The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-15

,locileIy, "but how, what?'
 "Oh. he'll drink your health" rather roared studheim. "and you must like It.
 Al! right; I like it,'' stoically agreed Brenda.
 And when he says sweet things to you, say sweet things back; if you can't why, cut eff smile and hand it out to him.
 I'll cut off a smile,' she chose, im- movably.
 ssPerhaps he'll want to hold your hand a little" said Studheim, becoming inter- ested in his lines.
 Brenda here pondered.
 "Then do I soak him one?" she asked thoughtfully.
 Not on your life" begged Studheim. "That's just the point"
 Brenda broke into an irresistibly de- licious smile as light glmnered on her cloudy horizon.
 "I see," she said. "It is business that he holds my hands. just as you do now"
 "Yes." said studheim, dropping them. Make Sim think he's the ham in the sandwich"
 The mention of sandwich brought so famished a look into her face that Stud hei mconsiderately led the way to the supper table. A closed scene shut out the 6raughts and conserved the lights, so that we were both brilliant and comfort able. while "a score of willing stage hands sped around on rubber-tired roller skates, metaphorically, to keep us in supply. Nor rls was at one end. Sim at the other, ,.y;f DaI nd ot ro1a of honor on either hand. Anybody but a Nol-Gobbin would have been lightly conscious of distinction, but with Brenda, the nearer the loaf the worthier the seat, and she merely ate with methodical plac- idity. Heroieallv obedient to instruction, however. she from tune to time let loose a smile upon her admirer, immediately returning to her plate, though, the while lie swan in his rapture. The rest of us, lesser beings, with Nina in our midst to keep us from dying of neglect, were spread at the board between the star performers is1 the comedy and got more out of the meal than food.
 The conversation, general at first, was wlttily funny, but esoterieally so, confin- ing itself mostly to professional experi- ences to apt distortions of lines from plays and Good-natured raillery of play CTS. Later Nance and Morris withdrew their voices from the babel. and took a kind of love route of their own, convers- ing in hushed, Sunset Limited style up upon a mesa-land of clouds and moon- shine, coming to deep places and taking their trestles with commendable celerity. sweeping down into canyons of Intimate Comprehension, then up again on the rim of things-very entertaining, what we got of it, but strictly private or should have ts... lI.- txs- I Ia. AI I1l,xw tLeir lead with his own divinity, and was growing pallid with non-success.
 Not that he was discouraged. He as dld her audiences, conceived Brenda ca aable of just as much emotion as he de- sired of her. To the thoughtful she was full of thought to the lover she was full of love- to the reserved she epitomized reserve; to the spiritual she radiated spirit; while, for fact, she was merely healthily empty.
 And you are trying to be cruel to me?' nourned Kelly finally
 "No. no." cried Brenda, thrilled into responsiveness. Cruel? Certainly not with her salary depending otherwise.
 Under the encouragement he drew closer and gazed with good, honest adoration at the changeless marvel of her face
 -"I wonder if you know how beautiful you are" he ventured.
 NY Godt, I hope so,' said Brenda faintly, not wishing to be lacking at any required point.
 This doubled him up. He took it for wit: and Morris flashed to Brenda beam of approval and indictment. So Brenda felt that she had earned another sandwich, and took it.
 Sim Kelly began to whistle very beau- tiful things into her ear, and, because his nearness was distasteful to her, she cast a glance of annoyed inquiry at her man. ager. Under gesture of gayety, Morris invited her to stand it a while longer. She remembered his gastronomic smile, and rut 1t into action. Taking her sand vlch from her mouth she said to Sim briefly:
 You are the ham"
 This finished him and he kissed her. Understand there was not one of us who blamed him, or who would have acted shade differently under the provocation of that soft young cheek of velvet and cream. Nor did we blame her reception of if Had she done less than she did sine would have been less of a whole soulcd, affectionate creature than she-was Unhastily putting down her remains of sandwich and straigAtening out her big, beautiful palm, she slapped Mir. Kelly with a magnificent resonance. And if you do that once more yet I'll