Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-03-14

own time honored immobility, display
ed the preliminary fidgets which BODIED
well for the stolid candidate.
Yes, he was doing well, for that des-
potic beauty, Sylvia Lands, whose ca
PRECIOUS perversity had recently aston
ished those who remembered her in
her first season as a sweet, reasonable
and unspoiled girl, was always friend
ly with him. That must be looked up
on as important, considering Sylvia's
unassailable position and her kinship
to the autocratic old lady whose kindly
ukase had for generations remained
the undisputed law in the social sys-
tenn Of Manhattan.
At ball at the Pages, to which Mrs.
Mortimer took him, Plank met Sylvia
Her escort, Ferrall, nodded to him
pleasantly. She leaned forward from
Ferrall's arm, saying under her breath:
81 have saved dance for you. Please
ask me at once. Quick! Do you want
me?"
al do" stammered Plank.
Ferrall, suspicious, stepped forward
to exchange civilities, then turning to
the girl beside him: "See here, Sylvia,
you've dragged me all over this house
on one pretext or another. Do you
want any supper, or don't you? II you
don't, it's our dance"
"No, don't. No, it isn't. Kemp,
you annoy me-"
THAT'S a nice thing to say. Is it
your delicately inimitable way Of Civ
ing me my conge?"
Eyes, thank you," nodded Miss Ian
dis coolly. "You may go now"
you're spoiled, that's what's the
matter" retorted Ferrall wrathfully
81 thought was to have this dance.
You said''-
81 said perhaps because l didn't
see Mr.. Plank coming to claim it.
Thank you, Kemp, for finding him."
Her nod and smile took the edge
from her malice. Ferrall, who really
adored dancing, glared about for any
body to dance with.
Sylvia, standing beside Plank, look
ed up at him with her confident and
friendly smile.
you don't care to dance, do you?
Would you mind if we sat out this
dancer?
eff you'd rather" he said so visit
fully that she hesitated; then with a
little shrug laid one hand on his arm,
and they swung out across the floor
together into the scented whirl.
Plank, like many heavy men, dane
ed beautifully, and Sylvia, who still
loved dancing with all the ardor of
schoolgirl, permitted a moment or two
of keen delight to sweep her dreamily
from her purpose. But that purpose
must have been a strong one, for she
returned to it in a few minutes and,
looking up at Plank, said very gently
that she cared to dance no more.
Her hand resting lightly on his arm,
it did not seem possible that any pres
sure of hers was directing them to the
conservatory, yet he did not know
where he was going, and she was ia
miliar with the house, and they soon
entered the conservatory, where, in the
shadow of various palms, various
youths looked up impatiently as they
passed and various maidenS sat up
very straight in their chairs.
Threading their dim way into the
farther recesses, they found seats
among thickets of forced lilacs over
hung by early wistaria. A spring
like odor hung in the air. Somewhere
a tiny fountain grew musical in the
semidarkness.
Marion told me you had been ask
ehn ha 60
friendly. You've always asked me to
dance whenever we have met, so 1
thought I'd save you one. Are you
fattered, Mr.. Plank"
He said he was, very pleasantly, per-
fectly undeceived and convinced Of her
purpOse-a purpose never even tacitly
admitted between them. and the old
loneliness came over him again-not
resentment, for he was willing that she
should use him. Why not? Others
used him, everybody used him, and if
they found no use for him they let
him alone. Mortimer, Fleetwood, Bel
wether-aA. all had something to ex
act from him. 1t was for that he was
tolerated. He knew it. He had slow
~ and unwillingly learned it. His in
trusion among these people, of whom
he was not one, would be endured on
~ while he might be turned to some
account. The hospital used him, the
clergy found plenty for him to do for
them, the museum had room for other
pictures of his. Who among them all
had ever sought him without a mo-
. tive? Who among them all had ever
found unselfish pleasure in him? Not
one.
He wished she would come to her
point, but he dared not lead her to it
too brusquely, because her purpose and
her point were supposed to be abso-
lutely hidden from his thick and cred
ulous understanding. 1t had taken
him some time to make this clear to
himself. Passing from suspicion
through chagrin and overwounded feel
ing to dull certainty that she, too, was
using him, harmlessly enough from