The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-09-19

A WOMAN Halter
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The man who sets his heart upon woman
Is a chameleon and doth feed on air.
Three things a wise man will not trust:
The wind, the sunshine of an April day,
And woman's plighted troth-
quoted Captain Beuchamp, cynically.
Considering, my dear Beauchamp,
that your sojourn upon this planet
cannot have exceeded thirty years,
you must have been singularly un-
fortunate in your experience of wom-
en- to adopt such aphorisms," re-
marked Mr.. Wyndham, in answer.
''The man who takes them for creed
suggests boy who, having CHANGED
to come across one or two sour
plums among a tree full of sweet
ones, VOWS he will never taste plum
again!"
"It would be more appropriate to
the subject of our argument to say
that, in a tree full of sour plums he
had failed, Notwithstanding their en-
ticfng appearance, to find a single
sweet one!" and there was a stern
bitterness in his tone.
This dialogue took place one sum-
mer evening on the lawn in front of
Mr.. Wyndham's Surrey residence,
while the two men were smoking
their cigarettes. Captain Beauchamp
was an officer in crack regiment
a man of fortune, handsome, fasci-
mating, intellectual. Mr.. Wyndham,
who was we'll advanced in middle
age, had known him from his boy
hood, and the captain was a frequent
visitor at the Pines.
There had been an unseen listener
to this conversation. The two men
were seated close to a very large rho
dodendron bush, and were unaware
that lady was seated on the other
side of it.
Clarice Wyr dham, the only daugh-
ter of the host, who was {. widower,
was dreaming over a volume of
Browning when the quotations with
which this story opened struck upon
her ear. A look of mingled pain and
sadness stole over her beautiful face.
AS | have said, Beauchamp had
been a friend of the family while
Clarice was still in the nursery. AMI
the child had been fondled by the
youth and patronized by the young
man, who even yet had scarcely real
lied that she was now a woman.
Perhaps until this evening she had
never regarded her affection for him
in any other light than that of a
sisters fondness for an elder brother;
and even now she did not question
her heart as to why it sank, and why
the sunlight seemed to have lost it's
magic as she listened to his TRADE
against her sex.
After a silence Wyndham consult
ed his watch. "By Jove!" he said,
I'VE have only just time to dress for
dinner! | expected lady down.
Hark! can hear a motor on the
road. I shouldn't wonder If it be
she!"
"A lady? You did not tell me you
expected any one down to-day" said
Beauchamp, lighting another cigar
cite. Il understood some people
were coming tomorrow"
IT intended to give you a surprise
and an agreeable one. But after our
recent talk
who is she? Some one know?'
interrupted Beauchamp, little irri-
tably.
Eyes. Lady Beaton-Maud Selby
that was. You-Ehi What's the
matter?"
Beauchamp had given such vio-
lent start that the cigarette dropped
from his lips. ooh. nothing!" he
answered, STOPPING to pick it up
again.
Eyes, the motor has stopped at the
lodge gate. 1t will be shell" cried
Wyndham.
Beauchamp turned upon his heel
and strobe towards the house.
Lady Beaton was fair, handsome
woman of about twenty-six, and fas-
cinats e. She had only recently been
married to the rich peer whose name
she bore, and, as she was the daugh-
ter of poor country clergyman, it
was considered fortunate match. al
though the husband was seventy.
After the first greetings she said
rather anxiously, who is the man /
caught glimpse of through the trees
entering the house? His figure
seemed familiar to me-"
"Oh, an old friend of Cap
tain Beauchamp," answered WynG-
ham.
Lady Beaton turned aside to speak
to her chauffeur, but Wyndh1m per-
ceived her change of countenance. Il
wonder II Beauchamp's sour plum
was Maud Selby?" And certain mem
cries dashed upon his mind.
A couple of hours afterwards Beau
champ was smoking cigar out OF
doors In the moonlight. His meet
Ing with Lady Beaton in the drawing
room had been that OF an old ac-
Quaintance, and her Woman's tact had