The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-01-05

with him twice year. as very
fond of my father, but can't tell you
how terrible these visits became TO
me. how | had to suppress myself, and
how the drab stupid women and the
dull young men used to stare at me
as if l were a strange animal, or
something improper; IN places like
Breckenhampton they say Paris in
the same kind OF voice that they say
hell [ suppose I'm Bohemian by
instinct, for even now that l know
| should never make an artist my hOr-
ror isn't SO much the loss Of my hopes
as the loss of my freedom, my-my
identity; l am never to be natural any
more! After leave here l am going to
20 on suppressing myself until the day
die. Sometimes l shall be able to
shut myself up and howl-that's all
I've got TO look forward to-"
What are you going to do?" asked
Wendover, looking sympathetic. and
thinking pleasurably that he mad found
good character to put into his book.
Il am going back" she said. "a shin
ing example of the folly Of being dis
contented with district visiting and
church bazaars! | go back a failure
for Beckenhampton to moralize over.
Ny old school mistress has asked me
to stay with her while look round
you see, I've spent all my money,
and I must find a situation. II the
BeckenhamptOn parents don't regard
me as too immoral. it is just possible
she may employ me in the school to
teach drawing'-unless try to teach
il! Then | suppose I shall be called
revolutionary and dismissed. She
contemplated the shabby little salon
thoughtfully. and lit another cigarette.
From the Boule' Mich to boarding
school! It'll be a change! l wonder
il it will be safe to smoke if l keep
my bedroom window open wide?'
Yes. it would be as great change as
vas conceivable, and Rhoda Searle
was the most interesting figure in the
house to Wendoyer She was going to
England in a months time-there was
no reason why she should not go at
once, save that she had enough money
to postpone the evil day-and during
this vaiedictory month. she and he
talked of their Friendship" In the
tortuous streets OF the Boulevard. she
introduced him to humble restaurants.
where the dinners were sometimes
amazingly good at the most ridiculous
prices. Together they made little ex-
cursiOns. and pretended to scribbie or
sketch in the woods--looking at each
ether, however. most of the time: and
and then at evening there was an inn
10 be sought, and the moon would rise
sooner than the friends: and in the
pension. sentiment would constrain
their tones.
1t was all quite innocent, but to the
last degree unwise. The ex-shop as
sistant still throve decorously in
Crouch End on his allowance, and
Wendover should have seen that he
was acting unfairly toward Miss Searle.
To do him justice, he didn't see it
he had confided, the story of his mar
riage to her, and it did not enter into
his thoughts. that. she might care for
him seriously Notwithstanding; his
experiences had given him no cause
TO esteem himself dangerous: and the
lover who has never received faEOrs
is, in practice, always modest. though
in aspirations he may be Juanesque.
The sutton of quick perceptions has
been made by other women. as every
body but the least Sophisticated of de-
butantes knows.
But If he did not dream that he
might trouble the peace of Miss SearIe.
he was perpetually conscious that he
had disturbed his own. A months
daily companionship >with tempera-
ment, plus fascinating face, would
be dangerous to any man-tO Wend-
over it was fatal. His thoughts turned
no longer to liaisons with duchesses:
his work, itself, was secondary to
Rhoda Searle. Silly fellow as he ap-
pears, the emotions wakened in him
were no less genuine than IL he had
combined all the noble qualities with
which he invested the heroes Of his
books. Remember, too, that most OF
us would appear silly in description
which dealt only with our weakness
es. Wendover loved, and he cursed
the tie that prevented his asking the
girl to be his wife.
He had feared that the last evening
| would be melancholy one, but ii
was gay-the greater part of it was
gay, at any rate. AS soon as the
door slammed behind them he saw
that she had resolved to keep the
thought Of the morrow's journey in
the background, to help him turn The