The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-20


 each and yet to all! With what an air she sat, queenlike, receiving tribute-she. November's debutante! In spite of him self Dournay smiled. It was but yester- day that she had dropped him her first convulsive bow from amid gigglinB group, as he stoood buying chocolates for her older sister, now the mother of two children. It was but the day before that he had encountered her, pigtaiied and pert. passing schoolward in tow of the French maid. And already she was as- suming airs aid calling men five years older than herself nice boys" How old was she. indeed? Eighteen. twshty7 Some absurb age! ..e But the promenades were emptytng. stairways were choked with slug gish refiux and the unsightly gaps in the auditorium had begun to i'll; through the low door at the end of the orchestra trickled line of figures; there awoke faint fugitive notes. ana behind the raised lid back of the foot lights the prompter was turning his pages. There was yet time to reach the central boxes before the house lights sank. but Dournay was in no mood to appear on the very heels of a departing parcel of raw boys. With a savage sense of retaliation he des- cended to a convenient box and allow ed the dull Miss Bouvinard to bore him into the oblivion of a bald second act.
 So 1t was not till the next intermission that he strolled through a certain door way with a nonchalant air and list less phrase of greeting. The stout, gray haired gentleman rose blinking under the newly risen lights and met him heartily. The girl nodded, smiling over her shoulder and extended hand without disturbing her semi-negligent pose. It was an exasperating trick of hers. '.r
 "oh, a very fine finale" assented the host, swallowing a yawn. But I find l this modern music rather-ah-unlike the old. I'm no critic you know, but Sit here. Dournay, I'm going to walk"
 As Dournay sank back, stealing a swift glance from the averted profile dow nthe limp length of arm. he chok cd with many words which must be said brutally and at once; yet moment after moment he lounged in vacuous reverie, waiting for her to speak. In part he felt himself to be under a bat tery of glasses; moreover, her obsti- nate encouragement of puppy lovers had induced an ice which 1t was her place to break. She broke 1t in her usual tantalizing
 
 something inanimate and impersonal.
 The last nightr she monotoned, leaning her face against her clasped hands. 'In another hour all this beautiful excitement of clothes and lights and music will be shut up and put away like a fairy tale book. Why" and she eyed him piteously. "Oh, why can't such a night last fovever?" "There'll be a hundred others like it | L brilliant, quite as breathless, and so forth"
 An. do you really feel that way?" she implored. meeting his mature staid- ness with compassion. And I gave you such chance to say something nice | just the sort of speech one makes at calls. And you know they say that calling is all you come here for; SO | please be polite"
 Dournay knew well enough. Upon that head there lay between them an unbreathed war of words Ever since the seasons opening night, when he had startled to identify her with the awkward girl of three years before, their friendship had survived with the | tenacity of an unpulled weed; ever since he had first condescended, half amused by her naive coquetries, he had perceived the necessity for keeping this 1 thing-he would not say affair-within proper limits. Week after week they | had met at receptions and cotillons, at the theater the Garden, the opera Dournay had been seen constantly at the opera that season-but in her own home, never. Thus he had played the idler to the last bitter moment, and now what was left? To fret behind seif-erected barriers. cursing her cool, | unanswerable attitude of accepting his purely public attention as a public as- set to vanity!
 T would rather be truthful with you 1 than polite" he rejoined bluntly. l However, since you remind me, this | Is formal call, farewell one. leave for Washington tomorrow and will probably return to the East next month"
 ''Oh!' she exclaimed, and sat upright with involuntary reproach. busily con tracing and expanding her opera glasses. You really oughtnt go back. I-I think it's bad for you. Over there you have everything your own way; nobody dares quarrel with you, and with no one to be impolite to you'd get terribly unhappy. Do stay and be impol'te!"
 | He was lying in wait for it, the touch, the mere shade of infection which in this blend of appeal and mockery would have turned the scale. But 1t did not come. and as If in answer to his proh- ing gaze she lifted her head and laughed down upon him from beneath dropped lids.
 "so be it." he smiled. struggling with import. I've half a mind to stay and be contrarily polite"
 "Oh!" she cried, dismally, Anything hut that! Your market value would de- lpreciate, as father says of his stocks; you'd be like everybody else, whereas now. Cant you imagine how excit ing it is to sit here with the sulkiest
 most indifferent man in the audience
 while the opera glasses whisper togethe
 and stare across as if they wanted tt