Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-09-28

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cause OF his manner, which. as
nave probably said before, is superior
to that of any human being I've eve
seen-man or woman.
You are to take Anita in" sale
Mrs. Ellersly. With laughable sens,
that | was doing myself proud.
crossed the room easily and took M,
stand in front of her. She shook hand,
with me politely enough. Langdon wa:
sitting beside her; had INTERRUPTED
their conversation.
Hello, Blackjack" said Langdon
with Quizzical, satirical smile witt
the eyes only. 1T seems strange tC
see you at such peaceful pursuits.
His glance travelled over me critically
and that was the beginning Of my
trouble. Presently he rose. left me
alone with her.
You know Mr. Langdon?" she said
obviously because she felt she must
say something.
oh, yes" replied. I'VE are old
friends. What a tremendous swell he
is-really a SWELL" This with enthu
siasm.
She made no comment | debated
with myself whether to 90 on talking
OF Langdon. decided against II be
cause all | knew Of him had to do with
matters down town-and Monson had
impressed it upon me that down town
was taboo in the drawingroom.
rummaged my brain in vain for an.
other and suitable topic.
She sat, and | stood-she TRANQUIL
and beautiful and cold, every instant
more miserably self-conscious. When
the start for the dining.room was
made offered her my left arm,
though | had carefully planned be.
forehand just what ] would do. She
without hesitation and, as know now,
out of sympathy for me in nv suffer.
ing-was taking my wrong arm, when
It flashed on me like binding blow
in the face that I ought to be on the
other side of her. l got red, tripped
in the far-sprawling train of Mrs.
Langdon, tore it slightly, tried to get
to the other side of Miss Ellersly by
walking in front of her, recovered
myself somehow, stumbled round be-
hind her, walked on her train and
finally arrived at her left side. con.
scious in every red-hot atom of me
that | was making a spectacle of
myself and that the whole company
was enjoying it. I must have seemed
to them an ignorant boor; in fact, I
had been about a great deal among
people who knew how to behave. and
had | never given the matter of how
to conduct myself on that particular
occasion an instant's thought. should
have got on without the least trouble.
1t was with sigh of profound re.
lief that | sank upon the chair be-
tween Miss Ellersly and Mrs. Lang.
don, safe from danger of making
breaks" so | hoped, for the rest of
the evening. But within a very few
minutes | realized that my little mis-.
adventure had unnerved me. NV
hands were trembling so that | could
scarcely lift the soup spoon to my
lips, and my throat had got so far
beyond control that l had difficulty in
swallowing Miss Ellersly and Mrs
Langdon were each busy with the man
on the other side Of her; | was left TO
my own reflections, and was not sure
whether this made me more or less
uncomfortable. To add to my torment
| grew angry, with myself. | looked
up and down and cross the big table,
noted all these self-satisfed people
perfectly at their ease; and | said to
myself: What's the matter with
you, Matt? They're only men and
women, and by no means the best
specimens Of the breed. You've got
more brains than all of 'em put TO-
gether, probably; is there one of the
lot that could get a job at good wages
II thrown on the world? What do Won
care what they think of you? It's a
damn sight more important what YOU
think of them, as it won't be MANY
years before you'll hold everything
they value, everything that makes
them Of consequence, in the hollow of
your hand"
When the ladies withdrew, the other
men drew together, talking Of people
dld not know and OF things | did not
care about thought then that they
were avoiding me deliberately as a
nock OF tame ducks avoids a wild one
that some wind has accidentally blown
down among them. / know now that
my forbidding aspect must have been
responsible for my isolation. How.
ever, | sat alone, sullenly resisting
old Ellersly's constrained efforts to get
me into the conversation, and angrily
suspicious that Langdon was enjoying
my discontinue more than the cigar.
cite he was apparently absorbed IN.
Old Ellersly, growing more and
more nervous before my dark and sui.
len look, finally seated himself beside
me. Il hope you'll stay after the
others have gone" said he. They'll
leave early, and we can have a quiet
smoke and talk"
All unstrung though I WAS 7 wat h.A