Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-04-03
,ssa m;ghs hays dune 70 faTsss 'sS
good wiIl OF Howard QuaFeier.

her reasoning aloud: IL couiuA
been very awful" she argued; some,
thing foolish about an actress was ~
notp And that could not concern MT.
Quarter" ,..
"I thought you did know; thought
Won remembered - while you Wefe
driving me over from the station-tha'
I was dropped from my club"
She flushed up. ooh, but what mao
Mr.. Quarter to do with THAR
"He is a governor Of that club"
"You mean that Mr.. Quarter had
you-droppedT'
"What else could he do? A man VINO
Is idiot enough to risk making MS own
club notorious must take the conse-
ouences, and they say took that FISK.
Therefore Mr.. Quarter, Major bei'
wether--all the governors did theii
duty, II naturally concluded that NO
governor of the PATRONS CLUB reeis
very kindly toward me-" :.
Miss Lands sat very still, her smaii
head bent, a flush still Frightening her
fair face.
She recalled few Of the details
now-the scandal-something oil the
story. Which particular actress 1t was
she could not remember. but some men
who had dined too freely had made the
wager, and this boy sitting beside her
had accepted it and won 1t by bring
ing into the sacred precincts OF the
PATRONS club foolish girl disguised
In a mans evening dress.
That was bad enough. That some
body promptly discovered 1t was worse,
but worst OF all was the publicity. the
clubs name smirched, the young man
expelled from one of the best two
clubs In the metropolis.
TO read. of such things in the col
umns of daily paper had meant little
to her except to repel her. To hear 1t
mentioned among people OF her own
sort had left her injurious and indif-
ferent, but now she saw 1t in a new
light, with the young man who had
figured in it seated beside her. Did
such men as he-such attractive, well
bred, amusing men as he-do that sort
Of thing?
els that the kind of man you are,
Mr.. SwardY she said impulslvely.
at appears that l was. | don't
know what am or may be-"
'The pity of I'll" she said, still sway
ed by impulse. "Why did you do
didn't you know-realize what you
were doing--b bringing discredit on your
own clubY
81 was In no condition to know, Miss
Landis."
The crude brutality of the express
sion might merely have hurt or dis
gusted her had she been less intel
llgent, nor, as 1t was, did she fully
understand why he chose to use 1t un-
less that he meant II in self punish
ment.
"Its rather shamefulr' she said
hotly.
EYES," he assented; "it's a bad be-
ginning"
"a beginning! Do you mean to go
on?"
He did not reply. His head was
partly turned from her. She sat silent
for awhile. The dog had returned to
lie mt Sward's feet. his brown eyes
tirelessly watching the man he had
chosen for his friend, and the man.
without turning his eyes. dropped one
hand OH the dogs head, careSsing the
silky ears.
Some sentimentalist had once said
that no man who cared for animals
could be wholly bad Inexperience in
clined her to believe 1t. Then. too, she
had that inclination for overlooking
offenses committed against precept
which appears to be one of those edi'
flying human traits peculiar to neither
sex and common to both. Besides, her
knowledge of such matters was as
vague as her mind was healthy and
body wholesome Men who dined In.
cautiously were not remarkable for
their rarity. The actress habit. being
incomprehensible to her. meant moth
ing, and she said innocently: at is not
for such things that we drop men. Mr.
SIward. You know that. Of course"
:'For what do you drop meli?"
"For falsehood. deception. any dis
honesty
"And you don't drop man when
you read in the papers that one ct the
best two clubs In town has expelled
himT
She gave him a troubled glance. and
naively, "But you are still membe1
of the other, are you not" Then, hard
ening, 1T was common, common
thoroughly disgraeeful and incompre
hensible!' And with every word ut
tered insensibly warming In her hear
toward him whom she was chasten
ing: at was not even bad. 1t wa
worse than being simply bad. 1t wa
stupidp
He nodded. one hand slowly caress
ing the dogs head where 1t lay across
his knees.
She watched him q moment, hesitat
ed, then, smiling O little, $50 now
know the worst about you, do ! notT
she concluded.
He did not answer. She waited, tn
smile still curving her red mouth. Hal
she been too severe? she wondered
''You may help me to my feet" sh
said sweetly. She was very young.
He rose at once. holding out hi
hands to aid her In that pleasantly I'm
personal manner so suited to him, ant
now they stood together IN the purpl
dusk of The uplands-two people youni