The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-05-20

she stood before her pier-glass, put
ting the finishing touches to her ev-
ening toilet, 'if | had had the faintest
idea that Phil Marston could have act
ed like that, Ishould have never wasted
athe time on him | have. But then,
she continued, stepping away from the
glass to get fuller view of herself, 4
loved Phil-at least, | thought | did.
Natalie was going to swell re-
ception" given by the Apollo club In
honor Of it's new members After the
last remark her bosom heaved a sign,
which set a fluttering of butterfly
bows, perched airily upon her saucy
puffs and curls, threatening at the least
provocation to take wings and fly
away
Natalie was charming. No observer
would have had the audacity to doupI
that, as, with the soft clinglng 1olds
of her evening gown outlining her
graceful figure, she viewed herself be-
fore the mirror But if any one nad
ventured to call her beautiful, she
would have resented it; for, she mad
a grievenee sadly at variance Win her
idea of feminine beauty; namely
nose strongly inclined to tilt. How
ever, she possessed other charms, not
unknown to herself, which lay IN tne
glossy waves of her auburn halr, the
lustre of her nut-brown eyes, and the
baby-tint of her peach-blossom COM
plexion. Besides these, she was an
acknowledged belle in society, ana
capital entertainer as we'll, and when
taking all these things into consldera-
ton, it was not surprising that lhe
Apollo club, the fashionable CLUB OF
the city, should select her from pe'y
of young ladies to head the long lihe
of it's reception committee.
While Natalie was adjusting her but
terfy bow to little securer postum
she said
Il know he'll be there tonight IL
he is, what then? almost WISH l
hadn't accepted such prominent posi-
ton. But then, those boys just Woulo
MT take no for an answer. And /
well, / just didn't have the heart 10
refuse them, especially after L nave
been away so long" And then, giving
the defenseless bow another nervous
twitch, she added, 81 guess don
have to talk to him if don't wan
to!
TITS just a year ago tonight" she
continued, that Alfred Thornhlll, Win
other new members, was introduced
to the Apollo club society. Why Phii
should have gotten so furiously Jeal-
GUS I can't imagine The fact OF the
business is | had never thought Oh
Phil in that light before. IL any one
had told me he was that KIND Oh
man. I think should have told MIN
he lied.
"But why should he have forced
me into such a position II ne dlun |
EXPECT me to be courteous! Aired
Tbornhill would command courtesy
under all circumstances. = But PM
seemed to object to him particularly
because he was made a member Wnlie
he was gone. AS if that MADE any
difference. Suppose he don't i've IN
the East End and belong to our set.
Does that make him any less a man
7 think it horrid to admit him TO the
club and then snub him socially. Ana
Natalie's tilted nose rose a degree or
so in indignation.
Thus Natalie rambled on, and in
wardly fretted, while she paced the
floor, waiting for the carriage TO come
to take her to the reception.
On the night referred to, Natalie
had defended her position on the sub
iect of class prejudice which certain
would-be reformers had managed 10
stir up in the community.
AT that annual function of the Apol-
10 club, many sympathized with Phll
Marston in his pronounced opinion on
the subject, and Natalie was not $40"
in recognizing his influence thus
brought to bear upon the attentions
due to Alfred Thornhill. This aroused
her womanly instinct in his defense
and she manifested it by taking the
initiative and bestowing upon him all
the attention her position would allow
In fact. she overdid the matter, and
went so far as to provoke criticism
when one of the chaperones of the ev'
ening. in all kindness, undertook tc
admonish her, when Natalie flew up
and said
.I won't be dictated to by anybody
7 am responsible for my own acts, II
as YOU say, our set won't tolerate it
whv. SO be it. / don't care. Under
the circumstances I'm only doing wha
believe to be right. II the club didn'
wont me to treat everybody alike why