The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-08-13
cHAPTER XlI-continued.


ue irritated, and thrown into confusion,
= too. every time | lifted my eyes, by
100 the crushed criminal expression of his
:! face. He ate and drank hugely-and
Extremely bad manners it would have
OK been regarded in me had made as
ave much noise as he, or lifted such guam
'N titles at a time into my mouth. But
through this noisy gluttony he man
aged somehow to maintain that hang
"hi dog air-like a thief who has gone
> through the house and, on his way
ca out. has paused at the pantry, with the
60 sack of plumber beside him, to gorge
Z himself
ca II looked at Anita several times, each
n time with a carefully-framed remark
ID ready, each time l found her gaze on
me-and l could say nothing, could
only look away in sort of panic. Her
nrq eyes were strangely variable. / have
IN seen them of gray, so pale that it
was almost silver-like the steely light
Ell of the snow-line at the edge of the
"a horizon; again, and they were so that
evening, they shone with the deepest,
nll softest blue, and made one think, as
LEI one looked at her, of fresh violet
SO frozen in a block of clear ice.
"a sat behind her in the box at the
theater. During the first and second
ns intermissions several men dropped in
% to speak to her mother and her-fel-
u lows who didn't ever come down town,
II but / could tell they knew who was
RS by the way they ignored me. 1t exas-
perated me to a pitch of fury, that
I'm coldly insolent air of theirs-a jerky
nd nod at me without SO much as a
glance, and no notice of me when they
ed were leaving my box beyond faint,
be supercflious smile as they passed with
be eyes straight ahead. l knew what 1t
" meant, what they were thinking-that
Is the "Bucket-shop King" as the news
le papers had dubbed me, was trying to
A use old Ellerslys necessities as
u EMMY and break into society"
h When the curtain went down for the
it last intermission, two young men ap-
i peared; did not get up as l had be-
y fore, but stuck to my seat had
4 reached that point at which courtesy
GF-as become cowardice.
They craned and strained at her
I round me and over me, presently gave
I up and retired, Disgusting their anger
as contempt for the bad manners of
3 bounder But that disturbed me not a
ripple, the more as was delighting in
a consoling discovery. Listening and
watching as she talked with these
young men, whom she evidently knew
we'll l noted that she was distant and
only politely friendly in manner habit
hot xxrhf1 ho 20 MIG fhipKpn
for me, it was there always. l knew
enough about women to know that, If
the woman who can thaw only for one
man is the most difficult she is also
the most constant. "Once she thaws
toward mel" l said to myself
When the young men had gone,
leaned forward until my head was
close to hers, to her hair-fine, soft,
abundant, electric hair. Like the in
fatuated fool that was, tore out all
the pigeon-holes of my brain in search
of something to say to her, something
that would start her to thinking well
of me. She must have felt my breath
upon her neck, for she moved away
slightly, and it seemed to me shiver
visibly passed over that wonderful
white skin of hers.
I drew back and involuntarily said
BEG pardon" glanced at her mother
and 1t was my turn to shudder. l CAM
hope to give an accurate impression
of that stony, mercenary, mean face
There are looks that paint upon the
human countenance the whole of g
life, as a flash of lightning paints upor
the blackness of the night miles OF
miles of landscape The look of Mrs
Ellersly's-stern disapproval at hel
daughter, stern command that she b'
more civil, that she unbend-showet
me the old woman's soul.
"If you wish it," / said, on impulse
to Miss Ellersly in a low voice, ="
shall. never try to see you again"
/ could feel rather than see thu
blood suddenly beating in her skin
and there was in her voice nervous
ness very like fright as she answered
'pm sure mamma and / shall be glat
to see you whenever you come"
"You?" l persisted.
"Yes," she said, after brief hest
tation
"Glad?" l persisted.
She smiled-the faintest change il
the perfect curve of her lips ''Yol
are very persistent, aren't you?"
Very" answered. That is why
have always got whatever | wanted.
81 admire it," said she.
mo, you don't" / replied. "Yo'
think it is vulgar, and you think an
vulgar because l have that quality
that and some Others"
She did not contradict me.
well, l am vulgar-from you
standpoint" l went on. 81 have pun
poses and passions. And l pursu
them. For instance, you"
az" she said TRANQUILITY.
"You," l repeated. 81 made up m
mind the first day l saw You that Il
make vn, lfka me- And-vou will -