The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-07-02

enoubh 10 pScOme CdTu-nldTheT YOUR
self.
AS soon as he got the money from
my teller that day, he was rushing
away. ! followed him TO the door
that part of my suite opened out on
the sidewalk, for The convenience Of
my crow Is of customers. I'm Just
going tc lunch" said /. Come with
me-"
He looked uneasily toward a smart
little one-horse brougham at the curb
"Sorry-but | can't" said he. 1--WE
my sister with me. She brought me
down in her trap"
That's all right" said 1; bring
her along. Wen go to the Savarin."
And locked his arm in mine and
started toward the brougham.
He was turning all kinds of colors
and was acting in a way that puzzled
me-thcn. Despite all my years in
New York was ignorant of the elab
crate social distinctions that had
grown up in it's Fifth avenue quarter
l knew, of course, that there was a
fashionable society and that some OF
the most conspicuous of those In II
seemed unable to get used to the idea
of being rich and were In state OF
great agitation over their own i'm
portance. Important they might be,
but not to me. l knew nothing of
their careful gradations of snobbism
the people to know socially, the
people to know in business way, the
people to know in ways religious and
philanthropic, the people to know for
the fun to be got out of them, the
people to pride oneself on not know.
ing at all; the nervousness, the hys.
terra about preserving these disgust.
ing gradations. All this, l say, was
an undreamed-of mystery to me, who
gave and took liking in the sensible,
self-respecting American fashion. So
didn't understand why Sam, as
almost dragged him along, was STAN.
mering: "fhank you-but-I-she-
the fact is, we really must get up
town.
By this time I was where / could
look into the brougham. glance
/ can see much at a glance, as can
any man who spends every day of
every year in an all-day fight for his
purse and his life, with the blows com.
ing from all sides. 1 can see much
at glance; often have seen much;
l never saw more than just then. In.
stantly, l made up my mind that the
Ellerslys would lunch with me.
you've got to eat somewhere" said
l, in tone that put an end to his at
tempts to manufacture excuses. I'll
be delighted to have you. Don't make
up any more yarns"
He slowly opened the door. Anita"
said he, 'Mr. Blackjack. He's invited
us to lunch"
1 lifted my hat, and bowed. kept
my eyes straight upon hers. And it
gave me more pleasure to look into
them than l had ever before got out
of looking into anybody's. l am pas
sionately fond of flowers, and of chill
dren; and her face reminded me of
both. Or, rather, it seemed to me that
what l had seen, with delight and
longing, incomplete in their freshness
|
fore me in the fullness. I felt like
saying to her: Il have heard of you
often. The children and the flowers
have told me you were coming" Per.
haps my eyes did say it. At any rate,
she looked as straight at me as | at
her, and 1 noticed that she paled a
little and shrank-yet continued to
look, as If were compelling her. But
her voice, beautifully clear, and lin.
gering in the ears like the resonance
of the violin after the bow has swept
it's strings and lifted, was perfectly
self-possessed, as she said to her
brother: THAT will be delightful
you think we have time"
saw that she, uncertain whether
he wished to accept, was giving him q
y chance to take either course HE
has time-nothing but time," said /
His engagements are always with
people who want to get something Out
of him. And they can wait" l pre-
tended to think he was expecting me
to enter the trap; got in, seated my
self beside her, said to Sam: I've
odNSu inc lllllS seat lOI YOU l6l
/, your man to take us to the Equitable
building-Nassau street entrance"
talked a good deal during the first
half of the nearly two hours we were
together-partly because both San
and his sister seemed under some sort
of strain, chiefly because l was deter
mined to make a good impression.
told her about myself, my horses, my
; house in the country, my yacht.
tried to show her ! wasn't an ignor
anus as to books and art, even if
hadn't been to college. She listened
while Sam sat embarrassed. "YoJ
must bring your sister down to visi
me-" l said. finally. 'Tll see that yoi
both have the time of your lives
Make up party of your friends, Sam
and come down-when shall we say
Next Sunday? You know you were
coming anyhow. l can change th'
rest of the party"
Sam grew Is rod &C az hp wave on