Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-09-13
By FANNIE HEASLIP LEA

Here is my address," she said
scribbling something thereon, "and /
Will give you a check on delivery of
the davenport. Eighty dollars l think
you saidY'
Van Holden's sense of humor, as
sisted by the pleasing picture Of pale
hair and gray eyes in a cool pale face
against n background of cobwebbed
walls, began to rise.
Il was to have had 1t for fifty" he
suggested plalntively.
Il will give you eighty for it" she
said TO the shopkeeper. And her face
was noticeably less pale.
1T ees vair good davenport" said
the shopkeeper, twisting his fierce
mustache. Il pay hun'erd dollar TO- it,
but take eighty. Vas take eighty"
"Oh, you do?" said Van Holden sar-
castically What about the fifty I'm
giving you? l suppose you take that
too2 Now, see here. my man." He
smoothed out the check between his
fingers.
eff you have paid for IT," said the
lady lefty, II shall Of course not take
IT, | had not understood
pray do not consider me in the
matter" said Van Holden, with equal
promptncss. Il shall not take 1t now"
He thrust the check into his vest pock
ct as the shopkeepers dirty fingers
closed clawlike over the lady's card.
"Upholster in green repf Varnishf
hV,N Nolr
keep my word"
NO" said the lady; Il shall not take
It. My card" She slipped 1t back In.
TO the case. II do not care for tho
davenport" She walked TO the door,
holding her skirts away from con-
taminatlon, and turned into tho hot
narrow street, n slender figure in O
gray gown and a gray hat with pale
roses on the wide brim.
Van Holden lit cigarette In the in
terval of regarding the shopkeeper with
piercing interest. "Overreached
yourself that time, Mr.. Montague" he
remarked pleasantly.
Dose Yankees" said Mr.. Montague
moroscly.
Il dare say" said Van Holden. He
walked to the front Of the shop, thA
creole at his heels, and u humorous
smile twitched the corners OF his mouth.
THAT was dirty trick Of yours. And,
by the way, you needn't send up that
chair / looked at. don't care to deal
with you in future"
Mr. Montague shrugged his shoulders
and lifted up his eyes. Van Holden
turned on his heel and walked leisurely
down the street, his annoyance lost in
a sense Of amusement
"Dose Yankees" he echoed 10 him
self Then his meditation took the
form Of manifest approval. "She would
have been n picture on that davenport
after II was done in green, with her
cOloring-lack Of cOloring rather. Hell
10. Borden! Anything doingf Come
over and have lunch at the Cosmopoli-
tan"
That's where I'm going now" said
Borden. You are just the man | want.
I'm taking the girls TO lunch to-
day. Molly has a girl visiting her, you
know You'll just round out the party
and make us happy foursome. Oh,
come on. And see here, Van-what
about that deal you made In cotton
yesterdayT
They sauntered down the street deep
In discussion, until Borden stopped
suddenly. "Jove, I've got to go over
to some blamed store and meet those
girls. You 70 on and engage q table;
that's Il good fellow. Order the lunch,
If you want to; you do 1t better than
l do anyhow. | shan't be long"
He darted off, like n distracted
water bug IN linen clothes and pana-
ma, and Van Holden set forth upon
his quest Of a table He found one in
cool corner OF the dining room and
consumed some time in the ordering Of
a luncheon that should combine deli
cacy and good deal of ice
When the waiter had left him, he
fell to drumming on the table and
thinking Of the davenport girl, as he
called her TO himself Co.'S" he
mused. and self possessed and, Lord.
what a face-prettler, perhaps, for a
touch Of color"
Vaguely he remembered something
about "thc beauty of n blush to him
who has caused it, and smiled to
think that he had made her Blush for
anger
"Heigh-ho," he sighed, entirely with
out reason, and on the moment Ber-
l'n's voice was in his ears. Wake
up boy, Look as If you were seeing
fhosjs, doesn't he, Molly? Miss Nc
CoIlough, Mr.. Van Holden. Did Won
order lunch. old chapT"
81 did said Van Holden steadily.
1T ought TO he here in moment.
Mrs. Hcrdnn sit here; then the light
won't H. IN your eyes"
lie changed seats with her deftly
end faced across the white tablecloth,
accusing gray eyes under n wide
brimmed gray hat with pale roses.
70 was hint Of color IN the face.
So, '',., ,nru the irrcpresslDk
Borden. you ought to hear Miss Mr.
EolIou@h's story of the way she was
done by an antique dealer today
promised to hold n desk or something
for her
Don't tell on me- pleaded Miss Nc
Collough ncryously, please, Mr.. Ber-
den"
"Gh, the jokes not on you" said
Borden consoIingly. And when she
went there she found chap engaged
in buying her picce-a very decent
looking chap, she says"
DO make him hush, Molly" Miss
McColloughs glass of water answered
a despairing ana surrcptitious push by
flowing across the tablecloth on to