sat Brainard Macauley was
the editor of the "Rouen Morning
Journar-"a very distinguished young
man, not over 2S, and perfectly Won
derful.' Already power to be ac-
counted with in national politics, he
was really tremendous success"
and sure to go far; lone of those deli
cate-looking men, who are yet so
strong you know they won't let the
lightning hurt you" 1t really looked
as if Helen Sherwood (whom Hank
less really ought to meet had actual
ly been caught in the tolls at last
those tolls wherein so many luckless
| youths had lain enmeshed for her sake
| He must meet Mr.. Macauley, too, the
| most interesting man in Rouen. After
| her little portrait of him, didn't Mr..
! HAIRLESS agree that it looked really
| pretty dull for Miss Sherwood's other
| lovers?
Mr.. Harkless smiled, and agreed that
| it did indeed. She felt a thrill of
| compassion for him, and her subse-
| quent description of the pathos of his
smile was luminous. She said it was
! natural that a man who had been
| through so much suffering from those
| horrible "White-Cappers" should have
a smile that struck into your heart
| like a knife.
| Despite all that Meredith could do,
| and after his notorious effort to shift
| the subject he could do very little, the
! light prattle ran on about Helen Sher-
wood and Brainard Macauley. Tom
abused himself for his wild notion of
| cheering his visitor with these people
| who had no talk, and who, if they
| dr1fted out of commonplace froth, had
| no medium to float them unless they
sailed the currents of local personality
| and he mentally upbraided them for a
| set of gossiping ninnies. They con-
| Quoted a conversation Gf it could be
| dignif1ed by a name) of which 10
| stranger could possibly partake, and
which, by a hideous coincidence, was
| making his friend writhe, fgurative-
| ly speaking, for HAIRLESS sat like a
| fixed shadow. He uttered scarcely a
word the whole evening, though Mere
dith knew that his guests would talk
about him enthusiastically, the next
DAY, none the less. The journalists
| silence was enforced by the topics: but
what expression and manner the light
| allowed them to see was friendly and
| receptive, as though he listened to bril-
| liant suggestions. He had nice cour-
| tesy, and Miss Hinsdale felt continu-
| ally that she was cleverer than usual
| this evening, and no one took his ST.
lence to be churlish, though they all
innoeently wondered why he did got
talk more; however, it was proba BILE
| that a man who had been so Interest,"
ingly and terribly shot would be rather
| silent for time afterward.
| That night, when Harkless had gone
| to bed, Meredith sat late by his own
window calling himself names. He be-
came aware of rhomboidal patch of
yellow light on wall of foliage With
out, and saw that it came from his
| friends window. After dubious con-
sideration, he knocked softly on the
| door.
Come"
He went I'm. Harkess was in bed
| and laughed family as Meredith en-
tered. Tim fearing you'll have 10
let me settle your gas bill. Tom. I'm
not Ike / used 70 be. quite. / find
since-since that businesss can't s,eep
without light. ! rather get the
the horrors In the dark"
Incoherently, Meredith made 2 COM
passionate exclamation and turned 10
go, and, as he left the room. his eve
tell upon the mantel-piece The posi-
ton Of the photographs had been al
tered, ana the picture OF the girl who
looked straight out az you was gone
The mere rim Of Il was visible behind
the image Of an old gentleman with a
sard0nic mouth.
Al hour later, Tom came back. ana
spoke through the closed door. "H0y
aon.t you think you con get 20 sleep
Yes. Tom. rs az nght. You T.t
- bed. hothinR troubles me-"
Meteqith spent ihe neEi day in Ersat