Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1907-08-16

suggested that our ring had reused |
linn from bed where he had deposit |
I'd himself without bothering to take |
of his clothes, At the sound Of my.
voice, Ball peered out of his private
Smokingroom, at the far end of the
hall He started forward; then. see-
ing how / was accompanied. stopped
with mouth ajar. He had on a ragged
smoking-iacket. pair of shapeless old
Romeo slippers, his ordinary business
waistcoat and trousers. He was wear
Ing neither tie nor collar, and short,
black pipe was between his fingers.
We had evidently caught the house
hold stripped of Tugs" and sunk In
the down-to-the-heel slovenliness
which is called comfort" Joe was
crimson with confusion, and was
using his free hand to stroke, alter
nately. 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
ragged jacket were gone. and he
rushed for us in a gorgeous velvet
Jacket with dark red facings. ana q
snowy pair of slippers.
Glad to see you, Mr.. Blackjack
in his own home he always addressed
every man as Mister, just as Mrs.
B." always called him Mister Ball"
and he called her Mrs. BALI before
Company" Come right into the
front parlor Billy, turn on the cleo
trio lights"
Anita had been standing with her
bead down. She now looked round
with shame and terror in those ex.
pressive blue-gray eyes OF hers; her
delicate nostrils were auivering.
FASTENED to introduce Ball to her.
Her impulse to fly passed; her life.
long training In doing the conven.
tional thing asserted itself. She low
cred her head again, murmured an in
audible acknowledgment of Joes
greeting.
Your wife is at homer said /. II
one was at home in the evening, the
other was also, and both were always
there. unless they were at some the
ater-except on Sunday night, when
they dined at sherry's, because many
fashionable people did 1t. They had
40 friends and few acquaintances. In
their humber and happy days they
had had many friends, but had lost
them when they moved away from
Brooklyn and went to live, like un-
easy, out-of-place visitors. in their
grand house, pretending to be what
they longed to be, longing to be what
they pretended to be, and as discon.
tented as they deserved.
"Oh, yes, Mrs. BIS at home" Joe
answered II guess she and Alya
we're about to go to bed" Alva was
their one child. She had been chris
tened Malvina. after Joe's mother.
but when the Balls "blossomed out
they renamed her Alva, which they
somehow had got the impression was
smarter"
AT Joe's laundering confession that
he females of the family were in no
condition to receive, Anita said to me
IN low voice: Let us CO."
pretended not to hear. "Rout EN-
put said | to Joe. Then, take my
electric and bring the nearest parson
There's going TO be a wedding right
acre. And | looked round the long
salon, with everything draped for the
summer departure. Joe Whisked the
cover on one chair, his man took on
another III have the women-folk
down in two minutes" he cried. Then
to the man: Get a move on you
r. he frFrn N
the best you can about supper-and
put lot of champagne on the ice
That's the main thing at wedding.
Anita had seated herself listlessls
in one of the uncovered chairs. The
wrap slipped back from her shoulders
and-how proud was OF her. Joe
gazed, took advantage of her not look
ing up to slap me on the back and Il
jerk his head in enthusiastic approval
Then he too, disappeared.
A few minutes OF silence, and there
was a rustling on the stairs Shs
started up. trembling. looked round
as If seeking some way TO escape o.
some place to hide Joe was in tn,
doorway holding aside one OF the cur
tains. There entered in a beribbonee
and befonnced tea-gOwn. a pretty, /
rather ordinary. woman Of forty. witt
a petulant baby face. She was tryint
to look reserved and severe. Sh,
hardly glanced at me before fastening
sharp, suspicious eyes on Anita
Mrs. Ball. said |, this is Mis-
EiIersly"
Miss EIlersly." she exclaimed. ne
face changing And she advanced an
took both Anita,s hands. Mr.. Bail i
80 stupid, she went On. with tina
amusingly affected accent which 1
the Sunday clothes OF speech
Z didn't catch the name. my dear.
Joe stammered-
BE on" said |. aside. 10 him &c
the nearest preacher and hustle hla
here with his tools"
had one eye on Anita all the tins
- I eau her gaze fotIaw To-. "a n