The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-04-19

modern writer and his cult.
I'm afraid I should think you were
off your head, Mr.. Nugent," she re-
piled with the frankness Of long &C.
Q%raintance.
That's just what l think Of Maeter-
anck.'' replied her companion dryly,
feeling that the writer must either be
| conquered or crushed and leaning to-
ward the last named alternative.
Still, lie could not give up. 1t SEEM
| ed to him preposterous that q fellow
like Merton should understand things
which he, Nugent, could not, especial
gave him the advantage Of Virginia's
! open interest and appreciation. 1t was
not Il thing to be borne quietly.
Perhaps we understand it more
! clearly than you do" she acknowledge
ed. And that 1--WE" that put her and
Merton together OH III side Of the
question rs opposed to him on the 9th.
er shook Nugent strangely.
Something Of the dismay that lie felt
showed in his face. and. seeing it, Miss
DinsmOre attempted once more to ex.
plain the methods of the new school Of
writer's. And her efforts were reward.
ed, for ut last Il light seemed to break
upon him.
Il see" he calculated slowly. Il see
ct last! The gentlemen write in cipher,
just us We send secret messages in
business. and it doesn't mean Il thing
unless YOU understand the cipher. Dog
pigment chair doesn't sound very in
telligible to you. does it,"
He waited Il moment; then as Miss
Dinsmore shock her head he went N:
"And yet l sent that very message to
a firm yesterday III Il matter Involving
the investment of thousands Of dollars.
And they understood. just as you AMI
Merton understand your MaeterlincS
ccde" he concluded airily. while Miss
Dinsmorc studied him with Il new in
terest. After all, she reflected. these
practical minds were keen enough once
they ct the point of view.
Meanwhile Peter Nugcnt went his
way with 4 curious cxhilaration. At
last. he felt, he was catching up with
Merton. Since he had the important
question to ask. why not heap Goals of
fire on Virginia's head by asking it
symbolically? But how?
1t was the Saturday before Easter.
All the afternoon the bell Of the Dins.
mere maneion had been ringing with
MonotonouS regularity, which kept the
Buttons at the door at work like an
a%utoMaton.
Gee whiZ!" he s%olilouuized as he
took in an azalea almost as large as
himself. Miss Virginia must be dc
whole ting, judgin' by desc Easter
%yreetin's."
The very last Offering to arrive came
about . o'clock in the evening, whel
the Buttons, wearied out, was doing
at his post and dreaming that he sem
Sadie Ilaherty Il bunch of American
Beauties with stems as long as tele
graph poles. 1t was therefore with q
somewhat bored and chastened air thai
he carried the package that vas hand
ed in up to Miss Virginia's room. where
in IL low chair she sat reading "Monns
Wanna"
"Open it, Thomas she commanded
languidly, laying her book face down
ward in her lap and watching him idly
as he removed the enwrapping tissue
paper. But at sight Of the object BIZ
lifted out Of the box II moment later
all her languor disappeared, and she ut
tered I'LL exclamation OF amazement.
1t was Il huge nest, upon which 9
bantam hen-soft, white and with ma
tronly, alert yellow eyes-sat with non
chalant grace. Tucked under the edge
Of IL wing was an envelope.
Buttons did his best, but it was poor
With Il guffaw as involuntary as II
was hearty he deposited the nest and
its occupant upon a table and, holding
bis hand over his mouth. fed from thu
room. Miss Dinsmore approached hel
latest possession and removed the note
saying, WHO under the sum
Having read it. she sank into a chair
tears Of merriment streaming from hel
eyes. for this was what she read:
Dear Virg!nia-I call you that because
I know instinctively that symbolists have
no use for formality. The Easter gif
that l am sending may ut the first fast
seem bizarre. but when l explain that Il
is a symbolic Offering you will under
stand. 1t is as symbolic as anything
Maeterlincls ever dared to do, and l inter
pref it to you because in this p%articula,
case l fancy that l can do better thar
Merton himself.
The nest-what is 1t but the home thai
I would offer you? The egg therein
please notice hat it's been made beastly
ugly-stands for me, md as with me. yor
will have to get beneath the shell to find
its real significance. The hen that is sit.
ting upon tho egg in the nest-I como
now to my ~liveliest bit of symbolism, 6
touch that l pride myself upon-typifies
my frightened expectation of being "sat
upon" when this simple effort Of my
imagination reaches you! BE merciful
then, to p. N.
Weak with laughter, the recipient of
this extraordinary missive approached
the table once more and gingerly re
moved the hen, half expecting an an
CRY, clucking protest. There in the
nest SilIa pnollvh was an egg hearing