Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-01-25


Its rather shamef1lp she said
holly.
YES" he assented; Its a bad be-
ginning"
"A beginning! Do you mean to go
on?"
He did not reply. His head was
partly turned from her. She sat silent
fer awhile. The dog had returned to
lie at Siward's feet, his brown eyes
tirelessly watching the man he had
chosen for his friend, and the man.
without turning his eyes. dropped one
hand on the dogs head, caressing the
silky ears.
Some sentimentalist had once said
that no man who cared for animals
could be wholly bad. Inexperience in
clined her to believe it. Then, too, she
had that inclination for overlooking
offenses committed against precept
which appears to be one of those edi-
flying human traits peculiar to neither
sex and common to both. Besides, her
knowledge of such matters was as
vague as her mind was healthy and
body wholesome. Men who dined in
cautiously were not remarkable for
their rarity. The actress habit, being
COMPREHENSIVE to her, meant moth
ing, and she said innocently: "It is not
for such things that we drop men, Mr..
Siward. You know that, of course"
''For what do you drop menY
"For falsehood. deception. any dis
honesty"
"And you don't drop a man when
you read in the papers that one Of the
best two clubs in town has expelled
hin?"
she gave him a troubled glance, and,
naively, ''But you are still member
of the other, are you not?' Then, hard
ening, 'It was common, common,
thoroughly disgraceful and incompre-
hensibler' And with every word ut
tered insensibly warming in her heart
toward him whom she was chasten-
ing: cit was not even bad. 1t was
worse than being simply bad. 1t was
stupidw
He nodded, one hand slowly caress-
ing the dogs head where it lay across
his knees.
She watched him moment, hesitat-
ed, then, smiling a little, $50 now
know the worst about you, do notT
she concluded.
He did not answer. She waited, the
smile still curving her red mouth. Had
she been too severe? she wondered.
"You may. help me to my feet" she
said sweetly. She was very young.
He rose at once, holding out his
hands to aid her in that pleasantly i'm
personal manner so suited to him, and
now they stood together in the purple
dusk Of the uplands-two people young
enough to take one another seriously.
They walked for awhile, subdued.
soberly picking their path through the
dusk After q few moments she began
to feel doubtful, little uneasy, partly
from a reaction which was natural,
partly because she was not at all sure
what either Quarter or Major Bel
wether would think of the terms she
was already on with Siward. Suppose
they objected? She had never thwart-
ed either Of these gentlemen. Besides
she already had a temporary interest
in Siward-the interest that women
always cherish, quite uncOnsciOusly,
for the man whose shortcomings they
have consented to overlook.
AS they crossed the. headland
through the deepening dusk the acety-
lene lamps on cluster of motor cars
spread binding light across the
scrub. The windows of Shotover House
were brilliantly Illuminated.
"Our shooting party has returned"
she said.
They crossed the drive through the
white glare of the motor lamps. Peo-
pie were passing-grooms with dogs
and guns and fluffy lunches Of game
birds; several women in motor cos
TUNES, wells afloat: a man or two In
shooting tweeds or khaki.
AS they entered the hall together
she turned to him, an indefnable smile
curving her lips; then, with a little
nod, friendly and sweet, she left him
standing at the open door OF the gun
rOom.~s