The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1907-01-10

Il
eyes cast down.
80 did l." said Ormsby. But Mrs
Brentwood cut 1t short. She's town
person, and so is Penelope" And II
was not until the soup plates had been
removed that he added a question.
"Are you going out to see them this
evening, David? You have my royal
permission"
"No"-bluntly.
Isn't IL up TO you TO go and give
them a chance to jolly you little? |
think they are all aching 20 Go H.
Mrs. Hepzlbab has seen the rising
stock quotations. and she thinks you
are It."
mo; | can't go there any more"
said Kent, and his voice was gruffer
than he meant it to be.
why not?"
There were good reasons before;
there are better ones now"
"a 100000 difference?" suggested
Ormsby. who had had speech with
Loring.
Kent flushed a dull red.
II sha'n't strike you. Ormsby. no
matter what you say" he said. dog
gedly.
"Humph! There is one difference
between you and Rabbi Balaam's bur.
no. David; IL could talk sense. and you
can't" was the offensive reIoinder.
Kent changed the subject abruptly.
Say. Ormsby; I'm going into po-
litical office-hunt There Is a death va
cancy in the house. and mean to have
the nomination and election, | don't
need money now, but | do need a
friend. Are you with me?"
"Oh. sure. Miss Van Brock will an
swer for that"
But | don't want you TO do Il on
her account; want you TO do Il for
me-"
TITS all cne." said the club-man.
Kent looked up quickly.
you are right; that is the truest
word you've said tonight" and he
went away. leaving the dessert I'M
touched.
The evening was still young when
Kent reached the house in Alameda
square. Within the week the weather
hand changed, and the first chill OF the
approaching autumn was in the air.
The great square house was lighted
| and warmed, and the homelikeness OF
the place appealed to him as II never
had before. To her other gifts, which
were many and diverse, Miss Van
Brock added that of home-making; and
the aftermath Of battle is apt to be an
acute longing for peace and quiet, for
domesticity and creature comforts.
She was waiting for him when he
entered the comfortable library.
Il knew you would come tonight.
she said, cheerfully. Il gave you n
day to drive the nail--and. o David!
you have driven It welll-anoth~r day
to clinch 1t. and a third TO recover
from the effects. Have you fully re-
| covered?"
Il hope so. took the day for It. at
all events" he laughed. II am just
out of bed. as you might say"
Il can imagine how il took It out of
you" she assented. Not so much the
work, but the anxiety. Night before
last, after Mr.. Loring went away, sat
IL out with the telephone, pagging
poor Mr.. Hildreth for news until
know he wanted to murder me"
How much did you get of it?" he
asked.
HE told me all he dared-or perhaps
IL was all he knew-and II made me
feel miserably helpless. The little
could get from the Argus Office was
enough to prove that all your plans
had been changed at the last moment"
They were," he admitted; and he
began at the beginning and filed in
the details for her.
She heard him through without COM
ment other than a kindllng OF the
brown eyes at the climaxes OF daring;
but at the end she gave him praise
unstinted.
"You have played the man, David,
as I knew you would II you could be
once fully aroused. I've had faith In
you from the very first"
ut has been more than faith. Por-
tia" he asserted. soberly. you have
taken me up and carried me when
could neither run nor walk. Do you
| suppose | am so besotted as not to
realize that you have been the head.
while have been only the hand?"
"Nonsense," she said, lightly. you
are in the dumps Of the reaction now.
You mustn't saw things that you viii
be sorry for later on"
II am going to say one thing, never
theless: and will remain for you to
make IL a thing hard to be remem-
bered, or the other Kind. VIII you
take what there is Of me and make
! what you can Of itT-