Charlevoix county herald., 1907-02-09
CHAPTER XXl-Continued.

suggested that our ring had reused
hi from a bed where he had deposit
ed himself without bothering to take
off his clothes. At the sound OF my
voice. Bali peered out of his private
smollngroom. at the far end OF the
hall He started forward then, see
ing how | was accompanied, stopped
with mouth ajar He had on ragged
smoking jacket, a pair OF shapeless old
Romeo slippers, his ordinary business
waistcoat and trousers. He was wear
ing neither tie noE COLLAR, and short,
black pipe was b. Teen 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
nateIy, his shiny bald head and his
heavy brown mustache He got him.
self together sufficiently, after few
seconds, to disappear into his den.
When ne came out again, pipe and
ragged jacket were gone, and he
rushed for us in a gorgeous velvet
jacket with dark red facings, anu a
show pair of slippers.
Glad to see you, Mr.. Blacklock"
in his own home he always addressed
every man as Mister, just as Mrs.
b." always called him Mister Ball, y
and he called her Mrs. BALI before
company" Come right into the
front parlor Billy, turn on the elec-
trio lights"
Aolta had been standing with her
head down. She now looked round
with shame and terror in those ex-
preS5iye bluegray eyes of hers; her
delicate nostrils were quivering. |
fastened to introduce Ball to her.
Her impulse to fly passed; her life
lons training in doing the conven-
tidaai thing asserted itself. She low
cred her head again, murmured an in
audible acknowledgment of Joe's
greeting.
Your wife is at home?" 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 it, They had
no friends and few acquaintance. In
their humbler and happy days they
had had many friends. but had lost
them when they moved away from
Brooklyn and went TO live, like I'M
easy. Out-of-place visitors, in their
tn hn n
they ionged to be, longing to be what
they pretended to be, and as discon-
tented as they deserved.
I "Oh. yes. Mrs. BIS at home Joe
answered. Il guess she and Alva
were 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
the females of the family were in no
condition to receive, Anita said to me
in a dow voice: Let us GO
/ pretended not to hear. "Rout EN-
out said l to joe Then, take my
electric and bring the nearest parson.
There's going to be wedding right
here" And | looked round the long
salon. with everything draped for the
summer departure. Joe whisked the
cover Off one chair, his man took off
another. I'll have the women-folk
down in two minutes" he cried. Then
to tho man: Get move on you,
Billy. Stir EN- up in the kitchen DO
the best you can about supper-and
put lot of champagne on the ice
That's the main thing at a wedding -
Anita had seated herself listlessly
in one OF the uncovered chairs. The
wrap slipped back from her shoulders
and-how proud y was of her! Joe
gazed, took advantage of her not look
ing up to slap me on the back and to
jerk his head in enthusiastic approval.
Then he. too, disappeared
A few minutes of silence and there
was rustling on the stairs. She
started up, trembling, looked round,
as il seeking some way to escape or
some place to hide. Joe was in the
3rorway holding aside one of the cur
ia ms There entered in a beribboned
and beaounced tea-gown, a pretty, if
rather ordinary, woman of forty, with
petuant baby face. She was trying
to look reserved and severe. She
hardly glanced at me before fastening
sharp, suspicious eyes on Anita
Mrs. Ball. said l. this is Miss
Ellersly."
Miss Ellersly!" she exclaimed, her
face changing. And she advanced and
took both Anitas hands. Mr.. Ball is
so stupid" she went on, with that
amusingly affected accent which is
the Sunday clothes" of speech.
IL didn't catch the name, my dear, "
Joe hammered.