The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-12-12


attributed to his own rejection. An,
aow here-where again he might hav,
ound the fair ideal of his youthful
irecms-here where he might hav,
hoped To form an alliance at once SO
hally and politically advantageous
his young Hampshire squire was be
lore him.
/ don't think Mr.. Vawdrey is par
dcularly interested in my poetical eff
'orts," Lady Mabel said, with assumed
sarelessness. He doesn't care fol
poetry He likes Byron
What an admirable epigraml" cried
he Hibernian, to whom fiattery wa:
second nature. Il shall put that dowI
N my commonplace book when ] &c
aome. How l wish you would honor
ne-but it is too much to ask, perhap:
how proud / should be If you would
ht me hear. or see, some of YOU
poems"
Would you really like" faltered
Lady Mabel.
Like, / should deem 1t the highest
privilege your friendship could vouch
safe"
IL felt sure it would not bore you
SHOULD much like to have your opin
on, Your candid opinion upon some
really to impose too much upon your
good nature"
1T would be to make me the proud
st, and-for that one brief hour at
east--the happiest of men," protested
Lord Mallow, looking intensely senti.
mental
And you will deal frankly with
me-" You will not flatter? You will
be as severe as an Edinburgh review
Il will be positively brutal" said
Lord Mallow. Il will try to imagine
myself an elderly feminine contributor
10 the Saturday. looking at you with
vinegar gaze through pair of spec
tacles. bent upon spotting every fleck
and flaw in your work. and predeterm-
ined not to see anything good in it,"
Then + will trust you.' cried Lady
Mabel with a gush. II have longed for
listener who would understand and
rriticise. and who would be too honor
able 10 flatter, and he gave Lady Ma
bells hand a tender little pressure
which she accepted in all good faith
as 4 sign manual of the contract be-
tween them.
They met I'm the row Eext morning,
and Lord Mallow asked-as earnestly
Ps IL the answer involved vital is
sues-when he might be permitted to
hear those interesting poems.
Whenever you can spare time to
fsten," answered Lady Mabel, more
BATTERED by the eanestness than by all
the adulatory sugar plulns which had
been showered upon her since her dc.
but.
Thus 1t happened that In the sweet
Spring weather Lord Mallow found
himself sitting at ease in a flowery
fauteuil in the Queen Ann morning
room at Kensington, slipping orange
scented tea out of eggshell porcelain
and listening to Lady Mabel's dulcet
accents IS she somewhat monotonously
Tragedy of Skeptic Soul
The poem was long, sooth to say
passing dreary; and as much as he ad
mired the dukes daughter, there were
moments when Lord Mallow fel. his
eyelids dropping and heard a buzzing as
of Summer insects, in his ears.
When a strong-minded woman Is
weak upon one particular point she is
apt to be very weak. Lady Mabel's
weakness was to fancy herself Sec
ond Browning. She had never yet en-
joyed the bliss of having her own idea
of herself confirmed By Independent
evidence.
They were tete-a-tete by this time,
for the duchess was sleeping frankly,
her crewel-work dropping srom the
hands that lay idle in her LAP, her Sec
ond cup of tea on the table bsside her,
half finished.
- don't know how 1t is" she was
won't to say. apologeticalIy. after these
placid slumbers. There II something
In Mabels voice that always sends me
to sleep. Her tones are 30 musical"
And do you really advise me to pub
Hsh?" asked Lady Mabel, huttered
and happy.
1T would be a sin TO keep such
verses hidden from the world"
They will be published anony-
nously, Of course.
Thou canst not say did it," quoted
Lord Mallow. L entisely appreciate
your feelings. Publicity of that sort
must be revolving to y delicate mind.
| should think Byron would have en-
joyed life great deal better If he had
'Chnde Harold He reduced himself
to a social play actor-and always had
to pose in his particular role-the
Noble Poet. II Bacon really wrote the
plays we call Shakespeare, and kept
the secret all his life, be was, indeed,
the wisest of mankind"
You have done nothing but praise
me- said Lady Mabel, after thought
full pause, during which she had trifled
with the golden clasp OF her volume;
Il want you to do something more than
that / want you to advise-to tell me
where / am redundant--to point out
where 1 am weak. ! want you to help
me in the labor of polishing"
Lord Mallow pulled his. whisker,
This was dreadful. He
should have to go into particulars.
Can you trust me with that precious
ume?" he asked. IF you can, /
ii give you the result Of my medita-
ton tomorrow"
Mabel put the book In his hand with
a grateful smile.
Pray be frank with me-" she
pleaded Praise like yours is peril
ous"
Lord Mallow kissed her hand this
time instead of merely pressing it, and
went away radiant, with the velvet
book under his arm.
She's sweet GIRL he said to him
self, as he hailed a cab. Il wish she
wasn't engaged to that Hampshire
BOBBY, and / wish she didn't write
poetry. Hard that / should have to do