Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-12-26
Temper and
Green Tulle
by Sarah Mcconnell
Copyright. 1908, by Ruby Douglas

capricious. inconstant, vain; she was
self willed and full of wiles; she was
oh, she vac Alexandra Lee. He would
not think Of her.
A great deal that had happened that
night was blurred to him. But the
bang Of the carriage door as they
started home reverberated In his mind
like the crack Of doom. 1t had slipped
from his hand and swung to with a
crash. Alexandra's laugh Knocked him.
with any one else, George, I'd have
said the door slammed"
He remembered how she looked as
he turned, something strange In her
eyes that matched, In impression, the
misty mnltitudInons rufti!nss and bill
lowings Of her gown-that frivolous,
fiuttering, elusive green tulle he had
watched all evening as she danced
with every other man In the room
with Herbert Hartley, dawdling,
dangling derelict, signpost to every
path but that of rectltude-of all men
In the world, Herbert Hartley!
From her carriage corner Alexandra
sighed. "I've had such good time.
and now suppose there's the piper to
pay"
IF YOU mean there Is Hartley to set
tie for
Herbert? You've tone that hints
at thirdly and fourthly, brethren and
poor Herbert! He's so much more of
song than sermon"
That began 1t. He had never meant
to quarrel, only to deal with her in a
nrm, prompt fashion, as man should.
FIRM, prompt he had been. with GER
tain ability Of exposition that served
MIN well IN courts of law. but with
Alexandra
She bent down as he ended. Are
you there, Alexandra? p she asked of
the floor. Poor dear there Is nothing
left to pick up. Oh, I'm tired. tired!
I'm stiiied. can't breathe. There.
take 1t back" And she tossed the
ring across to him. Now one can
draw n free breath"
Alexandria" he begged.
But he had cut, and she meant he
should pay And hers was pretty
gift Of table turning.
He held his anger down. No more
doors should slam by chance about
him, and 1t was only as they neared
the house that he interrupted:
I'VE haven't gained anything this
way. Discuss me again. The point is
Herbert Hartley"
Then must put on my bonds
again? Where Is the ring?"
But he hadn't the ring.
"You had 1T last"
Il laid 1t In your lap"
But 1t was not In her lap nor the
seat nor the carriage. Alexandra
laughed. "Oh, thrifty George, are you
sure you've not taken 1t back for safe
keepingT
He stood long moment at her door.
"And Hartley 2" he said.
Insistence was match to her powder.
How can I answer unless we're en-
gaged' And people can't be engaged
without rings. can they, George? You
seem to think with mine on that
fall to remember. Bring 1t back to me
and-goOd night!'
After week OF wrath mingled with
pain he got himself under control and
wrote her, But the answer came back
the same absurd, maddening, almost
insulting reiteration-the ring, always
the ring. a perversity first or pre-
text did she use 1t now as weapon?
He hadn't the ring. she knew
Life was turmoil once Alexandra en-
tered, and he remembered with what
perverse astuteness she had said her
self: I'm like mustard plaster on
your mind You'd better take me off
before I raise a blister"
But she was In every wind that blew.
and without her nothing was worth
while that once had been.
SO for fortnight re had gone about
his accustomed ways, and. though
many 0utter of Inmiliar skirts had
set his heart a-jump, yet he never had
met Alexa since that night Then
case OF some Importance took him out
of town with such sharp demand upon
all his faculties that he had known n
sort of respite.
But back in the town his work was
all to do again. He went his way
do%n to his office; he bowed to peo-
pie who drove past with swift hope
that Alexa would not be with them.
And then unexpectedly with a group
near the llurds-there was Alexa!
Yes, 1t was Alexandra and Evelyn
IIurd, and with them Herbert Hartley.
The group stood until he had almost
reached them, when Hartley turned,
and Evelyn went back to the house,
while AleSa stopped by the Hurds'
carriage.
He knew she had seen him long be-
fore, butt was one Of her insincerities
ne most disliked-she acted out acute
surprise. He put sitter guard upon
himself.
A sitter guard! She called IL by
another name Che hntnd Lin, ,,,hn.,