Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-03-18

year is little enough" she said impa-
tiently. 'I--what has happened 10 US
requires an Interval-a decent interval
for its burial. stephen Slward. what
do you think OF me nowT"
81 am learning" he replied simply.
"What. II you pleasef'
Learning a little about what | am
losing"
''You mean mel"
Eyes"
She bent forward impulsively. bal
anclng her body on the POOLS rim
with both arms, dropping her knee un-
I'll her ankles swung interlocked above
the water. Listen" she said In low.
distinct voice. what you lose Is no
other mans gain. II | warm and ex-
pand In your presence. II | say clever
things sometimes, II | am intelligent.
sympathetic and amusing. II Is because
Of you. You inspire IA in me. Normal
ly | am the sort of girl you first met
at the station. | tell you that ! don't
know myself now; that have not
known myself since knew you. Quail
tiles Of understanding. ability to APP
preciate, to express myself without
employing the commonplaces, subtle
ties of intercourse-all, maybe. were
latent In me. but sterile until you came
into my life. And when you go. then,
lacking impulse and incentive, the new
facility. the new sensitive alertness.
the unconscious self confidence, all
will smolder and die out I'm me. Shall
we take farewell plunge and dress?
You know we say goodby tomorrow"
"Where do you go from herer
ITO Lenox. The Claymores have
asked us for week. After that Hot
Springs for another two weeks or so.
After that to Oyster Bay. Mr.. Quar-
rier opens his house o. Sedge point"
she added demurely, '1tSt | don't think
he expects to invite you to The Sedges
"How long do you stay there?" ask
cd Siward irrltably.
until we go to town In December"
what will you find to do all that
time in Oyster BayY he asked. more
irritably.
what a premature question! The
yacht is there. Besides. there's the
usual neighborhood hunting. with the
usual packs and inevitable set, the
usual steeple chasing the usual ex
change OF social amenities. the usual
driving and riding, the usual, my poor
friend. the usual, In all its uncompro-
missing certainty. And what are you
TO do?'
I'm going to town"
"And thenT
81 don't know"
"Oh, but haven't you been asked
somewhere? You have, OF course"
"Yes, and | have declined"
MATTERS of business" she inferred
TOO badr'
ooh, no."
Then" she concluded, laughing,
you don't care to tell me where you
are going"
"No," he said thoughtfully; II don't
care To tell you"
She laughed again carelessly and.
placing one hand on the tiled pave
ment, sprang lightly to her feet
"a last plungeT' she asked as he
rose at her side.
Eyes. one last plunge together. Deep
Are you ready?'
She raised her white arms above her
head, finger tips joined poised an In
slant on the brink. swaying forward;
then. ut his brief word. they flashed
downward together, cutting the crys
tal,ira sea water. shooting like great
nsh over the glass tiled bed shoulder
TO shoulder under the water and, open
ing their eyes. they turned toward one
another with swift outstretch OF
hands. an uncomfortable touch OF lips.
the very shadow of contact; then
cleaving upward, rising to the surface
to lie breathlessly floating. arms ex-
tended and the sun filtering down
through the ground glass roof above
"We are perfectly crazy she
breathed. I'm quite mad; | see that
On land it's bad enough for us TO mis-
behave But submarine sentiment,
Wen be growing scales and tails pres
emily. Shall we dress? Even with q
maid and the electric air blast 1t will
take time to dry my hair and dress 1t.
men ne cdInt OUT Ol QltcSlnb
room she was apparently still in the
hands of the maid. 9 he sauntered
through the house as far as the IL
brary and drawing a check book from
one pocket, fshed out memorandum
book from another and began to cast
up totals with a view to learning some
thing about the various debts contract
ed at Shotover
He seemed to owe everybody. For
tune had smitten him hip and thigh.
and. a tri1e concerned. he began COW
fr-,1 ering a pad with
III III figures until he
I'LL knew where he
- stood. Then he
Nh drew a consider
~ able check TO
la lNESAI Major Belweth-
No. ~ ers order. anoth-
~lt er to Alderdene.
N ~ Others followed
II M TO other people
fanU for rious