Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-08

you annoy me-"
That's nice thing to say. Is it
your delicately inimitable way Of CIV
ing me my congeY
Eyes, thank YOU" nodded Miss Lam
dis coolly. you may go now"
you're spoiled, that's what's the
natter retorted Ferrall wrathfully.
81 thought was to have this dance.
You said
81 said perhaps because 1 didn't
zee 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 I'D at him with her confident and
friendly smile.
you don't care to dance, do you?
Would you mind II we sat out this
dancer
eff you'd rather" he said, SO visit
FULLY that she hesitated; then with
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 strong one, for she
returned to 1t in few minutes and,
looking up at Plank, said very gently
that she cared to dance no more.
Her hand resting lightly on his arm,
1t 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
tiny fountain grew musical in the
semidarkness.
"Marion told me you had been ask
3D." she said. I'VE have been so
friendly. You've always asked me to
dance whenever we have met, so l
thought I'd save you one. Are you
t1attered, 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 II
they found no use for him they let
him alone. Mortimer, Fleetwood, Bel
wether-all. all had something to ex-
act from him. 1t was for that he was
tolerated. lie 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 mo-
tive? Who among them all had ever
found unselfish pleasure in him? Not
one.
,scI1 CHI
point, but he dared not lead her to 1t
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
her standpoint, but how bitterly from
his, he alone could know.
The flutter of her fan meant tmpa-
tience to learn from him what she had
come to him to learn and then, salts
fed, to leave him alone again amid
the peopled solitude of clustered lights.
He wished she would speak. He
was tired of the sadness Of 1t all.
Whenever in his isolation. in his utter
restitution Of friendship, he turned
guilelessly to meet new advance, al
ways, sooner or later the friendly
mask was lifted enough for him to
divine the cool, fixed gaze Of self in
terest inspecting him through the
damask Sits.
Sylvia was speaking now, and the
plumy fan was under savant control.
waving graceful accompaniment to her
soft voice, punctuating her sentences
at times at times making an emphasis
Or outlining gesture.
1t was the familiar sequence-topics
that led to themes which adroitly skirt
ed the salient point: returned capri
cio,1e,'- -