Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-03-25
MONSTER MASS MEETING
AT THE OPERA HOUSE
SUNDAY, MARCH %, Al 800 P. N.

body TO play cards with, II being his
temperament and his temper to throw
good money after bad. But Quarter
and Miss Caithness had already re.
turned 10 the squash courts, the ma.
| jorlty OF the swimmers to their sever
al dressing rooms and Grace Ferralls
party. equipped for motoring. to the
lawn, where they lost little time In
disappearing into the golden haze
which a sudden shift of wind had
spun out OF the cloudless afternoons
sunshine
However he got Marion and also, as
usual, the two men who had made a
practice OF taking away his money.
Major Belwether and Lord Alderdene.
He hadn't particularly wanted them
He wanted somebody he could play
with. like Siward, for example, OF
even the two ten dollar Pages Not
that their combined twenty would dc
him much good, but II would at least
permit him the pleasures OF the card
table without personal loss.
But the Pages had retired to dress,
and Voucher was for motoring, and he
had no use for his wife, and he was
afraid of Plank's game. and Slward,
seated on the edge OF the pool and
sharing a pint of ginger ale with Syl-
via lands. shook his head at the sug-
gestion and resumed his division OF
the ginger ale.
Plank and Leila Mortimer came
down TO congratulate them. Sylvia,
always instinctively and particularly
nice to people Of Plank's sort whom
she occasionally encountered, was so
faultlessly amiable, that Plank, who
had never before permitted himself
the privilege Of monopollzing her
found himself doing It SO easily that
1t kept him In state Of persistent
mental intoxication.
Siward, inclined to be amused by
the duration of the trance into which
Plank had fallen. watched the prog
ress of that bulky young mans infatu.
alton as he sat there on the pools
marble edge. exchanging trivial views
on trivial subjects with Mrs. Leroy
Mortimer.
Once In their history. during her
early married life, Siward had been
very sentimental about her, but mel
ther he nor she had approached the
danger line closer than to make dar-
Ing eyes at one another across the
frontiers Of good taste. And their
youthful enchantment had faded SC
naturally, so pleasantly, that always
there had remained to them both an
agreeable after taste-a sort of gay
understanding which almost invaria-
bly, led to mutual banter when they
encountered. But now something ap-
peared to be lacking In their rather
listless Misunderstanding OF the
usual 1avor which once had sailed
even a laughing silence with signifi-
canoe. Siward. too, had ceased to be
amused at the spectacle OF Plank's
calflike infatuation, and Leila Morti-
mer's bored smile had lasted so long
that her olive-pink cheeks were SIT.
and she relaxed her fixed features
with little shrug that was also some
thing of a shlver. Then, looking pru
IDENTIFY around. she encountered ST
wards eyes. and during moments
hesitation they considered one another
with an increasing curiosity that
slowly became tentative intelligence
And her eyes said very plainly and
wickedly to Siwards: "Oho, my friendl
So II bores you to see Mr.. Plank mo-
nopolizlng an engaged girl who be
longs to Howard Quarrierw
Then without appearing to she took
Plank away from temptation so skill
fully that nobody except Siward un-
derstood that the young man had been
incontinently removed. He, Plank.
never doubting that he was a perfect
~ free agent. decided that the time
had arrived for triumphant retirement
Sylvia turned to siward. glanced up
at him. hesitated and began to laugh
consciously:
what do you think of my latest SEN
timental acquisition
He'd be an ornament to a stock
farm" replied Siward. out of humor.
"How brutal you can ber' she unused,
SINKING.
Nonsense! He's plain bounder.
isn't he7"
81 don't KNOWS he7 He struck me
hihe dppciilhBiys even pdtucOCdhys
They usually do. that sort AS though
the trouble they took could ever be
worth the time they loser
she sat. smiling maliciously down at
the water. smoothing out the soaked
skirt of her swimming suit and swing
Ing her legs rehectively
"Are you reconciled?' she asked
presently.
ITO whati"
ITO leaving Shotover. Today is our
last day, you know. You may be here
again. but II shall not be II | ever
come TO Shotover again"
Her stockinged heels beat the devils
tattoo against the marble sides Of the
pool. She reached up above her head.
drawing down Towering branch OF
japanese orange. and caressed her dell
cate nose with the white blossoms
dreamily. then mischievously. "I'm &C
customing myself to this most sig
nifcant perfume" she said. looking at
him askance. And she deliberately
hummed the wedding march. watching
the color rise In his sullen face.
"If you had the courage OF a spar
row you'd make life worth something
for us BOTH" he said.
She crossed her knees one slender
ankle imprisoned In her hand. leaning