The Monticellonian., 1906-11-15

I when lNO NOIneu are eitllnB oNtE a glowing fire in the broad daylight, and one is married and the other is not they invariably talk Of two things dress and servants. But when the 1 light has waned, and the glow of the 1 fire fills the corners of the room with dancing shadows. even dress and servants are left, and the conversation l invariably turns-to the other great stock subject: man.
 "Of course, I didn't do 1t to be thanked but think you might have murmured one little word of gratitude e to me for asking Mr. Carr down. l mean. ordinary poiiteness requires some attention even from you
 Eva looked up at Mrs. Clutton from a deep dell of hot coal which had been formed between the bars. Thank you" she said; and then, added, flor nothing
 Mrs. Clutton was one of those long, slight. tired women who always dress 10 perfection. are never rufiled, never different. who are able to hurry while appearing to dawdle, to be exceeding ly annoyed without the least appar. ent effort. to laugh heartily without making a sound, and to talk with great animation, without in any way disturbing the undulating, velvety drawl with which they are born.
 You might talk to me from now till the middle of next week she said, and then you couldn't convince ne that you are not glad that he is here.
 A laugh sprang across Eva's face, to be instantly hunted away by sigh. My dear Enid, I haven't the faintest desire to prove that l am not hope lessly in love with him. Unfortunate ly it is known to everybody in this world except the man himself. And the absurdity of the whole thing the thing that makes me feel like half tomato on a gridiron-is that he's just as much in love with me as am with him, and that's very great deal indeed"
 T don't see where the absurdity comes in. If you are both in love as much as all that, why don't you mar ry him?'
 Half-tragically, half-comically, wholly in the manner-so far as we can guess of a petulant angel, Eva sprang to her feet, and fiinging her collection of cushions far and wide commenced dashing about the room, greatly to it's danger.
 Marry him. marry him. Don't want to marry him? Isn't it my one ambition in life to become the wife of this silly. foolish. timid, wretch? It's all fine for you to sit there and say those easy, insane things; but l cant run away with the man, can I? l can't buy toy pistol, meet the poor dear fin dark passage and shriek, Marry me, or you dieH can l? l cant chase him into a conservatory. flop op my knees. and cry, Teddy, l love you with love that is almost indiscreet; be. oil. be my husband, can l, can l, can I?" Eva caught one of the cush. ions a beautiful kick. and sent 1t fly. ing against a whatnot.
 Not very well,g said Mrs. Glutton. But shall l tell you what you can and will do?'
 "What?" cried Eva, eagerly.
 Smash my precious china if you kick cushions about like that. The point is, have you given him any encouragement"
 Eva laughed the laugh of theater scorn. Encouragement? Why, my dear Enid, I have done everything a nicely-brought-up girl ought to dc, and good deal that she oughtn't.
 During that time, matter of per haps a minute and a quarter-Mrs. Glutton had been thinking hard, al though il would have been impossible to guess it from the placid state of her features.
 Eva. she said finally. have you ever noticed that picture painted on tho panel over the bookcase. of a girl sitting on an armchair with her eyes east down, and with her hands folded meekly on her lap?'
 No" said Eva. and if l had. what on earth has she to do with my hor- rid problem22
 Mrs. Clutton undulated on; The figure of the girl works on hinge, and sometimes when ruy husband had got into boyish scrape and wanted to hear what his father said about ii 10 his mother. he used to get his sister to pull the picture back, and sit in the girls place to report to nim what went on. A dishonorable and very fascinating proceeding. X chair was placed behind the picture in the next room, the floor of which is on a level with it. and in this kind of light it was impossible to tell the difference between the real and the unreal girl Now. don't you think
 Think, Think" cried Eva, GOV ering the permanently quiet Mrs Clutton with kisses. T should think | do think. Oh Enid. you engineer, You want me tu get into the picture; you want to bring Teddy here to set my new portrait; you want to leave him to say 10 ne on a panel wha he darent say to me in the flesh; apd then, when at last he cries: oh larling, my beautiful piquant. littl, beauty, love you so. if only I coul, screw up courage to ask you to be m! vife. you want me to say: Teddy you infant, I'm dying 10 be you wife.
 How wonderfully we'll"