Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-02-01

where you wish" And she said it in q
tons that makes me vince as ] recall
1t.
I called my partners address up
through the tube. Again that |frightful
silence, then she was trying to choke
back the sobs. A few words 1 caught:
"+They have broken my will-they nave
broken my will"
My partner lived I'm a big, gray-stone
house that stood apart and commanded
O. noble view OF the Hudson and the
Palisades. It was, In the main, a re-
production Of a French chateau, ana
such changes as the architect had made
in his model were not positively disfig-
uring, though amusing There should
have been trees and ~shrubbery about II,
but--"As Mrs. II. says, Joe had eX-
planned to me, whats the use OF sink
ing a lot Of ASH in a house people
cant seer" So there was not O oush,
not a flower. Inside-one day baIl
took me on a tour of the art SHOPS.
sI've got a dozen corners and other
big bare spots TO fill" said he. Mrs.
b. hates to give UP money, haggles over
every article. I'm going TO put the Jop
through In business style / soon dls-
covered that / had been brought ATOMS
TO admire his business style, not TO
suggest After two hours. in when ne
bought in small lots several tons OF
@%tatuary, paintings. vases and rugs,
he said '"This is too slow He pointed
his stick to a crowded corner OF tle
shop. "How much for that bunch OF
atuff?" he demanded. The proprietor
gave him a figure. III close said
zoe. III you'l give fifteen off for CASH
rrbe nroprietor agreed. Now we're
done" said Joe to me. Let's go down
town, and maybe l can pick up what
I've dropped.
You can imagine that interior. But
don't picture IL as notably worse IMAM
the interior of the average New York
palace. 1t was, il anything, better than
those houses where people who deceive
themselves about their lack or taste
have taken great pains TO prevent any
one else from being deceived. one
could hardly nov in Joe's big room Tor
the litter OF gilded and tapestried tur-
NItuTe, and their " walls Hlaae
the eyes ache,
The appearance OF the man who
opened the door for Anita and me sug-
gested that our ring had reused him
from a bed where he hao deposited
himself without bothering to take OF
his clothes. At the ound of my voice,
Ball appeared out OF his private smok-
sng room, at the far end of the hall.
he started forward; then, seeing how l
was accompanied. stopped with mouth
ajar. He had on a ragged smoking
Jacket, a pair OF shapeless OLD Romeo
MS OIQl5laIy DuSlltSS Nol9N
coat and trousers. lie was wearing
neither tie nor collar, and q short black
bipe was between his fingers. We had
evidently caught the household stripped
of Jugs" and unk In the doWn-at-the-
heel ~siovenliness which Is called com-
fort. Joe was crimson with confusion,
n using his free hand to stroke al
4ernately, his shiny bald head and his
heavy brown mustache. He got HIM
self together sufficiently, after a few
seconds, to disappear into his den.
when he came out again, pipe and rag
ged jacket were gone, and he rushed
Tor us In a gorgeous velvet Jacket with
dark red facings, and q SNOWY pair of
slippers.
"Glad to see you, Mr.. Blackjack
IN his own home he always addressed
every mar as Mister, just as Mrs. b."
always called him Mister Ball" and
he called her "Missus Bali before
company" Come right into the front
parlor. Billy turn on the electric lights"
Anita had been standing with her
head down. She now looked round
with shame and terror in those ex-
Dressive blue-gray eyes OF hers; her
delicate nostrils were quivering. i has
tened TO introduce Ball to her. Her inn
pulse to fly passed; her lifelong train
Ang in doing the conventional thing as
amrted itself. She lowered her head
again, murmiuring IN inaudible ac-
acknowledgement of Joe's greeting.
'.Your wife Is at home?" said /. II
one was at home In the evening, the
other was also, and both were always
there, unless they were at some theater
Except on Sunday night, when they
dined at Sherry's, because many fash
fonable people did II. They had no
friends and few acquaintances. In their
humber and happy days they had
many friends, but had lost them when
&hnx, tanxraA ttsa u frpFn RppnlylNyp ond
went ia live. like uneasy, o~ut-of-place
visitors, In their grand house. pretend
fng TO be what they longed to be,
longing to be what they pretended to
be. and as discontinued as they de-
served.
"Oh. yes Mrs. BIS at home" Joe an
ewered. II guess she and Alva were
about to go to bed" Alva was their
one child. She had been christened
Maivina. after Joe's mother; but when
the Balls ~'blossomed cut" they re-
named her Alva, which they somehow
got the impression was smarter"
At Joe's blundering confession that
the females OF the family We're in no
condition to receive Anita said TO me
In a low voice: let us 60"
L pretended not to hear. Trout 'em
out" said / 10 Joe. Then take my
electric and bring the nearest parson.
There's going TO be a wedding-right
here" And / looked round the long
salon. with everything draped for the
summer departure. Joe whisked the
cover OFF me chair. his man took Off
another. "Iii have the women folks
down in two minutes" he cried. Then
TO the man: Get a move on you. Billy.
Stir 'em up In the kitchen. Do the best
you can about supper--and put a lot OF
champagne ON the ice. That's the main
70 at a wedding"
Anita had seated herself listlessly in
one of the chairs. The wrap
slipped back from her shoulders and
how proud I was OF her. Joe gazed,
took advantage OF her not looking UP
20 slap me on the back and TO jerk his
head In enthusiastic approval. Then
ne. too, disappeared.
A walt followed, during which we
could hear. through the silence. excited
uudertones from the upper floors. The
words ware indistinct until Joe's heavy
voice sent down TO us an angry mo
damn nonsense. I tell you. Allies got
to come too. She's not such q fool as
you think. BAD ex-ample-bosh!"
Anita started up "Oh-please-'
please she cried. TAKE me away
&pywherel This Is dreadful
1t was. iadeed. dreadful. IT | could
have had my way 1t just that mo-
ment. 1T would nave gone hard with
Mrs. b." and "Allie-and heavy
voiced Joe, too. But / hid my feel
iugs. There's nowhere else 10 go.
said + except the brougham.'
3A Che 4omk fnfn her rhQfr ,f