Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-07-24

drank d light, sotihd, ar6rhatit Irish OF
the majors; the w0men-except MAJ
rion. who took what the men took
used claret spatingly. Coffee was
served where they sat; the men smok-
Ing, Agatha and Marion producing
their own cigarettes.
Good people, If you are ready we
will go through the ceremony OF cut
ting for partners = unless otherwise
you decide. How say your" said Syl-
via.
81 don't care to enter the scramble
for man." cried Grace. "lf 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 frostily.
Play 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 q
delicate flush into Agatha's face and
drove the last vestige of lingering
thoughtfulness from Quarters, leay.
ing 1t a tense, palld and expressionless
mask, ont of which looked the velvet
fringed eyes of woman.
OF all the faces there at the two ta'
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 a mental pair Of scales for
each.
AS usual, the fever of gain was
fercest in those who could afford to
lose most. Quarter, playing to rule
with merciless precision, coldly exact
ed every penalty that lapse in his
opponents permitted. Agatha, her
teeth set in her neither lip, her eyes
like living jewels, answered Quarters
every signal, interpreted every sign,
her play fitting in exactly with his, as
though she were his subconscious self
balancing the perfectly adjusted mech
anism of his body and mind.
Now and then lifting her eyes she
sent long, limpid glance at Quarter
like pale shaft of light. and under
his heavy fringed lashes at moments
his level gaze encountered hers with
a slow narrowing OF lids-as though
there was more than one game in prog
ress, more than one stake being played
for under the dull rose glow of the
clustered lights.
The collar of diamonds and aqua
marines shimmered like the reflection
of shadowy lightning across her
throat. A single splendid jewel glow
ed OH her left hand as her fingers fash
ed among the cards for the makeup.
"a hundred aces" broke in Plank's
heavy voice as he played the last trick
and picked up the scoring card and
pencil.
Once Marion, overintent, touched q
card in the dummy when she should
have played from her own hand, and
Sylvia would have let it pass had not
Plank calmly noted the penalty.
ooh, dear! It's too much like bust
ness" sighed Sylvia. Cant we play
for the sake of the sport? I don't
think it good craftsmanship to profit
by blunder."
"Rule," observed Marion lacOnically
aware barbed wire if you want the
brush"
81 myself never was crazy for the
brush" murmured Sylvia.
Grace whispered maliciously, "But
you've got it, with the mask and
pads" and her mischievous head bare
ly tipped backward in the direction OF
Quarter
Especially the mask" returned Syl.
via under her breath and laid on the
table the last card of Marlborough.
Toward midnight Sylvia, absorbed
in her dummy, fancied she heard the
electric bell ringing at the front door.
Later, having barely made the add.
she was turning to look at the major
when, beyond him, she saw Leroy Nor
timer enter the room, sullen. pasty
skinned but perfectly sober and well
groomed.
"You are a trife late" observed Syl.
via carelessly. Grace Ferrall and Ma
rlon ignored him. Plank babe him
good evening in low voice.
The people at the other table. hav-
ing completed their rubber. looked
around at Mortimer in disagreeable
surprise.
"I'll cut In II you want me. III you
don't, say So" observed Mortimer.
1t was plain that they did not. so be
settled himself in an armchair with an
ugly glance at his wife and an iiiso-
lent one at Quarter, and the game
went on in silence. Leila and the ma
jor still losing heavily under the sneer-
ing gaze of Mortimer.
At last, who's carrying you" he
broke out, exasperated. and in the
shocked silence Leila, very white,
made a movement to rise. but Quar-.
rier laid his lopg finger across her arm,
pressing her backward.
."You don't know what you're say
.ng." he remarked. looking coldly at
Mortimer.