Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-04-28
GeFLIRTATION:
 OF ANNE.
By RITA KELLEY.


'r".~".~...~.~'.~.~..-.-.
 The delayed invitation of Janet Fairs
 house party almost caused rupture in the Halliwell family. so intense was the scramble to get frocks that match
 ed the shoes, girdles to match the
 frocks, with sufficient everything into
 the travelling bags and Anne off to the
 station for the i 50 train. At the last
 minute she snatched from her writing
 desk a few pages torn from d mara-
 zine and stuffed them into her hand bag as she hurried down to the cab. Janet
 had sent her the story fortnight ago,
 and the success or failure of the week end for her depended upon whether or not she waded through it before she reached Brentwood Janet had set opinions about some things, among them her love for conventional Anne
 and an oyerweening desire to provide
 literature much diversified by com
 mentaries for her best beloved.
 Anne made the train. As she iilzI-
 ried down the platform and climber into the ear d feeling of wild good hu- | nor possessed har. The old cramping demureness that savored of self cau= sciousness in her personality had been | lost iA the excitement of the last hour She fGand herself within the car with the eXhilarating desire to do something rash
 She didn't know what exactly. Then it flashed over her. No more old ladies. or women with children, or nice elder ly men She shu1ldered at thought of the innulGerab}e times she had asked to share their seats--no This time she was free from tradition She would pick d winner. With brave deter mination she gripred her bags and set
 out down the aisle in quest of him. He Was at the extreme end of the
 car. Big and brown. and he looked tho part. The little query was said. the alacrious moving of bags ended, and
 Anne sank into the mans place by the
 window, facing him, with a tiny feel HIS oI 3Adltttltoi!.
 He was q winner sure enough, hand 1 some and with the most charming manner imaginable. Anne dubbed him
 a Harvard man when he lifted his hat They were all so delightfully."- gallant. She was not in the least embarrassed by his intermittent gaze, which was timed, as only a winner knows how, to q trl n her hat was immeasurably becoming with the pink rose and soft plume against her broWnish hair; also that
 her blue fox set was the latest cry in furs and her gloves and boots correct It occurred to her presently, however. that she ought to convince the man of her complete disinterestedness iia
 choosing him for travelling compan- ion.
 Accordingly she drew the portion Of
 magazine from her hand bag and set tied herself comfortably. There were six pages of it, and she knew that, pre-
 vided she read leisurely it would last until she reached Brentwood. Janet
 had third virtue. She considered speculating subconsciously, with eyes fixed on the flowing landscape. over a long look which she had just inter-
 rupted. were his eyes brown or gray or green? Oh, Janet's virtue We'll, it I was providing literature for travelling young ladies who were in danger of reverting without warning to embar-
 rassing original self consciousness. Janet had scrubbed in her bold chi l rography wherever an interlineation i was possible fond, foolish things which Anne soon forgot to read in her
 absorption in the story. She loved 2 1. horse, and this was hero handled
 with the sympathetic touch of lover
 of horses. Tears sprang to her eyes,
 to be succeeded by a smile, low l laugh or strained mtentness and pain. She finished the story as the train
 whistled for Brentwood, with an over whelming desire to lean over and tell
 the man facing her that it was the
 greatest story ever written; that she
 wanted to tell him about it: that she
 knew he would understand.
 Carried outside herself, she leaned
 forward impulsiyely. her lips parted,
 eyes glowing, about to speak. Presto!
 Her mind sprang like trap. and she
 bent over her bags instead, embar-
 rassedly preparing to flee. She gave
 him the fleetest of glances as she rose.
 and he looked steadily at her while q
 suspicion of a smile, appreciative and
 friendly, came into his eyes. She had
 the story with her; but. suddenly fol
 lowing an impulse. she dropped it as
 a thing of no value upon the seat
 Janet Fair was in state of woe.
 The lion of the house party had not
 materializcd Frantic telephoning and
 wires disclosed the fact that he had
 left town for SiloX. next station be-
 yond Brentwood. on the 4:50 train and l had been seen no more. The Fair !