Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-01-10

Quarter"
Il thought you did know; thought
you - remembered - while You were
driving me over from the statiOn-thai
I was dropped from my club.
She flushed up "Oh. hut what had
Mr.. Quarter 10 do with thatE'
'IIe Is a governor OF that club"
you mean that Mr.. Quarter had
you-dropped?'
what else could he doG \ man who
is idiot enough To risk making his own
club notorious must take the conse-
quences. and they say took that risk
Therefore Mr. Quarter. Major Bel
wether-all the governors iii their
duty. III naturally concluded that no
governor of the PATRONS club feels
very kindly toward me-.
Miss lands sat very stlll. her small
head bent. a flush still Frightening her
fair face
She recalled few OF the details
now-the scandal something of the
story. Which particular actress it was
she could not remember. but some meE
who had dined too freely had made the
wager. and this boy sitting beside her
had accepted 1t and won IL by bring
ing into the sacred precincts of the
PATRONS club foolish girl disguised
! IN mans evening dress.
That was bad enough. That some
body promptly discovered IT was worse.
but worst of all was the publicity. the
| clubs name smirched. the young ulan
expelled from Que of the best two
clubs in the metropolis.
To read Of such things In the col
umns of a 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 aud indif-
ferent, but now she saw it 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?
ais that the kind OF man you are
Mr. Siwardf" she said impulsiyely.
ut appears that was don't
know what am or may be-"
1.-THE pity of it," she said, still sway.
ed by impulse. why did you do
didn't you know-realize what you
were doing bringing discredit on your
own club"
II was in no condition to know, Miss
Lands"
The crude brutality of the express.
sion might merely have hurt or dis
gusted her had she been less intel
ligcnt, nor, as it was. did she fully
understand why he chose TO use ii un.
less that he meant ii iu self punish
ment.
Its rather shameful" she said
hotly.
Yes" he assented; its a bad be,
ginning"
~ beginning! DO you mean to 60
on?"
+ He did not reply. His head was
partly turned from her She sat silent
for awhile. The dog had returned t.
lie ut Siward's feet. his brown eyes
tlrelessly watching the man he had
chosen for his friend. and the man
without turning his eyes, dropped one
hand on the dogs head. carrsSIng the
silky ears
Some sentlmentalSt had once sale
that no man who cared for animal,
could he wholly bad IueNpericnce in
cined her to believe 1t. Then, too. she
had that inclination for overlookln.
offenses committed against precep
which appears to he one Of those cdi
flying human traits peculiar to neither
sex and common to both. Besides, hel
knowledge of such matters was a,
vague as her mind was healthy anC
body wholesome. Men who dincd In
cautiously We're not remarkable fo
! their rarity. The actress habit, heM.
incomprehenSible to her, meant moth
, ing, and she said innocently; ut is no
for such things that we drop men. Mr.
Sward. You know that. of course"
"For what do You drop mem"
"For falsehood, deception, any dis
honesty"
, "And you don't drop a man whel
, you read in the papers that one Of tn
, best two clubs in town has expelled
: him?"
| She gave him n troubled glance. and
sniVely, But you are still membe
of the other. are you not?" Then, hare
ening. 1T was common, common
thoroughly dsgraceful and incompr,
d, hensible." And with every word u
tered insenslly warming in her hear
toward him whom she was chastel
ing: ut was not even bad 1t WA
worse than being simply bad. 1t wa
stupid"
> He nodded. one hand slowly cares!
ing the dogs head where it lay acros
his knees.
She watched him a moment. hesita
J. ed, then. smiling little, so now
i, know the worst about you, do | not?
! she concluded.
He did not answer. She waited. til
g. smile still curving her red mouth Ha
t. she been too severe? she wondere,
e. "You may help me to my feet" sl
said sweetly. She was very young.
le He rose at once. holding out h
ID hands to aid her in that pleasantly in
d personal manner so suited to him. an
[e now they stood together In the purp
ID dusk of the uplands-two people youl
le enough to take one another seriously
f. They walked for awhile, subdue
Is sobcry picking their path through Il
u dusk. After few moments she bega
to feel doubtful. little uneasy. part
in from reaction which was natura
le partly because she was not at all SUI
n. what either Quarter or Major PC