The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-01-18
Tie Ee!s and Intelligence:
BEL AIR, MD. JAN. 1e, 1907.
Temper and
Green Tulle
BY Sarah Mcconnell
Copyright, 1905. bys Ruby Douglas

He was busy getting the thought of
her out of his mind, sore put to it to be
free and his own man again. She was
| capricious, inconstant, vain; she was
| self willcd and full of wiles; she wa@-
| oh, she was Alexandra Lee. He would
| not think of her.
! A great deal that had happened that
| night was blurred to him. But the
| bang of the carriage door as they
started home reverberated In his mind
| like the crack of doom. 1t had slipped
| from his hand and swung to with a
crash AleXandra's laugh Knocked him.
with any one else, George, I'd have
said the door slammed"
| He remembered how she looked as
| he turned, something strange in her
| eyes that matched, in impression, the
| misty multitudinous ruffiings and bill
| lowings of her gown that frivolous.
| f1uttering, elusive green tulle he had
watched all evening as she danced
| with every other man in the rooln-
| with Herbert Hartley, a dawdling,
dangling derelict, signpost to every
| path but that of rectitude all men
in the world, Herbert Hartley!
From her carriage corner Alexandra
| sighed. I've had such a good time,
and now 1 suppose there's the piper to
pay"
"If you mean there is Hartley to set
/ tie for
| Herbert? You've tone that hints
at thirdly and fourthly, BRETHREN and
poor Herbert! Hes so muSh more of
a song than sermon"
That began it. He had never meant
| to quarrel, only to deal with her in a
| firm, prompt fashion, as a man should.
| Firm, prompt he had been~ with GER
| tain ability of exposition that served
| him we'll in courts of law, but with
| Alexandria
She bent down as he ended. Are
you there, Alexandria" she asked of
| the floor Poor dear, there is nothing
left to pick up. Oh, I'm tired, tired!
I'm stifed. l can't breathe. There,
take it back"' And she tossed the
| ring across to him. Now one can
| draw free breath"
"Alexandraw he begged.
But he had cut, and she meant he
should pay. And hers was pretty
gift of table turning.
He held his anger down. No more
| doors should slam by chance about
him, and it was only as they neared
the house that he interrupted:
I've haven't gained anything this
way. Discuss me again. The point is
Herbert Hartley"
Then 1 must put on my bonds
again? Where is the ring?'
But he hadn't the ring.
You had it last
Il laid it in your lap"
But 1t was not in her lap nor the
seat nor the carriage. Alexandra
laughed. "Oh, thrifty George, are you
sure you've not taken it back for safe
lleopingY'
He stood Il long moment ut her door.
And Hartley" he said.
InSistence was match to her powder.
How can l answer unless we're en-
gagged? And people can't be engaged
without rings, can they, George? You
seem to think with mine on that
fail to remember. Bring it back TO me
and good n:ght."'
After Il week OF wrath mingled with
pain he got himself under control and
wrote her. But the answer came back
the same absurd, maddening, almost
insulting rcitcration-the ring, always
the ring. \ pcrvcrsity first or a pre-
81,
he hadn't the ring, she knew.
Life was turmoil once Alexandra ell
tered, and he remembered with what
perverse astuteness she had said her
self: I'm like mustard plaster on
your mind. You'd better take me of
before l raise Il blister"
But she was in every wind that blew,
and without her nothing was worth
while that once had been.
So for a fortnight he had gone about
his accustomed ways, and, though
many flutter of familiar skirts had
set his heart a-jump, yet lie never had
met AleXa since that night. Then
case of some Importance took him out
of town with such sharp demand upon
all his faculties that he had known q
sort of respite.
But back in the town his work was
all to do again. He went his way
down to his office; he bowed to peo-
pie who drove past with swift hope
that Alexa would not be with them.
And then unexpectedly with a group
near the Hurds-there was AleXa!
Yes, it was Alexandra and Evelyn
Hurd, and with them Herbert Hartley.
The group stood until he had almost
reached them, when Hartley turned.
and Evelyn went back to the house,
while AleXa stopped by the Hurds'
waiting carriage.
He knew she had seen him long be-
fore, butt was one of her insincerities
he most disliked-she acted out acute
surprise. lie put sitter guard upon
himself
A sitter guard. She called it by
another name. She hated him when
he was like that. How futile he made
her feel, how trivial, how vain! Well,
at least size would make him feel once
more and bctray it; she would wiring
out of him Il protest.
And then her mind msgave her.
Was she being left with the situation
OH her hands? Would he accept with
out protest? Would he never speak?
She looked up and then down again
to her ungloved hand on which his
eyes were fixed \ seal ring of Her
berts took the place of the one that
was lost. 4 jOke-a Stupid ioke-but
stupidity lent her a stammering tongue.
George, George" she called after
him, but she entreated only an infiexi-
bic back. With Hcrbcrt's name on her
lips and IIcrbert's ring on her finger
she was indeed left committed to the
situation the last of her desiring.
Alexandra Haunted Herbert Hartley
in Greentield'S face: she waved him