, 1908-05-07

luctance to Deliver the MESSAGE
YOURSELF" She Said.
~luctance to deliver the message your
self" she said. rs this all you came
to say"
Il came to tell you that you could
have the house. and everything in its
hideous walls ! snapped: ito tell you
that my chivalry is enough for some
situations and that I don't intend to
hsht a woman. | had accepted your
own announcement of the legacy in
coed part, but now. please believe me,
1t shall be yours tomorrow I'll yield
possession to you whenever you ask
!t.-but to Arthur Pickering, As
against him and his treasure-hunters
and assassins ! will hold out for q
dozen years."
"Nobly spoken, Mr. Glenarm! Yours
is really an admirable, though some
what complex character"
My character is my own, whatever
it is" | blurted.
Il shouldn't call that a debatable
proposition she replied, and I was an.
cry to find how the mlrth | had loved
IN her could suddenly become so hate
ful. She %half-turned away so that
might not see her face. The thought
hat she should countenance Picker.
lng in n way tore me with jealous
rage.
Mr. Glenarm. you are what | have
heard called a gutter, defined in com.
non Americanese as one who qu'' g
Your clustering a hardly conceal 'r"
fsot of your failures. I had hoped you
would really be of some help to Sister
Theresa, and incidentally to me, but
we both sadly misjudged you"
Her tone, changing from amused In
difference to severest disdain, stung
me into s~elf-pity for my stupidity In
having sought her. My anger was not
against her, but against Pickering. who
had, l persuaded myself. always
blocked my path. She went IN.
"Mr. Pickering is decidedly more
than a match for wou. Mr.. Glenarm,-
even in humor."
She drew herself up with tragic
scorn in every line Of her figure, then
relaxed, laughed and was Olivia again;
and as | watched acknowledging, per-
picked. chagrined,-she turned swiftly
away and RAM am sure she ran
from the room.
She left me SO quickly, SO softly,
that | stood staring like a fool at the
spot where she had been. and then |
went gloomily back to Glenarm House,
angry, ashamed and crestfallen.
While we were waiting for dinner /
made a clean breast OF my acquaint-
ance with her to Larry, emitting moth
ing,-rejoicing even to paint my
conduct as black as possible.
You may remember her" / CON
cluded,-'she was the girl we saw at
Sherry's that night we dined there.
She was with Pickering, and you no.
ticed her.-spoke of her, a she went
out?" Z
THAT little girl who seemed 90
bored. or tired or sick? Bless me,
why her eyes haunted me for days.
Lord, man, do you mean to say
A look of utter scorn came into his
face, and he eyed me contemptuously.
"Of course l meal it," l Numbered
at him.
He o the pip from his mouth,
pressed the tobacco viciously into the
bowl, and swore steadily in Gaelic I'M
til l was ready to choke him.
Stop" l bawled. DO you think
that's helping me? And to have you
curse IN your .blackguardly Irish dia-
lect! wanted a little Anglo-SaIon
sympathy, you fool! | didn't mean for
you to invoke your infamous gods
against the girl"
Don't be violent, lad. Violence II
r~eprehensible," he admonished with
maddening sweetness and patience.
What l was trying to intimate very
mildly was the fact, borne in upon me
through years of acquaintance. that
you are,-to be bold, my. lad, to be
bold,-a good deal OF 4 Tanned fool"
The trilling of his RS was like the
whirring rise Of q covey of quail.
Dinner 10 served. announced Bates,
and Larry led the way mockinsly
chanting an Irish love-song.