Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-07-17

preparatory to the rite, sacred in
Milltown, of dressing for the after
noon Susan, who. Notwithstanding
tho fact that she had just returned
from an art school and did not deny
bclng artistic. refused to be called
Suzanne, was doing something to her
face with the aid of Il handSlass aud
many unbecomng grimaces.
What are you going to wear this
afternoon inquired Mrs Ilolton III
an deliberately careless voice.
"Nothing-that IS. I'm going tot
wash my hair, since there Is not II
place in this metropolis where can
have 1t washed for me-
But, Susie, Not in the afternoon!
There Will surely be callers"
Just say I'm not at home and don't
bother said Susan, drawing out her
halrpns and letting her rcd hair
down over her yellow and brown and
tan kimono.
You forget that you are not in New
York. said her sister SHARPLY DO
try to forget that You have been to
art school and be descent to people.
Not ut home won't 20 here. Every
| one in this village knows that you
are mt home. for you couldn't posi-
bly, get away without someone seeing
YOU go And. anyway, | asked that
MIR. Bates over to call on YOU"
kind of you What MIR. I,atcs?"
asked Susan. dropping her comb and
STOPPING to pick it up.
Mrs. Barton's nephew Hes from
tho East somewhere, and he has the
incest manners | thought maybe
you'd like to have someone come who
is little moro like the men you are
used to-" she added
81 wouldn" said Susan cmphatlcally.
And it was nice of YOU to think OF
it. Perhaps he'll come late in the
afternoon and my hair will lie all
dry. I'll hurry" And she ran down
the hall and slammed the bathroom
door after her.
There's something familiar about
the name she said to her face in the
glass while the water WAS running.
"And-and | don't particularly want
TO sec any more of the Bates elan
hut IL Bessie should find out. she'd
never let me forget 1t. So I'll see
her Mr.. Bates and try To get interest
cd in this place"
Shc played croQuct with her little
niece while her hair dried and the
latter half of the game brought her
down OH her knees and bumped the
gaudy ball With care and precision
against the little post, and while she
knclt Il young man walked up the
straight walk to the front door.
And so 1t happened that three min
utcs later rs she entered the sitting
room, with her glowing, windblown
hair and flushed face. she was just
in time 10 hear her sisters COMPANY
voice say:
Come right out into the sitting
room, Mr. Bates it's so much colcr
there"
She gained tho stair closet just in
time, ana softly pulled the door shut
after her. And then, safely hidden.
she called herself n goose.
"Why didn't YOU 70 back out into
the yard and reach your room by the
ladder? No one but Bessie would
live in house that has no back
stairs
She hoped the caller would not stay
long. but she knew there was no tell
ing what false hopes her sister would
hold out To the young man to keep
him until Susan should appear. She
did ct know That Susan was II the
closet. and II she had known il she
would not have known how to get her
ont OF H.
! "But if she had one grain or sense,
which unfortunately she has not. or
she'd not be trying to make Il match
for me. she'd know that / presume
hly in the back yard. could not get
to my room In any way save through
the place whore they are sitting
The closet was small airlcss. dusty
f,l ~ ,.lA r1S
hardly dared move for fear of knock
ing something down
mot that care for being dlscov
cred" she reasoned. "for that would
serve them both right. lat do moi
care to bring inns golf sticks or In
dian clubs down on my dcfcnsclcss
head I'm not much of clubwom
an" She searched cautiously for 4
kcyholc and found none.
"Of course not" she muttcrcd dis
custody Il am denied even the
small comfort of Watching the dismay
on Bessic's face as fail to appear
SO | must think upon my sins and
he patient | presume
She sank back on her heels and
moppcd her hot face with one corner
of her kimono. 81 hope 1t doesn't
fade" she thought
Presently she rested her forehead
ON her knees and forgot time and
place. and heat and discomfort. Her
thoughts were busy.
Il suppose he and Maudc Forman
are married by this time. wish
knew how that happened lie always
said he did not care for her baby kind
of prottincss. Ii must have been her
talent No one can deny that She
had tho rest of MS beaten all hollow.
That LITTLE charactcrless. baby-faccd
thing cOnld paint better than Dan