Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1908-06-18
TheIn7pOrtance0f
Being in Earnest
By Constance Sn7edIey and
Pesri Humphrey
(copyrigl,t.)

(Copyright.)
Wet, gray mist lay over a Novem-
| her landscape, and stiffness more
magical than that of a summer noon,
| because more mysterious, he'd in cold
fingers the bare brown trees and
hedges, the road that wound wetly
among them, and the pearlgray coun-
| try that stretched beneath a brooding
| sky. The voices and laughter of a
merry party of riders supplied the hui
| man note. Nelly, riding ahead with
a young sEbaltern, was in the highest
| spirits. 1t was the first house party
| she had stayed at alone, and she
| youthfully regarded the absence of Mrs.
Martins aegis as a removal of bar
! rier rather than the withdrawal of a
| protection. She had arrived only
that morning, and had Immediately
| proclaimed her freedom from restraint
| by roofing her habit out of her trays,
and coming out for a ride when she
| should undoubtedly have been resting
| after an early start.
To this pleasant emancipation was
now added the joy of a subject on
which she held views which she felt
| to be sensible and worthy of discus
| sion. This was bridge, game on
which the subaltern happened to be
| rather keen; but he was listening to
| the pretty iconoclast with much inter
est and some amusement. Nelly, who
| had not arrived at the stage fever of
even tolerable player, was not de
| tered by this fact from delivering
| herself as one who speaks with au-
| thority
AS they rode on, they laughed and
| talked of all the possibilities of free
speech till they reached home, and
left the ghostly twilight outside. The
gaiety of freedom was on her, and she
was so radiant through dinner that
| she laid for herself the foundations
stone of very pleasant popularity.
When they rose and went into the
| card-room, which they did as a mat
ter of course, Nelly observed Lady
Faljohnson, Mrs KeX, her hostess and
Maj. Dalsey, consulting as to whom
they should invite for their fourth,
vice a very fine player, departed.
| Nelly, who had watched the manners
and customs of the devotees, knew eX-
actly how much eagerness and how
much self-confidence to put into her
expression. She reflected that no one
there knew how she played, and the
alertness of her face caught Mrs.
| trio
| DO you play the new queen call?"
asked Nelly, with a careless smile,
whereupon they said: "Oh, yes" in
delighted tones, and unanimously in
vited her to join them. AS she sat
down with the three best players in
i the county, her heart sank a little,
but the subaltern passing in through
the billiard room, threw her smile
which cheered her again.
She fell to the major as partner, and
| he had the declare. He left it to
| Nelly, who gaily declared no trumps.
Some surprise appeared upon the ma
| jor's face, but as the play went on,
| thunderous silence descended on the
group. When the score had been re-
corded, he turned to Nelly. May l
ask why you declared no trumps?" he
asked with arctic politeness.
Why" responded Nelly, 81 had no
suit to make trumps, and nothing
higher than a queen in my hand"
Couldn't you have declared
spades?" demanded the major
Il had only three little ones, and
spades are so dull" was his partners
rejoinder. Those reasons, given in
her clear, young voice, fell upon so
utter silence that the subaltern
heard them in the billiard-room,
whence he Immediately strolled, bear
ing the Pink I'm.
In the second hand the situation be
came even tenser; the only sounds in
the room besides the flip Of the cards
being Nellys bright prattle and the
excited whispers of the spectators,
who had been attracted by her con
vincing reason for declaring no trumps
because her lRlnd was so bad
At last the livid major leaped into
speech, Immediately on Nellys gay:
81 double"
do you know what you are doing?'
ooh, yes" answered Nelly. but
don't look so concerned After all, it's
only a game of chance, and you can't
tell how the cards will go"
Then you ought to, madam" re.
torted the major, in voice the sub
r altern had often heard.
Hard lines, major!" murmured a
sympathetic voice.
Nelly looked up. But it's only a
game of pleasure" she said 1T isn't
as if it's serious business, that mat
tered at all to anyone. What is bridge
but a game?"
, please don't talk detonated Lady
Faljohnson.
The subaltern telegraphed encour-
agement. The major and Nelly were
now losing consistently and thorough
ly, and the atmosphere was distinct.
| 1y alactrjc