The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-05-03


viii passed through her In aesuddeE
sense o. fear. Her lips parted in depre
cation. but be. closely attentive OF hel
expression. spoke again quickly.
When can see your he asked very
J quietly.
Again she was about 70 speak She
leaned forward. as II some thought
long suppressed trembled ON her lips,
then her courage or her desire failed
her. She leaned back. letting her Iashes
troop over her eyes II shall be home
At H. she said below her breath
LOder dinel with Lakeley at Chill
oOte's club, and 50 absorbing were the
political interests Of the hoIr-the res
gnatiOn Of Sir Robert Scarborough. the
kings summoning Of Fraide. the prob
able features OF the new ministry-that
It was after O'Clock when at last he
freed himself and drove to the Area
dian theater
The sound Of music came to him as
le entered the theater-light. measured
usie suggestive OF tiny streams. toy
.aIbs and painted shepherdesses. 1t
sounded singularly inappropriate to his
mood-as inappropriate as the theater
Itself with its gay gliding, its pale
tones Of pink and blue 1t was the set
Ding of a different world-a world Of
laughter, light thoughts and shallow
Impulses, In which he had no part
1t was the interval between the first
and second acts. The box was In
shadow. and Loder'S FIRST impression
was Of voices and rustling skirts, bro
ken in upon by the murmur OF fire.
Quent amused laughter Later, as his
eyes grew accustomed to the light, he
distinguished the occupants, two w0-
men and man. The man was speak
Ing as he entered, and the story he
was relating was evidently interesting
from the faint ordinations Of ques-
ton and delight that punctuated it in
the listeners higher, softer voices
"Ah, here comes the legislator eX-
claimed Leonard Kaine, for 1t was he
who formed the male element in the
party.
The revolutionary, Lennie," Lillian
corrected softly. 'BramfelI says he
has changed the whole face Of things"
She laughed softly and IN 4anIngly as
she closed her fan. $50 good OF you 10
come, Jack" she added LET me in
Roduce you to Miss Esseltyn. I don't
think you two have met. This is Mr.
ChiIcote. Mary-the great, new Mr..
ChiIcote" Again she laughed.
LOder bowed and moved to the front
q the box, nodding to Kaine as he
passed
"It's only for an hour" he explained
b Lillian. 81 have an appointment for
L."
only an hour! Oh, how unkind!
How should punish him, LennieT
LILLIAN looked round at Kaine with q
lingering. caressing glance.
He bent toward her In quick re-
sDonse and answered in a whisper.
She laughed and replied in an equally
ow tone
LOder, to whom both remarks had
,sen inaudible, dropped into the vacant
'eat beside Mary Esseltyn. He had
he unsettled feeling that things were
Aot falling out exactly as he had calcu-
ated.
what is the play Iike?' he hazarded
10 he looked toward his companion AT ! I
II times social trivialities bored him. {
Tonight they were intOlerable He had ,
ONE to fight, but all at once 1t seemed ]
hat there was no opponent Lillian's |
ttitude disturbed him; her careless 4
her evident ignoring of
i'm for Kaine, might mean nothing. q
ut also it might mean much. q
''rt is good play" she responded. ~ I
ne II better than the book. You've
lad the book. OF courseT' q
mo" Loder tried hard to fx his
.oughts. q
"It's amusing but far fetched '
"Indeed| He picked up the pro- q
-amme lying on the edge of the box
is ears were strained TO catch the 4
ne of Lillian's voice as she laughed 4
I'd whispered with Kaine. .
Eyes. men exchanging identities, you y
low" .
He looked up and caught the girls q
IL possessed glance. "Ohr he said. m
ndeedr' Then again he looked away. W
was intolerable. this feeling Of be- v
z Gagged up! A sense of anger crept Al
rough his mind. 1t almost seemed ~
at Lillian had brought him there to fr
owe that she had finished with him, had
st him aside, having used him for the In
VS. excitement as she had used her
odles, her Persian cats, her crystal -
zing. All at once the impotency and
certainty of his position goaded him.
lrning swiftly in his seat, he glanced !.
ok to where she sat slowly swaying ~
r fan, her pale. golden hair and her r
lie colored gown delicately silhouetted
ainst the background of the box.
What's your idea Of the play, Lii
ny he said abruptly. To his own
RS there was a note of challenge in
voice.
The looked around languidly. "oh,
quite amusing" she said. 1T
kos a delicious overwhelmingly