Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-05-04

pipes, swords, riding crops, etc, dis
played themselves with masculine vari-
ETY. and confusion, did not seem con
ductive TO the study of the modern
mystic. Horse and dog pictures look
ed down on him, and pictures that were
neither of these noble animals testified
somewhat frivolously TO the existence
of the eternal feminine. Rows of smart
ly bound volumes filed the low book
cases decOrously, bearing witness to
their owners aspirations, while his
actual achievement was evidenced by
the litter of magazines and several dog
cared Kipliug books upon his library
table. Obviously it was not a Maeter-
linck room.
Good Lord he groaned at last.
Good Lordl And to think that she
can read such slush as this when there
are horses TO ride, good golf to play
and men to talk to- For one passing
moment a doubt of Virginias common
sense assailed him, but only for u mo
ment. Not even Maeterlinck could
make him disloyal to her.
Besides, it must mean something
all this endless dialogue in which fear
whtened men and women echoed each
others words to the accompaniment
of shrieking winds and ghostly means
in a greenish gray light that never ex-
listed outside melodrama. Surely no
man would write all this stuff without
meaning something But that was
just it-what?
You may search mer' growled NU-
gent, throwing aside the second vol
ume with a disgusted air and refilling
his pipe. IF I've got to stand above
ninety in Maeterlinck before | can win
Nirginia-well, | might just as well
give up right nowr'
Then Virginia's face. her eyes alight
with interest, rose before him. That,
he remembered perfectly, was the way
she looked as she listened to Merton's
conversation, and for the first time he
felt sharp pang Of jealousy of the
man
The certainty that Merton under
stood and even found interesting what
he could not read, much less compre-
hend, goaded him. In a meeker spirit
than was usually his he tried tenta-
lively to get some points on the mad
dening Maeterlinck from Virginia.
ITS symbolical, you know" she ex-
planned a trife vaguely, regarding
him with a lazy question in her eyes.
Ii was so unlike Peter Nugent to be
yearning for book talk that she was
curious. Everything stands for some
thing" She added, as If that made the
matter entirely clear.
"But tell me-" retorted Peter, what
IS the use Of having everything stand
for something? Why doesn't the man
say what he means and be done with
itT'
Miss Dinsmorc had no answer for
this pertinent question, and, seeing his
advantage, her stalwart admirer con-
tinued:
what would you think Of me if !
employed symbols instead Of plain, e
eryday English"
His listener laughed outright at this
simple way of disposing Of a great
modern writer and his cult
I'm afraid / should think you were
off your head, Mr. Nugent" she re-
piled with the frankness Of long ac-
quaintance
That's just what l think of Maeter-
hnck,' replied her companion dryly,
feeling that the writer must either be
conquered or crushed and leaning to-
ward the last named alternative.
Still, he could not give up. 1t seem
ed to him preposterous that fellow
like Merton should understand things
which he, Nugent, could not, especial
ly when Merton's diabolical keenness
gave him the advantage of Virginia's
open interest and appreciation. 1t was
not a thing to be borne quietly.
Perhaps we understand it more
clearly than you do" she acknOwiedg
ed And that we" that put her and
Merton together on one side Of the
question as opposed to him on the 9th
er shook Nugent strangely.
Something of the dismay that he felt
showed in his face, and, seeing il Miss
Dinsmore attempted once more to ex-
plain the methods of the new school of
writer's And her efforts were reward
ed, for at last a light seemed to break
upon him.