Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-01-11

20 the darkest corner. where only riffs
OF light stole trembling in between the
shadowing vines. and there found con
venient seats. A moment they re-
NAMED in silence. and he could hear
her breathing
Have you truly been at the hall"
she questioned. "or we're YOU merely
fbbing 90 awaken my INTEREST,""
Il truly have been" he answered.
and actually have danced a measure
with the fair guest Of the evening"
with Phoebe Spencerl And vet
you dare pretend now to retain an in
terest fin me? Lieut.. Brant. you must
be a most talented deceiver. or else
the strangest person 1 ever met. Such
a miracle has never occurred beforei"
We'll, IL has certainly occurred
now; nor an ! in this any vain lie
ceiver- I truly met Miss Spencer. I
was the recipient o. her most eutranc-
Ing smiles. I listened 90 her modu-
lated voice; I bore her or a willing
captive. from a throng Of despairing
admirers. I danced with her. gazing
down into her eyes, with her fuzzy
hair brushing my cheek. yet resisted
an her charms and came forth think
ing only of you"
Indeed? Your prOof7"
He drew the white satin fan forth
from his pocket. and held it out to-
ward her with mock humility. This.
unpeiieving princess. Dispatched by
the fair lady in question 20 fetch this
bauble from the dress ng-room. / for
got my urgent errand In the sudden
delight OF finding you"
The case seems fully proved" she
confessed. laughingly. "and &c is sure
ly not my duty 70 punish the culprit.
What did you talk about? But. pshaw.
I know well enough without asking
she told you how greatly she admired
the romance OF the west. and begged
you 20 call upon her with a recits7r-of
your own exploits. Have not guessed
arieht?"
Partially. at least; some such ex-
pressions were used"
"Of course. they always are I do
not know whether they form merely a
part Of her stock in trade. or are
spoken earnestly. You would laugh 10
hear the tales of Wild and thrilling ad-
venture which she picks up. and acfn-
ally believes. That Jack Monat pos
sesses the most marvellous imagina-
ton for such things. and IL make fun
OF his impossible stories she becomes
angry in an instant"
1 am afraid YOU do not greatly ad-
miro this Miss Spencer"
"Oh, but ] do; truly do. You must
not think me ungrateful. No one has
ever helped me more. and beneath
this mask OF artihciality she IS really
nobie-hearted woman. do not IN
derstand the necessity for people 10
lead false lives Is IL this way I'm all
society-eastern society I mean? Do
men and women there continually
scheme and lirt, smile and stab. for
ever assuming parts like so many play
actors?"
1T is far too common" he admitted
touched by her naive questioning
What is known as fashionable social
life has become an almost pitiful
sham, and you can scarcely conceive
the relief il Is 10 meet with one utter
y uncontaminated by its miserable de-
ceits, its shallow make-believes. IL is
no wonder you shock the nerves OF
such people; the deed IS easily accom-
plished"
But I do not mean to-" And she
looked at him gravely. striving to
make him comprehend. Il try so hard
TO be-be commonplace. and-and sat
listed. Only there is so much that
seems silly. useless. piufully con-
temptlble that l lose all patience.
Perhaps / need proper training In what
Miss Spencer calls refinement; but
why should I pretend to Ike what I
don't Ike, and 20 believe what I don't
believer Cannot one act a lie as we'll
as speak one? And is Il no longer
right TO search after the truth?"
4 have always felt it was our duty
to discover the truth wherever posi-
BILE" he said. thoughtfully; yet. I
confess, the search is not fashionable.
nor the earnest seeker popular"
A little trill OF laughter flowed from
between her parted lips, but the sound
was not altogether merry.
Most certainly I am not. They all
scold me. and repeat with manifest
horror the terrible things l say, being
that they are evil. Why
should suspect thoughts that come
to me naturally. 1 want to know, to
/ grope about In the
dark. II seems to me sometimes that
this whole world is a mystery. I 20
to Mr.. Wynkoop with my question.
and they only seem to shock him.
Why should they? God must have put
all these doubts and wonderings into
.E4.as.:. 800 8. "