Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-02-15

supposed. Now he's found out he will
be nice. It's been days since I've had
talk with him. He tried to, but
wouldn't. Besides, the major has said
nasty things about him when Howard
was present - nothing definite, only
hints, smiling silences, innuendoes on
the verge of matters rather unfit, and
l had nothing definite to refute. 1
| could not even appear to understand
or notice, it was all done In such q
horribly vague way. But 1t only made
me like him, and no doubt that actress
he took to the PATRONS is better COM
pany than he finds in nine places out
of ten among his own sort"
"Oh," said Grace Ferrall slowly, eff
that is the way you feel 1 don't see
why you shouldn't play with Mr.. ST.
ward whenever you like"
"Nor 1. I've been q perfect fool not
to. Howard hates him."
"How do you know?"
what a question! A woman knows
such things. Then, you remember that
caricature-so dreadfully like Howard.
Howard has no sense Of humor. He
detests such things. It was the most
dreadful thing that Mr.. Siward could
have done to him."
I"Meddled again. groaned Grace.
Doesn't Howard know that / did
| that?"
"Yes, but nothing l can say alters
his conviction that the likeness was
/ intended. You know it was a likeness.
And If Mr.. Siward had not told me
that it was not intended should new
er have believed it to be an accident"
After a prolonged silence Sylvia said
overcarelessly: 81 don't quite under
stand Howard. With me anger lasts
but a moment, and then I'm open to
overtures for peace. I think How
ards anger lasts"
cit does,' said Grace. "He was a
! muff as a boy-a prig with prig's
memory under all his shallow, snowy
surface. I'm frank with you. l never
could take my cousin either respect
fully or seriously, but I've known him
to take his own anger so seriously that
years after he has visited it upon those
who had really wronged him. And he
is equipped for retaliation if he chooses.
| That fortune Of his reaches far. Not
that think him capable Of using such
a power to satisfy a mere personal dis
/ like. Howard has principles, loads of
them, but the weapon Is there"
"Is it true that Mr.. Siward is inter
ested in building electric roads?' asked
j Sylvia curiously. "Mr. Mortimer said
So"
'"Then suppose he is. I'll ask Kemp
if you like. Why? Isn't it all right
! to build them"
st suppose so. Howard is in it some
how. In fact Towards company is
behind Mr.. Siwards, believe"
Grace Ferrall turned and looked at
the girl beside her. laughing outright
"Oh, Howard doesn't do mysterious
financial things. Besides that, If
| Howard is in that thing no doubt
Kemp and l are too. So your nice
young man is in very safe company"
"You draw such silly differences"
said Sylvia coolly, but there was a
| good deal of color in her cheeks, and
she knew il and pulled her big motor
veil across her face, fastening it under
her chin, all of which amused Grace
Ferrall infinitely until the subtler sig
nificance Of the girls mental processes
struck her, SOLDERING her own thoughts.
Sylvia, too, had grown serious in her
preoccupation, and the partie-a-deuX
terminated a few minutes later in a
! duet of silence over the teacups in the
gunroom.
A few moments later Sylvia, glanc-
ing over her shoulder, noticed that a
fine misty drizzle had clouded the case
ments. That meant that her usual
evening stroll on the cliffs with Quar-
rier before dressing for dinner was off.
And she drew a little breath Of uncon-
scious relief as Marion Page walked
in, her light wooden shooting jacket.
her hat, shoes and the barrels Of the
fowling piece tucked under her left
armpit, all glimmering frostily with
powdered raindrops.
She said something to Grace FerralI
about the mist promising good point
I shooting in the morning, took the or
! der book from a servant jotted down
her request to be called an hour before
sunrise, filed In the gunroom records
with her score-the species and num-
Der bagged and the number of shells
used-and, accepting the tea offered,
| drew out tiny cigarette case of sweet
! bay wood heavily crusted with rose
gold.
! with whom were you shootingY'
asked Grace, as Marion dropped one
well shaped leg over the other and
wreathed her delicately tanned fea-
lures In smoke.
stephen Siward and Blinky. They're
at it yet, but 1 had some letters to
write" She glanced leisurely at Sylvia
and touched the ash tray with the
whitening end of her cigarette. '"That
dog you let Mr.. Siward have is a good
one. I'm taking him to Jersey next
week for the cock shooting"
Sylvia returned her calm gaze blank
~.