Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-03-06

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/ Quarter steed
~Nn. Won ~ ahead. Howard. and you
70 TIE major
| Left for a moment in the room with
Plank, she stood listening to the others
descending the stairs, then:
Have you seen Mr. SiwardT'
YES" said Plank.
"Ohi Is he well?''
"Not very"
ais he well enough to read letter
and to answer one?'
"oh, yes; he's well enough in that
way"
Il supposed so. That is why I said
to you, over the wire, not to trouble
| him with my request"
You mean that / am not to say
! anything about your offer to buy the
hunterf'
mo. If l make up my mind that /
want the horse I'll write him-per-
haps.''
Lingering still, she let one hand fall
on the banisters. turning back toward
Plank, who was following.
Il understood you to mean that
that Mr. Siward's financial affairs were
anything but satisfactory P'--the sweet.
trailing, upward infection making II
a question
when did say that?" demanded
Plank
"Once-a month ago"
81. didn't" said Plank bluntly.
ooh, had inferred II, then, from
something you said or something you
were silent about Is that itg'
II don't know"
"Am l quite wrong then?" she asked.
looking him in the eyes,
And Plank. who never lied, found no
answer. Considering him for a mo-
ment in silence. she turned again and
descended the stairs.
The dinner was one of those thor
oughly well chosen dinners of few
courses and faultless service suitable
for card players, who neither care to
stuff themselves as a preliminary to
battle royal nor to dawdle through
courses. eliminating for themselves
what is not good for them The men
drank a light, sound, aromatic Irish of
the majors; the women-except Ma
rion. who took what the men took,
used claret sparingly Coffee was
served where they sat; the men smok-
Ing, Agatha and Marion producing
their own cigarettes. ,,.sr ~.
Good people, If you are ready we
viii go through the ceremony of cut
ting for partners unless otherwise
You decide. How say your" said Syl-
via. -. :-E-.s- "A tssai,sls.s
i don't care to enter the scramble
for man." cried Grace. IF it's to
choose, I'd as soon choose Marion"
Plank looked at Leila. who laughed.
"All right; choose, them" said Syl-
via. Howard, you're dying, of course,
to play with me. but you're looking
very guiltily at Agatha"
The major asked Leila at once, SO
Plank fell to Sylvia, pitted against Ma
rion and Grace Ferrall.
A few moments later the quiet of
the library was broken by the butler
entering with decanters and ice and
glasses that tinkled freshly.
ray began AT table NO. / on pass
ed make of no trumps by Sylvia, and
at the other table on doubled and re-
doubled heart make, which sent a
delicate flush into Agathas face and
drove the last vestige of lingering
thoughtfulness from Quarters, leav-
Ing it tense, pallid and expressionless
mask, out of which looked the velvet
fringed eyes of a woman.
OF all the faces there at the two Ia
bles Sylvia's alone had not changed,
neither assuming the gamblers mask
nor the infatuated glare of the anna
teur She was thoughtful, excited, de-
lighted or dismayed by turns, but al
ways wholesomely so, the game for
its own sake and not the stakes alb
sorbing her, partly because she had
never permitted herself to weigh mon
ey and pleasure in the same balance.
but kept mental pair of scales for
each
AS usual. the fever of gain was
1ercest in those who could afford to
lose most. Quarter. playing to rule
with merciless precision, eoldly exact
ed every penalty that lapse in his }