Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-09-22
CHAPTER XVII.

81 have brought a friend of mine to
pay his respects to you, Mrs. Desmond,
said Mrs. Talbot that afternoon, as she
entered Kittens pretty drawing room in
Low ndes Square
Kitten herself had just come in from
her solitary drive. She stood in the cen
ter of the room pulling off her long
gloves; she looked just little bit sad
and weary, but her whole face bright
ened when, glancing past Gertrude, her
eyes lighted upon the young man wEo
entered the room in her wake.
"Roy!'' she cried joyfully, running for
ward with outstretched hands to meet
him.
"Kitten!'
ooh, how glad am to see you! Do
you know, that 1 thought you had for
gotten me, and that you were never
coming to see me!'
$50 you two are great friends al
ready" said Mrs Talbot, in a voice of
disappointment. and l thought that I
was going to introduce you to new
beauty, Sir Roy"'
Mrs. Desmond and I have known
each other since we were children" ex-
planned Roy, and then he thought no
more about her, but sat down on the
sofa by Kittens side. How glad she
seemed to see him again; she who used
to snub him and laugh at him, and turn
her back upon him in the old days; how
delightful it was to be welcomed like
this by her.
You are very much changed he
said, almost involuntarily.
Yes! | suppose | am. \ woman does
change. no doubt. after her marriage,
and | have been to so many places and
have seen so many new things and so
many people abroad. l think I was a
very ignorant little person, Roy, when
my dear old daddy was alive. You see.
| was always a child to him, and now Il
am 4 woman. l seem to have jumped
from one to the other to have had no
girlhoodp' and she half sighed.
He bent down and looked anxiously at
her. Kitten, are you happy?'
LAS happy as woman can be who
has married man she loves with her
whole heart" she answered proudly and
a little defantly.
When he came back an hour later to
her house to dine with her, as she had
asked him to do he found her standing
dressed in her ball dress under the light
of swinging lamp upon the landing out
side the drawing room door. AS he came
I'D the staircase she seemed to him a
surprisingly fair vision of youth and
beauty in her soft, clouded raiment of
white lace, with the glitter of diamonds
upon her neck and arms.
"Punctual TO a minute she cried gay
ly, as she preceded him into the drawing
room. ''Ah. how DO love people who
come punctually to dinner. How do you
like my dress, Roy?'
1T is perfect" he said gravely, look
ing not at her dress, but at her.
II dare say l shall not dance much.''
she went on in a sort of hurried manner
that puzzled him, ''only with you and
with Brian" Then, after little pause,
she added in rather strained voice:
by the way, after all, you will have
to put up with only me for dinner, Roy;
| have had q note from my husband, in
which he states he will be unable to get
back to dinner, being detained by bust
ness. l hope you will not find it dull
alone with me- Shall we go DOWN."
He offered his arm in grave silence
and they went downstairs to dinner.
How odd it seems to be sitting down
TO dinner alone with you like this!' she
cried. with a brave effort to seem gay
and happy. DO you remember our
luncheons by the river and the sand
witches ana cherry pies | used to coax
old Keziah into making, so that I might |
being them out to you in the corner of |