The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-11-24
COME DowN" HE BELLowED.

"COME DOWN! HE BI1LLOWEp.
for them. he monopolized her shame,
lessly from the moment CT greeting,
In the interval OF plate laying he ma
neuvered skillful1y to obtain possess
sion Of the tete-atete chair. and with
that convenient piece of furniture for.
an aid he managed to keep Virginia
wholly to himself untu dinner was
announced.
For another man the informal table,
gathering might have been easily pro-
hibitive OF confidence Il deux, even
with n Virginia Careteret to help, butt
Winton was far above the trammel-
ings OF time and place. All attempts
on the part oil his host, Mrs. Martha.
Adams. or the Reverend Billy to en-
tangle him in the general table talk
failed signally. He had eyes and ears
only for the sweet-faced, low-voiced
young woman beside him, and some
of his replies to the others We're ir-
relevant enough TO send Il smile
around the board.
''How very absenLInindcd Mr.. VIM
ton seems to be this evening"" muir
INJURED Bessie from her niche between
Adams and the Reverend Billy at the
farther end of the table, He isn't
quite at his best, is he, Mr.. Adams?'7
mo, indeed" said the technologian.
matching her undertone, Every far
from it. Hc has been uit OF all days.
touch of mountain fever. I'm afraid
But he doesn't look at all ILL.," OBJ
jected Miss Bessie. Il should say he
is a perfect picture of rude health
"You can't tell anything about him
by his looks" rejoined Adams, glibly..
Absolute mask-that face of his.
think he must be going to have a
fever. Struck him all at once about
three o'clock this afternoon, and am
sure he hasn't been quite right in his!
head SINCE"
"Why. how dreadful" said Bessie,
sympathetically. And suppose there
isn't doctor to be had anywhere I'M
these terrible mounta-As."
But upon this point Adams reas-
sured her promptly.
ooh, yes, there is; Winton has al
ready had his preliminary consulta-
ton and is, as you may say, in the
way of Delng prescribed for. And III
see to 1t that he takes his medicine
before he turns in tonight. You may
trust me .fn- that"
Thus Mr.. Morton r. Adams. in
irony far too subtle for the flaxen-
haired Bessie. But Winton's replies
were not specially irrelevant when Ffr-
ginia evoked them. On the contrary,
he was finding her sallies kccnly pro-
vocative Of what wit and readiness
there was in him.
II believe your chief delight in life
is to catch a man mapping" be
laughed, when she had succeeded in
| demonstrating, for the third time in
as many minutes, how inadequate a,
mans wit is to cope with a woman's.
II do enjoy It," she confessed, with
the brown eyes confirming the adj
mission. What woman does not?
Isn't your mans attitude towards us
very best? For instance: you said
just now that while no woman could
do without man, the reverse was
true Of the man."
II didn't know | said anything like
tbat. If did, it was heresy.'
mo: it was one of those little lapscs
into sincerity which a. man permits
himself on rare occasions, when he
isn't fattering. You really believe it.
you know you do" -
do I? 1t wouldn't be polite to CON-
| y;,k r1,,% ,hnk roSr1
to say. was that q man could exist.
as Adams and are existing at pres
ent, without feminine oversight"
but what you meant was the 9TH
err" she insisted-"that we are not
necessary to you. while you are neces-
sary to U.S." Then. reverting to the
matter of mere existence: Gould you
keep 1t up indefinitely, Mr.. Winton."
isn't our being here this evening
proof positive to the contrary"
"She smiled approval. you are do
ing better-much better. With little
practice-you are sadly out of practice,
aren't you'll do believe you could
pay one a pretty compliment"
Winton rose mantully to his oppor-
tunity. -
"No one could pay you compliments.
Miss Virginia. It would oe utterly I'm
possible" ~,
why? because my chief delightsin
life is to catch man napping?" e.r.
ooh, no. Because the pretttest
things that could be said of you would
be only~an awkward mirroring Of the
truth" 2ss-
Dear mellow fine!" she applaud
ed. II am afraid you have been read
ing Lord Chesterfeld's Letters to His
Son'-very recently. Confess. now;;,
haven't you?"
40 Be Continued s9& 54E Il