The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-01-31

y
peiulcnt baby face. she was trying
TO look reserved and severe. She hard
~ glanced at me before fastening
sharp. suspicious eggs ON Anita.
Mrs Ball" said !. this is Miss
E.llcrsly."
Mss Ellcrsiy!" she exclaimed. her
face changing. And she advanced and
took both Anlta's. hands. MIR. Bali
IL ~ stupid" she went ON. with that
Famusingly affected accent which Is the
! sunday clothes" OF speech.
! Il don't catch the name. my dear.
Joe stammcred.
! BE on" said |. aside, to him. Get
the nearest preacher. and hustle him
here with his tools"
I had one eye on Anita all the time.
/ and ! saw her gaze follow Joe az no
hurried out. and her expression made
/ my heart ache. I heard him saying In
! the hall. Go In. Allie. It's -. X"
heard the door slam. knew We should
soon have some sort OF minister with
US
ALLIE" entered the drawing room. I
had not seen her I'm six years. l re-
membcred her uupleasantly as a great,
bony. florid child, unable To stand
still or To sit still. or To keep her
tongue still. full az aimleSs questions
and Giggics and silly remarks that she
and her mother thought funny. i saw
her now. grown into a handsome young
woman. with enough beauty points for
an honorable mention. IL not for n
prlze-straight and strorg and round
ed. with n brow and keen look out Of
the eyes which II seemed n pity should
be wasted on n woman. Her mothers
looks. her fathers good sense. per-
sonaliiy apparently got from neither.
bat all hsr own. and unusual and In
tcrestinH. No wonder the Balls felt
toward her much rs pair Of barn
swallows would feel IL they were Co
hatch out an caglet. These quiet.
tame American parents that are al
ways finding their suppressed selves.
the bold fantastic. unadmltted dreams
~ their youth startlingly confronting
them IN tho flesh as their own chill
dren,
Prom what Mr. Ball said"-Mrs.
Ball was gushing aftectedly To Anita
Il got an idea that-well. really. !
didn't know what Co think"
Anita looked MS IL she were about TO
surfocatc. Allie came to the rescue.
Not very complimentary TO Sir. Black
lock. mother" said she good humored-
~. Then to Anita, with n simple
friendlness there was no resisting:
Wouldn't you like Ia come up To my
room for few minutcsg"
"Oh. thank you!" responded Anita.
after n quick. but thorough inspection
of Alva's face. To- make sure she was
like her voice. ] had not counted on
this: I had been assuming that Anita
would not bc out az my sight until We
were married. IL wns on the tip OF my
tongue To interfere when she looked
at me-for permission to go! Don't
keep her too long" said l TO Alva. and
they were gone.
You can't blame me-realiy you
can't. Mr.. Blackjack Mrs. Ball be-
gan To- plead for herself as soon as
they were safely out OF hearing. AFT
or some things-mere hints. you un-
dcrstand-for I'm careful what l per-
nit Mr.. Ball 10 say before me. ] think
married people cannot be too respect
full of each other. l never tolerate vul-
garity."
mo doubt. Joe has made me out a
very vulgar person" said !. forgetting
her LACK ~ humor.
"Oh. not ut all. not at ali. Mr. Black
lock-" she protested in panic lest
she had done her husband damage with
me. Il understand. men Will be men.
though MS pure minded woman. I'm
sure / can't imagine why they should
be-"
How far OF is the nearest church :"
| cut in
only two blocks-that is. the Meth
odist church." she replied. But
know SIR. Ball Will bring an Episco-
palian."
why. thought you wero n devoted
Presbyterian" said !. recalling how In
their brooklyn days she used TO insist
on Joc's going twice every Sunday to
sleep through long sermons.
She looked uncomfortable. IL was
reared Presbyterian" she explained
contusodly. but you know how
u Is Ia New York. And whom
we came To- 1.-Two hero. we
got out OF the habit OF churchgoIng.
And al ilva's iittlc friends were Epls-
copalians. So I drifted toward that
church. | find the service 80 satisfying
so elegant. And-one sees there the
people one sees socially"
How Is your culture class" In
quircd, deliberately malicious, In my
ImpItienCc and nervousness. And do
you still take conversation lessons
She was furlously annoyed oh,
those old Jokes OF Joe's." she said. at
fcCting disdainful amusement.
In fact. they were anything but jokes
On Mondays and Thursdays she used
To attend class for women who. like
herself. vIshrd To bc up 90 date on
culture and all that sort of thing" They
hired u teacher TO cram them with odds
and ends about ART and politics and the
latest literature, heavy and light" on
Tuesdays and Fridays she had an 'in-
ligCnt geutlcWOmaE," whatever that
may DC. come To her TO teach her how
TO converse and otherwise conduct her.
SELF according To the standards OF po-
/ lite society" Joe used To- give imita-
! tions OF those conversation lessons that
raised ruars of laughter round the po-
k.r table. the louder because SO many
I pg the other men had wives with the
same ambitions aud the same methods
/ uI attaining them.
! Mrs. Bali came back To the subject
~ Anita.
! Il am glad you nro going to settle
with such "A charming girl. She comes
/ OF such a charming family. ! have
/ never happened To meet any or them.
! W. ur,' VA the west side set. YOU know.
B while they move I'm the east side set,
aud Now York - 50 large that one al
most never meets anyone outside uuc's
/ own SET This smooth snobbishncSs,
. said iu the affected society" tone, was
us out ~ place In her as rouge ana
hair d-r In wholesome, honest old
grandmother.
I began To pace the fiCor. Can Il bc, .
/ 7 frytt,I aloud. that Joc's racing round
looking for an Eplscopalian preacher,
when there was a Methodist at hand -
I'm sure nc wouldn't bring anything
but Church OF England priest" Mrs.
Ball assured me loftily. Why, Miss
Ellersly wouldn't think she was mar
ried, IL she hadn't = priest OF her own