Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-04-10
CHAPTER tx. Coutiuu d.

Major Belwether. bis white. fluny.
chop whiskers brushed rabbit fashion.
peeped In at the door. started ia Iiptne
out again. caught sight uf them and
came trotting back. hraning rosy eff
fusion. He leaned roguishly over the
table. his moist eyes u Twinkle with
suppressed mirth. then. brstuwing IA
sprightly glance on Plank. which said
very plainly. I'm up 10 one of my IT.
repressible jokes again he held up u
smooth. white and aforementioned fore
finger
Il was in Tiffany'S yesterday" he
said. 'and saw a Young man in there
who didn't see me. aud | pceped over
his shoulder. aud what do you think he
was DOING
She lifted her eyes little YEARLY.
IL don't know" she said
II do" he chuckled. He was choOs-
ing collar of blue diamonds aud
nes-te-he-prohably 10 wear
himself-te-he! Or perhaps he was GO
Ing TO be married-he-he he-neXt win
ter-ahem-next November la ha. |
don't know, I'm sure. what lie meant
TO do with that collar. | only
Something in SylviaS eyes stopped
him, and. following their direction, he
turned around to find Quarter stand
ing at his elbow. icy and expression
less.
oh" said the aged Jester, little
disconnected. I'm caught talking out
In church, see, 1t was only harm
less little fun, Howard"
40 you mean you saw me- asked
Quarter pale as sheet. You are in
error. have not been in Tiftanys in
months"
Belwether. crestfaIlen under the
white menace of Quarters face, nod
ded and essayed a chuckle without
success.
Sylvia. at first liStlesS and uninter-
ested, looked inquiringly from the ma
jor to Quarter. surprised 1T the sup
pressed feeling exhibited over so triv-
ial gaucherie. If Quarter had chosen
collar like Agatha's for her. what of
It? But as he had not. Oh his own
statement. what did it matter? Why
should he look that way at the foolish
major, to whose garrulous gossip he
was accustomed and whose inability
to refrain from prying was notorious
enough
Turning disdainfully. she caught a
glimpse of plank's shocked and al
tered face. 1t relapsed instantly into
the usual inert expression. and queer,
uncomfortable perpcXity began to in
wade her. What had happened 10 stir
up these three men? OF what impor-
lance was an indiScretion of an Old
gentleman whose fatuous vanity and
consequent hlunders everybody was
familiar with? And. after all. How
ard had not bought anything ut Tiff
fany's. He said so himself. But it
was evident that Agatha had Glanced
on the collar that Bclwether thought
he saw somebody else examining.
She turned and looked at the dead
white neck of the girl. The collar was
wonderful-a miracle of pale fire. And
Sylvia musing, let her thoughts run
on, dreamy eyes brooding. She was
glad that Agatha's means permitted
her now to have such things. 1t had
been understood for some years that
the Caithness fortune was in rather al
alarming condition. Howard had beer
able recently to do favor or two fol
old Peter Caithness. She had heard
the major Dragging about it, Evident
ly Mr.. Caithness must have improved
the chance If he was able to present
such gems to his daughter. And now
somebody would marry her. Perhaps
Captain Voucher. perhaps even Alder
dene, perhaps. as rumor had it now