Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-26
CHAPTER VI.


morning there were no signs of the
breach between Vincent and myself
except his unusual pallor, which sug-
gested to me that he, too, had spent a
seepless night.
The girls were inclined to joke our
solemn faces, but so long as the meal
passed off without disclosing that
something was amiss between us did
not care. All day we saw nothing OF
each other, but this was not unusual,
as we always pursued different courses.
/ spent most of my time with Agatha
Fourth. the only honorable, whom |
found to be a really delightful girl and
certainly the possessor of remarkable
musical talent
In the evening the others went out to
row on the lake and left Agatha Fourth
alone with me. She sat at the piano
and played everything she could think
of, while lay on a broad divan where
l could watch her and listen to the soft
music.
1 suppose that my bad night had
something to do with the fact that l
was boor enough to fall asleep While
the beautiful Agatha Fourth was play
ing for me. Certainly l know that l
was guilty of that appalling rudeness,
for l was suddenly brought to state
of consciousness by the sound OF
clock striking. l counted the strokes
mechanically-there were IL. 1 must
nd
the room was dark except for the fire
light, and my sighted hostess was
gone from the piano stool. AS l was
about to rise l heard voices and, turn
ing, l saw on the other side of the
piano a man and a girl. The man was
Vincent. of course, and l thought, as
! looked at him sitting full in the bright
freight. that he had never looked so
handsome. His evening dress showed
off his superb athletic form to the best
advantage, and his face was fresh and
strong, with the bronze of his tan eX-
tending to the roots of his hair, which
was cut close to conceal a wave in the
gold of ii. It occurred to me at once
that his face had lost much of its boy
ishness and he looked every inch a
man. But it took me some time to
realize that the girl who sat with him
was none other than the secretary.
At first 1 could not tell what it was
that had so changed her. whether 1t
was her shimmering white evening
gown. or the cleaning bracelets, until
at last it came to me in a flash that 1t
was nothing more nor less than the
glory of her hair that had wrought the
transformation. l had never seen the
secretary with her hair done any way
but plainly and unbecomingly but now
1t was dressed as l knew it should have
been dressed long ago. She wore it
low on her long, slender neck, rolled at
the sides and ripping loosely back
from her forehead, in shining waves
and little wilful rings held in place
with big shell combs.
And when at last it dawned upon me
that it was really the secretary who
was Vincent's companion, so breathless
was l with amaze that at first hardly
realized that l could hear perfectly
what they were saying. And when
did realize it, l wanted to rise and let
them know that l was there, but on
second thought l saw that 1 must have
been there for so long that they would
never believe that had not heard the
whole of their conversation. Further
more, it occurred to me that it might
be we'll If / stayed to hear what Miss
Marsh had to say for herself.
And so l calmly took the dress and
put it on, just to amuse myself"
heard the secretary saying, 'and did
my hair the way the others do theirs,
you know. And it was so late thought
no one would find me here"
And if 1 hadn't left my pipe on the
table no one would have found you,
and think what l should have miss
ed" Vincents voice was eloquent.
"Of course, it was very vain of me,
very vain," she went on; but you
know when a girl has TO earn her own
living she gets a little tired Of all work
and no play and sometimes the impulse
To pretend she's fortunate and happy
ed under Vincent's gaze as she faltered
the last word, and hurried On-"and
like the others-is so strong that il
tempts her to deck herself out in bOr-
rowed plumes and sit in an empty
drawing room at II o'clock at night
enjoying the illusion for a brief hour
NO" said Vincent, softly, Il dom
. h
most natural thing in the world, and
and I'm glad you did it," he ended
rather lamely.
The secretary laughed, and l won
dered what there was about the sOunt
that made Vincent rave over it. Then
as his eyes wandered to her hair. ht
sighed.
why slightest thou. oh, furnace" she
smiled at him.
Il was just thinking about some
thing"
About what"
You don't want to hear?"
"Ah! But I do!'
"An right then" He turned on he
swiftly. II was just looking" he said
lat your hair I'll bet the angels nave
haloS like that"
The secretary blushed. IT'S horriC
hair" she said, giving it vindictiv'
little pull that only brought it to
more charming disarray Il hate tn
color of it, Why when l was chili
never could bear to have the her"ine'
of the fairy tales have a shining hea(
Of golden hair, and l used to thini
mine was gold and one day when
said so and was told, No your hair i
red. not gold, l cried for days after
ward"
you poor little thing" he said, hi
face as full of sympathy as if thos'
tears had just been shed. And for tn
life Of her the secretary couldn't hell
her lip trembling, though she knew
oIc,,rI on6 worry Tnupb a Sha m