The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-12-06
NDI copyright %. by h Merrill COL
M ODE Deluge HI
BY DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS ~
~
Y DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS

He aad I did not follow the others TO
.he drawing room. but turned into the
library adjoining. From where seated
myscir could see part OF the draw
mg rooni-saw the others leaving. saw
Langdon lingering, ignoring the I'M
patient glances OF his wife. while ne
talked on and on With Miss Eilersiy.
Her face was fuil toward me. she was
not aware that I was looking nj her.
ann sure. for she did not once lift
acr eyes. AZ sat studying her. every
thing else waS crowded out ot my
mind. She was indeed wcndcrful-too
wonderful and fine aud fragile. u
scned To me Ct that moment, Tor one
so plain and rough as l. incredible.
thought I. THAT she IL the child OF
such n pair rs Ellcrsly and his wife
but again has she any less In common
with them than she'd have with any
other pair or human creatures" Her
slender white arms. her slender white
shoulders. the bloom on her skin. the
graceful. careless way her hair grew
round her forehead and NJ the napc
1 VI her neck. the rather naughty express
don OF her small face softened Into
sweetness and even tenderness. now
that she was talking a her ease with
one whom she regarded - her own
lkird--"but he isn't" ] protested To my
SELF. 'I.RnRdon--nonc az these men
uonc ~ these women. iS fit To associate
With her. They can't appreciate her.
She belongs To me who can" And l
had 4 mad impulse then and there To
tclzc her and bear her nway--home-
to the home she could make for me out
OF what I would shower upon her
AZ last Langdon rose. II irritntcd me
10 see her color under that indiffer-
.nt fascinating smile OF his. II irritnted
ne to note that he held her hand all
he time he WAS saying good-by. aud
| he fact that he held n ms IL he'd
,s lief not be holding ~ hardly
,csscucd my longing to rush In
md knock him down. What he did was
\ ali IN the way OF perfect good manners
and would have Jared no one no; SUI
pcrSrnsiiivc like He--and like his wife
I saw that she. too. was frownirg. She
.ooked beautiful that evening In spite
81 her too great breadth for her height
! her stoutncss was not altogether n
iefcct when she was wearing evening
3rcss. While she seemed friendly and
nniling tn Miss Ellcrsly. I saw. wheth-
fr others saw II or not. that she quIv-
/ cred Win apprehension mt his mildly
! flrtatiolts ways. lie acted toward any
and every attractive woman AN II he
| we're free and were regarding her as n
possibility, and didn't mind " she fiat
erred herself that he regarded her rs a
proba bility.
4 In an nimlcss sort OF way Miss Eller-
| ily. after the Langdons had disap-
peared. left the drawing room by the
same door. SIN aimiessiy wandering.
| che drifted into the library by the hall
door. As I rose. she lifted her eyes.
saw me. and drove away the frown OF
annoyance which came over her face
Ike the faintest haze. In fact. q may
have existed only In my Imagination.
She opened a large. square silver box
On the table. took out a cigarct. lighted
v and holding 10. with the smoke lazily
curling up from ~. between the long
slender first and second fingers OF her
white hand. stood Idly turning the
leaves OF n magazine. j threw my cigar
into the fireplace. The light sound az
q struck made her jump. and I saw
that. underneath her surface OF perfect
calm. she was In a nervous state full
Rs tense ~ my own.
You smoke" said I.
Sometimes" she replied 1T Is
soothing and distrncting. I don't know
how II ~ with others. but when
smoke. my mind ~ quite empty"
Its "a nasty habit-smoking." said I.
do you think so?' said she, with
the slightest INT To her tone and her
eyebrows.
"Especia for woman" went on.
because | could think of nothing else
his conversation. No hard To begin. die
out.
You are ono of those men who have
,ne code for themselves and another for
women" she replied.
I'm man." said !. All ;nen have
the two codes
Not nil." said she after pause.
"All men OF decent Ideas" said with
emphasis.
Really" said she I'm tone that lr-
rIiatcd me by suggesting that what
said was both absurd and unimport-
art.
1T Is the first time I've ever seen
respectable woman smoke" l went on.
powcrless TO change the subject. though
Conscious ] was getting tedious. I've
read or such things. but didn't be-
lieve."
THAT Il Interesting" said she. her
tone suggesting the reverse.
i've offended you 10y saying frank
~ what I think" said :. "Of course,
It's none OF my business,
"oh. no." replied she carelcssly. I'm
not In the least offended. PrcJudicca
always Interest me.
! saw Ellcrsly aud his wife In the
drawing room. pretending To talk Tn
each other. l Understood that they
were leaving me alone with her DELHI
crately. and began to suspect she WAS
Ia the plot. I smiled. and my courage
and self-possession returned as SUM
narily ms they had He'd.
I'm glad OF this chance To get bet
ter acquainted with you said I. rive
wanted II ever since I first saw you"
As I put this Ia her directly. she
dropped her eyes and murmurcd some
thing she probably wished me TO think
vaguely pleasant
You are the first woman I ever
knew" l went OF. with whom IL was
hard FOR me to get OH any sort OF
terms. / suppose ia my fault. 1 dont
know this game yet. Hut I'll learn ~.
II you'll he - little patient. and when I
do. ! think III be- abl" to keep UP my
end"
She looked at me--Just looked. !
couldn't begin To guess what WAS going
on in that gracefully poised head of
hers.
vii! you try Ia he friends with me-"
said ] with dirccturss.
She continued to look az me In that
same steady. puZzlng way.
Will YOU" | repeated.
II have no choice said she slowly.
flushed. What does that mcan?"