The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-25
Copyright 1908 by Thomas II. Mckee


helpIessly.
She stepped under wide umbrella OF
marble delicately carved, and sat on
the stone bench beneath it. Instantly circle OF
tiny fountains sprang from the turf about 1t and
shower OF water descended from the umbrellas
sIoping sides and spangled the green. momentarily
yelling her pretty and more commonplace face.
Eve stepped back with little cry of pleasure.
How charming" she said. 1T makes rain
bows"
Young Hartley, his thin shoulders and sharply
brdged constituting the high lights of his out
line frankly stared, holding his chin in his hand
what invincible novelty" he said in his mon
otone. But he said everything monotone and
he said that most things were invincible
Mrs. Winkler rose. and the waters ceased. and
she ducked gracefully under the still dripping UNI
brella and faced her two guests
"Charmng!" she repeated in distaste. "Oh, very.
l have no DOUBT, in a barbaric Turkish, roof-gar-
den way. But in a modern summer home. near a
reality like lumber camp. I must say that It i'm
presses unconventionally out of the picture"
Eve saio nothing, but she soreIy tempted to
reflect that, as to the conventional, Mrs. Winkler
would have worn live white doves on her head II
they had been decreed.
IF this were all" said the little hostess i'm
pressively. LAS II 1t were not queer enough andl
mad enough my brother to have shut himself
up for weeks. with out this nonsense For
Der mill and now he has taken it up. fancy,
takes up fad Trick umbrellas and lumber
camps and indoor lagoons and that kind of thing"
Mrs. Winkler said to the horizon.
Dear, dear" observed young Hartley, "a lumber
camp. Amt that place where some most awful
whistle goes of at some most awful hour?"
And a strike threatened at the mill"
"A striker said young Hartley. Amt that
where the supers growl in their threats in the
wings? And the pine knots fare collarless
necks-no?"
And for the lagoon" Mrs. Winkler mounted
to her climax, that has to be piped from tank
top OF the hill and may all be drowned in our
beds. moment by moment
Then she looked anxiously toward the drive.
1.-THE others ought to be coming" she said. you
mustn't breathe a word of this to them One or
two OF my guests have absolute electric buttons
for nerves.
80, really, in spite of the beauty of the place
with the woods so near. did hesitate good deal
when he asked up here this summer. don't
know where Alex Is l haven't seen him since I
came. though l had welcoming note from him
Frightening up with news of the probable strike
in the mill. But / know you understand, and I
know can depend you two in anything trying.
And simply cannot tell all the rest the peculiar
truth"
Eve looked at her smiling little bit, but wholly
fondly. Mrs. Winkler was so entirely like
abe was morally responsible for her own wires.
Here are the rest now she cried as wheels
sounded below. mot word about the list of
skeletons"
Through the terrace shadows the Hospitality dis
tracted little woman went. Eve followed her leis-
urely and young Hartley followed Eve his chin in
his hand.
Eve" said he won't you let her announce
our engagement at dinner tonight"
''What an epicure Won re" the ladv said lightly
Cant you enjoy plain dinner without an engage
ment?"
Eve" said young Hartley with all his might.
She looked at him with the most tolerant seren-
1ty.
mot If you ask hundred thousand times"
she made it clear.
That night when the rest were at coffee on the
veranda. Eve slipped across the terrace in the dusk
to where well out of range of the house. the trick
umbrella the little slope Of green was marked
by single glimmering point of light. Instantly
as she seated herself there rose about her three
four feet from the umbrella seat. the thin wall of
water, of tiny fountains so closely togeth-
or that they leaped one upon another. The isola-
ton was instant and thorough.
"Ah," Eve reflected, why doesn't everyone have
one instead OF a music box and a teakwood room?"
Almost at some one spoke to her outside
the fountain fence.
How charming OF you to be amused" he said.
with these little contrivances."
This. Eve thought with a shade of annoyance,
would be OF the house party escaped coffee
but 1t is the contrivances that are charming" she
returned, wondering who it would be. Not young
Hartley, at all events whom she had left glowerng
apart. Very ""ely Toby Slocum. who was always
amblng abc
You realls link so?" whoever it was remark
ed incredulously. "And-how does one amuse one
self In there. may l ask?"
1t was so exactly like toy castle and kind OF
game that. "One pretends," she answered gravely
often stupid performance" the mans voice an
swered with some frankness of belief But pre-
tending what, If one may press the matter?"
She could not have helped her answer
Perhaps that is princess and that orgies
are imminent" she said