The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-12-11

~
OF second, then were ayerted. But
into his face these crept an expression
less pallor that did not escape Siwara
no, nor Sylvia Lands
Presently under cover Of a rapid FIRE
of chatter she said. Did you draw
thatg'
Yes; ] had no idea it was meant
for him Nou maE imagine how Likely
I'd be TO take amy liberty with a ma.
who already dislikes me-"
"But it resembles him in a very
dreadful way"
81 know il. You must take my
word for what have told YOU"
She looked up at him. Il do Then
Its pity Mr. Quarter does not
consider such things humorous. He
he is very sensitive Oh, l wish that
fool Englishman had been in Bally-
hoo
But he didn't do It."
"No, but he put you up to It. or Grace
Ferrall did | wish Grace would lei
Mr.. Quarter alone She has always
been perfectly possessed to plague him
She seems unable to take him serious
ly, and he simply hates It. I don't
think he'd tolerate her if she were not
his cousin"
I'm aWfully sorry was all Siward
said, and for awhile he gloomily busted
himself with whatever was brought to
him.
Don't look that way" came a low
voice beside him.
do | sho everything as plainly as
that?" he asked curiously.
II seem to read you--sometimes."
ats very nice of YOU" he said.
"Nice"
ITO look at me-now and them
"Oh," she cried resentfully don't be
grateful"
'I-really am not, you know" he
said laughing
That" she reioined slowly lis the
truth You say conventional things in /
a manner IA an agreeably personal |
manner that interests women. BIZ
you are n0 grateful to anybody for
anything You are Indifferent and !
you can't help being nice to people, so
some day some girl win think you are
grateful and will have a miserable
time of it
miserable timer?
waiting for you to say what never
will enter your head to say"
you mean II
"Flirt? Nos l mean that you don't
hirt; that you are always dreamily
occupied with your own affairs, from
which listlessly eongenial occupation
whom drawn are unaxpRctadlv
nice that girl Immediately desires tc
see how nice you can be-"
What a charming indictment you
draw" he said, amused.
Its a grave one | assure you. I've
been talking about you to Grace Fer
rail- | asked to be placed beside you
at dinner told her | hadn't had half
enough of you on the cliff. Now, what
DO you think of yourself for being too
nice to a susceptible girl? l think it's
They both were laughing now. Sew
eral people glanced at them, smiling in
sympathy. Alderdene tool that oppor-
unity to revert to the sketch, furnish ,
ng a specimen of his own inimitable I
aughter as running accompaniment
o the story of Quarter and his dog !
n North Carolina until he had every
,ody. as usual, laughing, not at the
tory. but at him. all of which demon
tration was bitterly offensive to Quar- ,
Ter. He turned his eyes once on Miss
Iandis and ON Siward, then dropped r
hem. &
The hostess arose. A rustic and q
urry of silk and lace and the scraping e
t chairs, lingering word or laugh. q
nd the color vanished from the room.
saving q circle of men in black stand g
az around the table.
Here and there a man, lighting q
Igarette, bolted his coffee and cognac Il
nd strolled out to the gunrOom. Fer /
Ill, gesticulating vigorously; resumed |,
Is preprandial dog story to Captain "
oucher. Belwether buttonholed AL
erdene and bored him with an In II
srminably facetlous tale until that II
obleman, threatened with maxillary
lSIOCdlIOu
ose and came over to Siward, squint. 81
q furiousy. "
"Old asst" he muttered. His chop
hiskers look like the chops OF H
,uthdown ram, and he's got the wits =
one. Look here, Stephen, hear W
,u fell into no end of a scrape In in
wn"- W
"Tu quoque. Blinky? oh, read the
,wspapers and let 1t go at that" W
Just as you like old chapP' re
rned his lordshlp unabashed. "All |
cant was--anything Voucher and tn
n do-of course
you're very good. I'm not dead Ft
~ know" go
u Not dead, you know!" repeated an
ajor Belvether coming up behind 70
EN- with his sprlghtly step THAT
minds me of good one He sa' do
wn and lighted a cigar; then, yainiy
tempting to control his countenance pr