Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-02-01

let that take care OF itself. Mean
while their sudden and capricious in
timacy had aroused him from the NOR
bid reaction consequent upon the cheap
nOtoriety which he had brought upon
himself. Let him sponge his slate
clean and begin again a better record.
fattered by the solicitude she had so
prettily displayed.
Whistling under his breath the same
gay, empty melody, he opened the top
drawer of his dresser, dropped in his
mothers letter and, locking the drawer,
y pocketed the key. He would have
time enough to read the letter when
he went to bed. He did not just now
feel exactly like Swimming through the
fond, foolish sermon which he knew
had been preached at him through his
mothers favOrite missionary, Grace
Ferrall. What was the use of drag
ging in the sad old questions again, of
repeating his assurances of good be-
havior, of reiterating his promises of
moderation and watchfulness, of eX-
planning his own self confidence? Bet
ter that the letter await his bedtime.
His prayers would be the sincerer the
fresher the impression, for he was old
fashioned enough to say the prayers
that an immature philosophy proved
superfiuOus, for, he thought, if prayer
is any use it takes only a few minutes
to be on the safe side.
So he went downstairs leisurely, pre-
pared to acquiesce in any suggestion
from anybody, but rather hoping to
saunter across Sylvia lands path be-
fore being committed.
She was standing beside the fire with
Quarter, one foot on the fender, ap-
parently too preoccupied to notice him.
So he strolled into the gunrOom, which
was blue with tobacco smoke and arc
matte with the volatile odors from de-
canterS.
There were few women there, and
the majority of the men, Lord Alder
dene, Major Belwether and Mortimer,
were at table by themselves. Stacks
of ivory chips and five cards spread in
the center of the green explained the
nature of their game, and Mortimer,
raising his heavy infamed eyes and
seeing Siward unoccupied, said Wheel
lily: "Cut out that widow and give
Siward his stack! Anything above
two pairs for jack triples the ante.
Come on. Siward, there's a decent
chapr
tod
to the blind goddess balanced upon her
winged wheel, and the cards ran high
so high that stacks dwinGled or top
pied within the half hour, and Morti-
mer grew redder and redder, and Ma
jOr Belwether blander and blander,
and Alderdene's face wore a continual
nervous snicker showing every white
hounds tooth, and the ice in the tall
glasses clinked ceaselessly.
1t was late when Quarter ''sat in"
with an eXpressionless acknowledge
ment of Siward's presence and an
semotionless raid upon his neighbours
resources with the first hand dealt, in
which he participated without draw
ing card.
And always Siward, eyes on his
cards, seemed to see Quarter before
him. his aforementioned fingers caress-
ing his silky beard, the symmetrical
pompadour dark and thick as the win
ter fur on a rat, tufting his smooth
blank forehead.
1t was very late when Siward first
began to be aware of his increasing
deafness, the difficulty, too, that he
had in making people hear, the annoy
ing contempt in Quarters woman
like eyes. He felt that he was max
ing q fool of himself, very noiselessly
somehow, but with more racket than
he expected when he miscalculated the
distance between his hand and a de-
canter.
1t was time for him to go unless he
chose to ask Quarter for an explana-
ton of that. sheer which he found dis
tasteful. But there was too much
noise, too much laughter.
Besides, he had a matter to attend
to--the careful perusal of his moth
er's letter to Mrs. Ferrall.
Very white, he rose. After an indie
terminate interval he found himself
entering his room.
The letter was in the dresser. Sew
oral things seemed TO fall and break.
80 - - - - W.