Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1907-02-01
Temper and
Green Tulle
BY Sarah Mcconnell
Copyright, 1905, by Ruby Douglas

II Copyright, 1905, by Ruby Douglas
He was busy getting the thought Of
her out of his mind, sore put to 1t to be
free and his own man again. She was
capricious, inconstant, vain: she was
self willed and full Of wiles; she was
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 rulings and bill
lowings of her gown-that frivolous.
fiuttering, elusive green tulle he had
watched all evening as she danced
with every other man In the room
with Herbert Hartley, dawdling.
dangling derelict, a signpost to every
path but that of rectitude-of all men
in the world, Herbert Hartleyl
From her carriage corner Alexandra
sighed. i've had such q good time,
and now / suppose there's the piper to
pay"
'If you mean there Is Hartley to set
tie for
Herbert? You've a tone that hints
at thirdly and fourthly, brethren and
poor Herbert! He's SO much more of
a song than a sermon"
That began 1t. He had never meant
to quarrel, only to deal with her In q
firm, prompt fashion, as man should.
Firm, prompt he had been. with GER
tain ability Of exposition that served
him well in courts of law, but with
Alexandra
She bent down as he ended. Are
you there, Alexandria she asked Of
the floor. Poor dear, there 10 nothing
left to pick up. oh, I'm tired, tiredl
I'm stified. can't breathe. There,
take 1t back!' And she tossed the
ring across to him. "Now one can
draw a free breath"
alexandria" he begged.
But he had cut, and she meant be
should pay. And hers was a pretty
gift of table turning.
He held his anger down. No more
doors should slam by chance about
him, and 1t 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 must put on my bonds
again2 Where is the ringr"
But he hadn't the ring.
"You had 1t last"
II laid It In your lap"
But It was not In her lap nor the
seat nor the carriage. Alexandra
laughed. "oh, thrifty George. are you
sure you've not taken 1t back for safe
keepingp
He stood long moment at her door.
"And Hartley" he said.
Insistence was match to her powder.
How can / 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 I
fail to remember Bring It back to me
and good nlghtp'
After week OF wrath mingled with
pain he got himself under control and
wrote her But the answer came back
the same absurd, maddenlng, almost
insulting reiteration-the ring. always
the ring A peryersity first or pre-
text, did she use 1t now as weapon
He hadn't the ring, she knew.
Life was turmoil once Alexandra en-
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 off
before I raise a blister"
But she was In every wind that blew,
and without her nothing was worth
while that once had been.
SO for fortnight he had gone about
his accustomed ways. and, though
many "A autter Of familiar skirts had
set his heart a-jump, yet he never had
met Alexa since that night. Nhen n
case OF some Importance took him out
Of town with such sharp demand upon
all his faculties that he had known a
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 pnst with swift hope
that Alexa would not be with them.
And then unexpectedly with a group
near the Hurds-there was Aiexai
Yes, 1t 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 disdked-she acted out acute
surprise. He 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 vainl Well,
at least she would make him feel once
more and betray 1t; she would wiring
out of him protest.
And then her mind misgave her.
Was she being left with the situation
on her hands? Would he accept with
out protest7 Would he never speak,
She looked up and then down again
to her ungIoyed hand on which his
eyes were fixed. A seal ring of Her
bert's took the place Of the one that
was lost. A Jqke-a stupid joke-but
stupidity lent her a stammering tongue.
George, George" she called after
him, but she entreated only an inhexi-
BILE back. With Herbert's name on her
lips and Herbert's ring on her finger,
she was indeed left committed to the
situation the last Of her desiring.
Alexandra Haunted Herbert Hartley