Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-05


Il never made you guess any one"
l said, Indignantly, removing my
hand from my upper lip with jerk.
/ merely informed you that | fell in
love yesterday. suppose there's no
objection to that? And when you sug-
gested that it happened at Lady Fol-
let's. | agreed
Well said Elva, in judicial
tone, you didn't stay more than
three-quarters of an hour Directly
you arrived you took me to see the
aviary, and the rest of the time YOU
spent in The rosary with Molie Rich.
ards
If Id known you were watching
my movements so carefully" / be.
gan.
Elva blushed furiously
When people make themselves
conspicuous. she said, frostily, their
doings are bound to form the subject
of comment Mollie Richards always
persists in wearing maize with her
| particular shade of red-auburn hair,
and---I could see her from all over the
garden"
almost without looking9" l sug
gested, carelessly.
] Elva passed over this remark with
contempt, but ] couldn't help MOTTO
ing that the flush deepened.
We'll, as it's not Mollie." she OBJ
served, with dignity, and as you've
called on purpose. perhaps You'll he
obliging enough to tell me who it is,
so that | may congratulate or condone
with you as the case may be-
You'll condone, said |, with con
victon.
| why, please
Because she-ths girl, who isn't
Mollie Richards, you know, doesn't
care straw for me-in that way, and
and the whole thing is hopeless
/ Elva softened instantly.
How can YOU tell if you've never
asked herr" she demanded. She
may be simply pining away for your
sake if You only knew"-her gaze
wandered through the window and
settled on bed OF brilliant begonias
in the front garden-"girls don't al
ways wear their hearts on their
sleeves, even in these matteroffacl
days, Monty
l raised my eyes. They had been
busily engaged in tracing the pat
tern of the carpet.
do you think it's likely" | asked
:. that any girl would really fall in love
with man twice her age, if
"Oh, she's young" interrupted lei
va. hastily. DO you know, I'm rath
er glad of that
Il held up deprecating hand.
please let me finish,' implored
p Twice her age, when she's tyran
: nized over him, leased him and look
ed upon him as an old fogey for tin
greater part of her natural life?'
Elva eyed me sharply, The colo
a came and went in her cheeks in wa,
: that | had never seen il come and g
: before. ] put my eyeglass in order L
: better admire the effect.
/ You said you'd only seen her ono
or twice." she resumed. severely; br
the culver in her voice robbed TIL
J. severity of any sting
j. ! waved my hand.
l. Lovers license." said airily.
couldn't divulge everything at once.
: IF you've known her so long, HOY
comes it that you well-discoy
cred the state of your feelings yestel
day. .,,,,,
l men," quoted. Likewise. there i
a psychological moment when ma
y suddenly realizes fact that ma
have been staring him in the fac
for years.
And that psychological moment OF
Cured at Lady Follet's?'
occurred at Lady Follets,"
echoed. And then there was Ion
l. silence.
IS i let my eyes wander slowly rom
81 the room. They fingered vaguely o
v the ridiculous blue cats with whic
o Elva adorns her mantelshelf. an
skinned the photographs of her hi
II merous adniires-some of them thrus
" carelessly into the overmantel, an
some. the more fortunate, smirking a
ME from elaborate frames.
d think Elvas eyes must have bee
wandering, too, for they came to Il,
Y, Choir at the same moment as min
and then. without any rhyme or re
lie son, they filled quite suddenly wit
lie tears
II Now, ] can never see woman CT
&c without feeling that something
~ something drastic must be done ;
II once
IL | started up, and then TIE rest seen
l ed to follow as ii natural and cas-
IL consequence.
II In less time than it takes to chrol
icle. Elva was crying quietly on III
IL shoulder and the blue cats were girl
% ming diabolically from their sever;
coigns of vantage.
II And when asked, after we ha
S. become more or less normal. and II
turned to earth once again, 'whe
II was your psychological momen
= Elva?"
Sc Elva fingered gardena in my bu
tonhole-took it out-smelt ii, and r.
d, turned it carefully.
When YOU pretended meal
e when | thought you weren't preten,
ing. and that it was Mollie Richard
e. you know" she said, incoherently.
s. And the blue cats grinned NOR
70 than ever, as much as to say, wv
know sonnet hjno a hnnt Inn