Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-04-09

list OF choice epithets in futile effort
10 find one that would particularly ap-
ply TO himself. idiot and Ass" would
not do at all, for they were in no
way strong enough TO meet the needs
OF the occasion.
Seaford was alike the despair and
bone of contention of every discern
ing mamma OF the set in which he
moved, and as their scheming tactics
were TO him an open book, he had
come TO take certain enjoyment from
noting the assiduity with which they
cast dutiful daughters in his path. II
there was anything he prided himself
upon it was his Harveyized heart ana
absolute lack of all emotion. When
he found his heart beating madly and
his nerves tingling with an eXcitation
OF feeling which was entirely novel,
he lost himself in contemptuous self
analyZation.
il had been but a glance from her
eve as she swept on with the hurry
ing throng, but 1t had sent the blood
surging to Seaford's head in torrents,
and he was painfully conscious that
no small share of the flood had dyed
his cheeks with a perceptible flush.
The eyes, they were very blue he re
called and then berated himself round
ly for needing their color, had looked
into his just a trife longer than is
sanctioned by the laws Of propriety.
While there was neither invitation nor
coquetry in their gaze. he felt intui
lively that they were friendly. He was
not at all vain, but he felt too that
they approved of his appearance.
After she had passed he did thing
that he had never thought himself
capable OF. He had seen the face
clearly and knew that il was very
beautiful. an oval frame for a wealth
Of expression, but 10 take in the entire
picture he turned and stared after
her. He saw, almost with regret, that
her gown was perfect and her carriage
light and graceful. Outwardly at least,
she was without flaw. Despite his
80 years of celibacy, Seaford was a
very proper young man with strict
code by which he governed himself
and he realized suddenly with another
flush that he had transgressed seri-
Cusly.
When once more safely ensconced
in his favorite chair at the club, Sea-
ford could strike upon but one eX-
PLANTATION for the state OF his feelings.
His youth had been passed without
the usually-attendant desperate af-
fairs of puppy love, and he reasoned
at great length that he was off his
feed and his nerves consequently I'M
strung. But his unimpaired apprecia-
iion of his dinner and steady hand at
billiards beled any theories of failing
( health and nervous disorders.
No matter how animated the CONVEX
sation around him became that even.
ing, his mind constantly reverted TO
the various opinions on matrimony
that he had read and heard, and these
thoughts were all companions to a
vision i'm his minds eye, vision of
a trim figure all bedecked in blue
and surmounted by pair of very
wonderful blue eyes. Even when
Waters, his only and particular crony,
dropped into the club TO deliver his
weekly lecture ON the follies Of bache-
.lorhood, Seaford listened with great
patience. This created such an i'm
preston. that his friend inquired
anXiously after the state Of his health.
Seaford had always held the idea
that at some time in the dim future he
would follow the duty OF every man
and marry. But freedom was very
dear to him. and then he had never
met the woman who had made the
slightest impression upon him. He
was obstinate with all the obstinacy
bred by years of singleness, and he
would not give in 10 the conviction
that at last he had seen q woman who
somewhere near approached his ideal
For an ideal he had long ago formed
although she crept but seldom into
his thoughts.
For a week he fought TO throw off
; sis new mood, and finally found, with
strange feeling of JOY. that he had
escaped from none Of his first
thoughts and visions. 1t was fight
between the old life and the new. and
although he knew it not, the battle
was lost almost before the fighting
IT was unconditional surrender, and
he admitted ioyfully TO himself that at
last he was in love, madly and unre-
servedly in love, with the blue eyes
that had held his but an instant in the
impatient surging of the crowds.
He would find the girl, he knew not
how, but he would find her, and he
entered into the task with zeal tina.
brought stares of unsatisfied curiosity
from his friends. Waters he took
rmreservedly into his confidence. The
latter young gentleman had been mar.
ried not quite year, and he listened
with great patience and understanding
to Seafords rambling and feryid out.
breaks of attempted description.
Their friends now saw them much
in the whirl of the downtown streets,
seemingly taking great enjoyment
from, tho naecfpV crowds Ghonnfnp