The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1908-01-29

voice beside him.
"Do l sho everything as plainly as
that?" he as ID curiously.
Il seem to read you-sometimes."
"It's very nice of you" he said.
"Nice?"
"To look Mt me-now and then"
ooh" she cried resentfully, don't be
gratefuly'
'1-really am not you know" he
said, laughing.
That" she rejolned slowly, sis the
truth. You say conventional things In
manner-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, SO
some day some girl will think you are
grateful and will have a miserable
time of It."
Miserable timer
waiting for you to say what never
will enter your head to say"
you mean II
"Flirt? No. l mean that you don't
flirt that you are always dreamily
occupied with your own affairs, from
which listlessly congenial occupation,
when drawn. you are so Unexpectedly
nice that a Girl Immediately desires to
zee 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-. l 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? 1 think it's
immoral"
They both were laughing now. Sew
eral people glanced at them, smiling in
sympathy. Alderdene took that oppor-
tunity to revert to the sketch, furnish
ing a specimen of his own inimitable
laughter as a 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, lingering word or laugh
and the color vanished from the rool.
leaving a circle of men in black stand
ing around the table.
Here and there a man. lighting
cigarette, bolted his coffee and cognac
and strolled out to the gunroom. Fer
rail-, gesticulating vigorously, resumed
his preprandial dog story to Captain
Voucher. Delwether buttonholed A..
derdene and bored him with an f.
terminably facetious tale until that
nobleman, threatened with maxillary
dislocation, fairly wrenched himself
loose and came over to Siward, squint
ing furiously.
"Old ASST he muttered. His chop
whiskers look like the chops of a
Southdown ram, and he's got the witt
of one. Look here, Stephen, l hea.
you fell into no end of a scrape in
town.
"Tu quoque, Blinky? Oh, read tn"
newspapers and let it go at thatv'
Just as you like, old chapv' re-
turned his lordship unabashed. "All
meant was-anything Voucher and |
can do-of course
You're very good. I'm not dead.
you know"
"'Not dead, you know" repeated
Major Belwether, coming up behind
them with his sprightly step. THAT
reminds me of good one He sat
down and lighted a cigar; then, vainly
attempting to control his countenance
as though roguishly anticipating the
treat awaiting them, he began another
endless story.
The Page boys, very callow, very
much delighted and little in awe of
such a celebrated parsonage, laughed
heartily. And altogether there was suf-
ficient attention and sufficient laughter
to make a very respectable noise. This
being the majors cue for an exit, he
AOoCg OdC oiCCh III
ly protest % though to shield the in
visible ladies, to whose bournes he
was bound, from an uproar too mas
culine and mighty for the ears Of such
a sex.
"Assv' muttered Alderdene, getting
up and pattering about the room In
his big shiny pumps. "Glve me a
peg somebody
Mortimer swallowed his brandy, lin
gered, lifted the decanter, mechanical
ly considering It's remaining contents
and his own capacity, then:
Bridge, captainf"
Certainly" said Captain Voucher
briskly.
"T'll go and shoe the major into the
observed Ferrall-'unless'-
looking questioningly at Siward
1--WE a date with your wife" OBJ
served that young man, strolling to-
ward the hall.
The Page boys, Rena Bonnesdel and
Eileen Shannon were seated at a care
table together, very much engaged
with ono another tho SaaIad nocly Iv