Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-01-31

Not that he objected to her marry
ing Quarter. He rather admired her
for being able to do Il. considering the
general scramble for Quarter But
let that take care OF itself Mean
while their sudden and capricious in
timacy had aroused him from the NOR
bid reaction consequent upon the cheap
notoriety which he had brought upon
himself Let him sponge his slate
clean and begin again a better record.
fiattered by the solicitude she had 30
prettily displayed
Whistling under his breath the same
gay. empty melody, ne opened the top
IRA wer of his dresser, dropped In his
uoyher's letter and. locking the drawer,
purseted the key. lie would have
tiuir enough TO read the letter when
b. Went u al. He did not just now
feel exactly Ike Swimming through the
fond. foolish sermon which he knew
had been preached at him through his
nlOiher's fayOrite missionary. Grace
Ferrull What was the use of drag
siMg in the sad old questions again, or
repeating his assurances OF good De-
huliu of reiterating his promises OF
moderation and watchfulness, OF ex-
planning his own self contidencet Bet
ter that the letter await his bedtime.
His prayers would he the sincerer the
freSher the impression, for he was old
fashioned enough TO say the prayers
that an Immature philosophy proved
superfuous. tor, he thought, If prayer
is any use it takes only few minutes
to he OH The safe side.
So he went downstairs leisurely, pre-
pared 10 av,diesce in any suggestion
from any body, but rather hoping TO
saunter across Sylvia lands path be-
fore Icing committed
She was standing beside the fire with
Quarter, one foot Oil the fender, APP
parcnily too preoccupied to notice him.
SO he strO.el into the gunroOm, which
was hue With tobacco smoke and arc
matte with the volatile oiors from de-
canters
There were few women there. and
the uia Iority of the men. Lord Alder
dene. Major Belwether and Mortimer,
were at table by themselves. Stacks
of ivory chips and five cards spread III
the center of the green explained the
nature OF their game, and Mortimer,
raising his heavy inhamed eyes and
seeing ,;iward unoccupied, said Wheel
lily: "Cul out that widow and give
Siward his stack. Anything above
two pui.s for jack triples the ante.
Come on. Siward. there's u decent
chap"
So he seated himself for sacrifice
to the r.in 70. less balanced upon heI
WINGED heel. aud the cards ran high
50 high that stacks dwindled or top
pied " Thin the half hour, and Morti'
mer grew redder and redder, and Ma
ior BeiNether blauder and blander,
and Aderdene'S face wore continual
nervous smoker, showing every white
hounds tun;h, and the ice In the tall
glasses c4L-ed ceaselessly.
Ii was late when Quarter sat in"
with IN expressiouiess acknowledg-
meut Of Siwurd's presence and an
emotioness raid upon his neighbor' 5
resources with the first hand dealt, In
which he participated without draw
ing u card.
And always Slward, eyes on his
cards, seemed to see Quarter before
him, his aforementioned fingers caress.
ing his silky beard, the symmetrical
pompadour dark and thick as the win.
ter fur on rat, tufting his smooth
blank forehead.
1t was very late when Siward first
began to be aware of his increasing
deafness the difficulty. too. that he
had in making people hear, the annoy
Ing contempt in Quarters woman
like eyes. He felt that he was max
ing fool of, himself. very noiselessly
somehow, but with more racket thar
he expected when he miscalculated the
distance between his hand and de
canter.
1t was time for him to go unless ht
chose to ask Quarter for an explana
tion of that sheer which he found dis
tasteful But there was too much
noise. too much laughter.
Besides, he had matter to attend
to-the careful perusal of his moth
er's letter to Mrs. Ferrall.
Very white. he rose. After an indie
terminate interval he found himself
entering his room.
The letter was in the dresser. Sew
eral things seemed to fall and break
but he got the letter, sank. down on thu
beds edge and strove to read-set hi:
teeth grimly. forcing his blurred eye:
to focus But he could make moth
ing of it, nor of his toilet either, MOI
of Ferrall. who came in on his way t
bed, having noticed the electricity still
in full glare over the open transom
and who Strengthened out matters TO
the stunned man lying face downward
across the bed, his mothers iette
crushed in his nerveless hand.