Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-04-10
hear such a Taught No wonder III
Ounrfier Ia annoyed"

(lunfflef Is HnnuJeu'
The gay uproar had partly subsidized
renewed here and there as the sketch
was passed along and, finally making
the circle, returned, like bad penny
TO Quarter. He smiled again symmet-
really as he received 1t, nodding MS
compliments to Alderdene.
"Oh, no." cackled his lordship; 1
didn't draw it, old chap!'
"Nor I. l only wish ! could" addeu
Captain Voucher.
"Nor I, nor |. Who did itr' ran the
chorus along the table.
81 didn't do it." said Sylvia graveiy,
looking across at Quarter And SUD
denly Quarters large handsome eyes
met Siward's for the briefest traction
of second, then were averted. bul
into his face there crept an expression
less pallor that did not escape SiWard
no. nor Sylvia Lands.
Presently under cover of rapid nre
OF chatter she said, "Did you draw
thatP
Yes: had no idea 1t was meant
for him. You may imagine how likely
I'd be to take any liberty with man
who already dislikes me-"
"But It resembles him in very
dreadful way"
az know it. You must take my
word for what have told you"
She looked up at him. Il do" Then:
Its a pity. Mr.. Quarter does not
consider such things humorous. He
he Is very sensitive. Oh, ! wish that
fool Englishman had been in Bally-
hOOv'
"But he didn't do it."
"No, but he put you up to 1t. or Grace
Ferral did. | wish Grace would let
Mr.. Quarter alone. She has always
been perfectly possessed to plague him
She seems unable to take him serious
ly, and he simply hates 1t. | don't
think he'd tolerate her If she were not
his cousin
I'm uwfully sorry" was all Siward
said. and for awhile he gloo:nily busted
himself with whatever was brought to
him.
Don't look that way" came low
voice beside him.
"Do | show everything as plainly as
that?" he asked curiously.
81 seem to read you-sometimes."
ats very nice of YOU" he said.
"Nice"
"To look at me-now and then"
ooh" she cried resentfully, don't be
gratefulv
"I-really am not, you know" he
said, laughing.
That" she rejoined slowly, lis the
truth. You say conventional things In
q munner-in an agreeably personal
manner-that interests women. But
you are not grateful to anybody for
ANYTHING. You are Indifferent. and
you can't help being nice to people, 80
some day some girl will think you are
grateful and will have a miserable
time of it,"
"Aiisera bic tlme?"
"Waiting for you to say what never
will enter your head to say"
"You mean II
"Flirt? No. | mean that you don't
firt; that you are always dreamliy
occupied with your own affairs. from
which istIessly congenial occupation,
when drawn. you are so unexpectedly
nice that girl Immediately desires to
see how nice you can be-"
what a charming indictment you
draw he said. amused.
ITS a grave one. assure you I've
been talking about you to Grace Fer
rail-. asked to be placed beside you
at dinner. | told her hadn't had half
enough of you on the cliff. Now. what
do you think of yourself for being too
nice to a susceptible girl? think It's
immoral"
They both were laughing now. Sew
eral people glanced at them, smiling In
sympathy. Aderdene took that oppor'
tunity to revert to the sketch, furnish
ing q specimen of his own inimitable
laughter as q running accompaniment
to the story of Quarter and his dog
in North Carolina until he had every
body, as usual, laughing, not at the
story. but at him. all of which demon
stration was bitterly offensive to Quar-
rier. He turned his eyes once on Miss
Lands and on Siward, then dropped
them.
The hostess arose. A rustic and
furry of silk and lace and the scraping
of chairs, a lingering word or laugh,
and the color vanished from the room
leaving a circle of men in black stand
Ing around the table.
Here and there man. lighting O
cigarette, bolted his coffee and cognac
and strolled out to the gunroom. Fer
rail-, gesticulating vigorously, resumed
his preprandial dog story to Captain
Voucher. Belwether buttonholed AL
derdene and bored him with an In
terminably facetious tale until that
nobleman, threatened with maxillary
dislocation, fairly wrenched himself
loose and came over to Siward. squlnt-
ing furiously.
"Old ASST he muttered. "His chop
whiskers look like the chops OF q
Southdown ram, and he's got the wits
of one. Look here, Stephen, hear
you fell into no end of scrape In
town.
"Tu quoque, Blinky? Oh, read the
newspapers and let 1t go at that!
"Just as you like, old chap| re
turned his lordship unabashed. "All
meant was-anything Voucher and
can dO-of course