Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-24
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

u 'huSilHapiS SeHSe OIL completeness.
as lie looked across the room and saw
ner. and he rather despised himself
Tor the weakness of 1t.
1t seemed SO paltry, so trivial, this
revival of dead issues, this quickening
or dulled pulses at the mere sight OF
Il womans face. And of all women's
laces-hcrs! 1t was as though war,
llor. who had Jared through the bat,
'ie's din and havoc, had come, SCARED
and MANNED, from the cannon's mouth
into the pleasant places of the world:
was. nevertheless. weak enough fool
enough to be moved by the bursting
OF sQuib and the scent of a spoon.
full Of powder.
And yet-IIow we'll she looked! How
lightly Time had tried her! Not that
three years ought to make any per-
cepuble difference in woman of
five and twenty. but it rather hurt
his sense of self love to find that the
separation had told as little outward
ly upon her as it had upon him. Not
u change in her: not a flaw in her!
IL was as though Time had reversed
the rolling of the scroll and brought
her back TO the springtime and the
days OF her rose white girlhooi. The
same swcetly smiling mouth, the same
brightly Flashing eyes, the same pref.
~, birdlike trick of the never quiet
head. 1t would have been irritating
III any other woman, that constant
fluttering disQuiet. but in her-Lan.
lister hesitatcd for Il moment and
then swung away from the throng
about him and made his way across
the room to where she stood Some
tln1n hn hn, l,n tNJ1 1T
self-that was inevitable-so, why
not now as well as any other?
Within yard Of where she stood,
and now SO near that he could have
stretched forth his hand and touched
her, his hostess barred the way. She
Was one Of those amiable social idiots
who label all their guests at intro.
duction as though the glory of their
attachments shed some reflected
greatness on themselves
"Mr. Lanister, permit me to de.,in
You for moment" she interposed
81 want to have the pleasure of in
Producing relative. My nephew, Mr..
Fawdrey. Mr. Lanister You must
have heard of Mr.. Lanister even in
the West, Philip-Mr. George Lanis-
ter. who wrote Don Scarpia' and THE
Sands of Pactolus.' Everybody has
read them and talked OF them--every.
body"
Lanister knew from the sudden ces-
sation of sound that she too had
heard. and the consciousness that she
had turned her head and was looking
ut him brought another vague, indie
Unable thrill. He got through the in
PRODUCTION somehow. then lifted his
eyes and let them find their way to
hers.
Always, since first he heard OF her
success, and knew that the laurel. Of
attained desire had come to her at
last, he had known that some day,
somewhere, somehow. they two must
meet again--that was inevitable-and
always he had wondered what form
the words Of greeting would take.
Now that the moment had como
''Er-How do you do?" she replied
with one of her joyous laughs. "You
know I always did Doady-it's n way
of mine"
Doady. The old pet name fell from
her lips as naturally as though 1t was
only yesterday she used it last and
although the mention of it brought a
faint gust of color to I,anister's face,
no change came over the smiling love.
Illness of hers.
az half fancied | should meet you--
one meets everybody Of Importance Mt
Mrs. Montrcssors sometime, you
know" she went on in slightly low
cred voice. 1T is the tax that Art
has TO pay to Commerclalism-w
Commercialism is In a position to write
its check for millions. After all, tho
call OF Mammon penetrates even the
Temple of the MUSES., Doady, and
millionairess can lure even Melpo-
meme, if she serves strawberries and
peaches in midwinter. Yes. ! rather
thought should meet you here"
did that influence you at all?" y
Influence meg" She gave one of
her sweet ripping laughs and twitch.
ed her barred shoulder in the way Lam
lister remembered SO well. "My
dear Doady, why should it?"
yes, that's it-why should it?" said
Lanister a trifle moodily. I'VE each
chose our own path, each cut adrift.
and. as you say. why should mere
meeting again influence us? |. read
a great deal about you in the papers
last winter. That chap who writes
the Musical Matters inh'Thc Era
spoke highly of your success In Milan
and Rome: likened your voice to Pat
it's in her prime, and all that sort of
thing"
Eyes. they were very kind to me
public and critics alike could have
sung all this winter at La Scala IL
chose. They offered me the engage.
ment on my own terms; but pre-
ferred to come home"
''Why?"
Good gracious. you ask woman
'Why?' And Of all womcn--me! Tho
fancy took me. that's all. never in.
dulge in self analysis. 1t Is too much
like performing a surgical operation
on butterfly. You know looking at
him archly, ~ am butterfly. You
used to say so often, when--when the