The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-05-18

g.. X
] seemed sudasniy to femembet he>
from time long gone, and the effort
Of memory threw me of guard. Stod.
dard had said there were several
Olivia Armstrong;; there were Ger.
taiply many Marian Deyereuxs. The
silence grew intolerable; she WAS wait
ing for me to speak. and blurted:
II suppose you have come TO take
charge OF the property"
do you?" she asked.
"And you came back with the execu.
tor to facilitate matters. I'm glad to
see that you lose no time"
"Oh!" she said lingesinaly, as though
she were finding with difficulty the
note in which I wished to pitch tho
conversation. Her calmness was mad.
dening
Il suppose you thought it unwise to
wait for the bluebird when you had be-
guiled me into breaking promise,
when l was trapped, Defeated"
Her elbow on the arm of the chair,
her hand resting against her cheek,
the light ripping aodenly in her hair,
her eyes bent upon me inquiringly,
urnfully,-moulnfully as l had seen
them-where?- before. My heart
leaped in that moment, with that
thought.
Il remember now the first time" l
said, more angry than | had ever been
before in my life.
That is quite remarkable" she said,
and nodded her head ironically
1T was at Sherrys;' you were
with Pickering-you dropped your fan
and he picked it up, and you turned
toward me for moment. You were in
black that night; 1t was the unhappi-
ness in your face. in your eyes, that
made me remember"
I was intent upon the recollection,
eager to fix and establish it.
You are quite right. 1t was at
Sherry's. was wearing black then;
many things made me unhappy that
night"
Her forehead contracted slightly and
she pressed her lips together.
II suppose that even then the con-
spiracy was thoroughly arranged" I
said tauntingly, laughing little per-
haps, In my brutal impulse to wound
her, to take vengeance upon her.
She rose and stood by her chair, one
hand resting upon it. I faced her; her
eyes were like violet seas. She spoke
very quietly.
"Mr. Glenarm, has it occurred to you
that when talked to you there in the
park, when l risked unpleasant gossip
In receiving you in house where you
had no possible right to be, that was
counting upon something,-foolishly
and stupidly,-yet counting upon it?"
you probably thought l was fool"
{ retorted.
o."-she smiled slightly. II
thought believe I have said this to
you before!-that you were gentle
man. l really did. Mr.. Glenarm.
must say it to justify myself. | relied
upon your chivalry,-I even thought,
when I played being Oliia-that you
had q sense of humor. But you are
not the one and you haven't the other.
even went SO far. after you knew per-
fectly we'll who | was, to try to help
you-to encourage you to prove your
self the man your grandfather wished
you to be. And now you come to me
In shocking bad humor,-T really
think you would like to be insulting,
Mr.. Glenarm. if you could"
But Pickering,-you came back
with him; he is here and he is going to
stay! And now that the property be-
longs to you, there is not the slightest
reason why We should make any pre-
tense Of anything but enmity. When
you and Arthur Pickering stand to-
gether take the other side of the bar
ricade! l suppose chivalry would re-
quire me to vacate, SO that you may
enjoy at once the spoils Of war;"
stormed with growing heat.
II fancy 1t would not be very diff
cult to eliminate you as factor in the
situation she remarked Jelly.
"And / suppose. after the nnsuccess-
tul efforts Of Mr.. chickering's allies to
assassinate me, as a mild form Of elm
nation, one would naturally expect me
10 sit calmly down and wait to be shot
In the back. But you may tell Mr..
Pickering that l throw myself upon
your mercy. / have no other home
than this shell over the way. and I
beg to be allowed to remain until-at
least-the bluebirds come"
IN II quite sympathize with your re.
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a. II TMIM~- TTH