Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1904-04-06


"ller all When other girls lifted their
nanus ana removed their hatpins If
was an action scarce worthy of notice
Dut when Amy's arms went I'm with a
lahguld grace and her rather large hut
beautifully nodded hands. with their
long, tapering fingers. drew forth a
entering pin and removed her hat
barbara felt vaguely that she was wit.
Messing a rite-that she was seeing q
poem.
but AFTER few days of her comnan-
lonshlp the glamour was ALWAYS he
ulmmed. The eyes were Toasted to no
sure, but the mind and heart vara
starved. One wearied of her rosoIil,o
nu'tering color and the amiable but
unmeaning smile and even of the very
perfect rows of teeth that the smila
exposed.
am going to have a friend with me
Tor month";" Barbara had told Baird
Dunham in preparation; - Girl that 7
particularly want you to meet. Shes q
raving beauty and as sweet as she can
be-"
III she had spoken all of her Thoughts
perhaps she might have added $50
sweet that at the end of month Won
will want to kill her or do something
desperate and outrageous" But. with
a commendable self restraint. she ban
lshed this unruly idea to the dark
chamber of unspOken thoughts.
In the weeks that followed she eff
faced herself, pushing Amy into Dun
hams society in every possible way.
but doing it so gradually and skillfully
that he scarcely realized how little he
was seeing of his friend and comrade.
If she saw less of him, however. she
saw more of Jack Lester whose COM
partnership was a grateful balm, be-
cause he was not forever talking about
beauty, however much he may have
admired it.
At first Baird haunted the house like
spirit, while his plans for Miss Aver
ills entertainment fairly tumbled over
each other in their eagerness. These
plans, of course, always included Bar
bara, but with a mastery skill she
withdrew from them more and more
until almost before Baird realized what
had happened he noticed that he and
Miss Averill were usually alone. With
Miss Averills exquisite profile beside
him, however, he was not in a mood to
complain.
Then, about the middle of the fourth
week, his soaring spirit suddenly touch
ed earth. He was guilty of a brutal,
heretical thought. Right in the middle
of a long afternoon that they were to
spend together he was seized by great
WEAKNESS. For the life of him he
could think of nothing to say. He was
bored!
He stared at the beautiful Miss Az
GRILL with a sort of stupefed wonder
1t seemed incredible that the society Of
so exquisite n creature could be so I'M
commonly like muggy weather. 1t
seemed an age since he had had a good.
bracing talk with Barbara. Now that
he thought of it, Barbara must be see
ing a good deal of that Lester chap
Vaguely, as if he had happened upon
them in a dream, he recalled having
met them together several times lately.
Il don't believe you are thinking of
me at allv' pOuted Miss Averill. 1--WE
spoken to you twice. and you haven't
even heard me. 1t isn't nice of you"
"Eh-what?" exclaimed Durham, try
ing to call his rowing thoughts together
and insisting upon hearing the remark
he had inadvertently missed.
Il asked if you don't think the Wal
dOrf is lovely? 1 think it's just sweet"
Yes" assented he recklessly. THAT
expresses it sweetly. It's just sweet"
And he cast about in his mind for
some excuse by which the hours that
stretched before them might be short
ened. He felt precisely as he had once
in his childhood, when he had surrep-
titiOusly bought and eaten six char
lOtte russes.
Miss Averill confided to Barbara that
night that she didn't like Mr.. Durham
so we'll as she thought she did.
Hes so dull! Don't you think so?"
she demanded.
There have been times when he
seemed So" Barbara confessed airily.
Then she wondered if BaiTd's ears
were afame. Three days later the
radiant Miss Averilrs visit came to an
end. Soon afterward Durham dropped
in to see Barbara, quite in his old man.
ner.
"Ah, this is goOdr' he said glOating-
" as he sank into the depths of his
favOrite chair There's so much talk
to make up" he went on in genial en-
joyment, that 1 scarcely know where
to begin"
Barbara turned her head to one side
and surveyed him with half closed
eyes.
eve might begin with feminine beau
ty," she suggested helpfully. There's
so much to be said about it"
A pause followed in which several
new ideas entered Dunham's mind.
Then he demanded, not without a con-
scfous sense of guilt: