Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-02-21
d FTER the first few days Of bis

"
threatened to hang heavily
a n on Mortimer's notified hands
After the second day afield he recog
nized that his shooting career wa!
practically over. Then Mortimer, mo-
yet done with self indulgence in more
convenient forms, cast about him with
In his new limits for occupation be
tween those hours consecrated to the
rites of the table and the card room.
He drove four, but found that II
numbed his arms and that the sea ali
made him sleepy. Motor cars agreed
with him only when driving with q
pretty woman. Forced through ennui
to fish off the rocks, he soon tired of
the sea perch and rock cod and the
malodors of periwinkle and clam.
Then he took up his headquarters in
the reading room on the chance of his
fwife's moving elsewhere which she
did, unobtrusively carrying Captain
Voucher with her in sudden zeal for
billiard practice on rainy mornings
now too frequent along the coast.
Mortimer possessed that mysterious
talent, so common among the financial
~ insolvent, for living lavishly on an
invisible income, but, plan as he would,
he had never been able to increase that
tncome through confidential gossip
with men like Quarter or Belwether
or even Ferrall. What information his
pretty wife might have extracted he
did not know. Her income had never
visibly increased above the vanishing
point, although, like himself, she de-
MED herself nothing One short, lively
Interview with her had been enough to
drive all partnership ideas out of his
head.
He was always studying women.
Years before, Grace Ferrall had snap
ped her slim fingers in his face, and
here at Shotover the field was limited.
Mrs. Vendenning had left. Agatha
iCaithness was still pale and reticent
puzzle. Rena,. Kathryn and Eileen
formented him. Marion Page coolly
au fait yawned In his face. There re-
manned Sylvia, who. knowing nothing
about his species, met him halfway
with the sweet and sensitive Difference
due somewhat battered and infirm
gentleman of forty-eight, until a sleek
aside from Major Belwether spoiled
everything. as usual, for her, leaving
her painfully conscious and perplexed
between doubt and disgust.
Meanwhile the wealthy master Of
Blacks Fells. Beverly Plank, had found
encouragement enough at Shotover to
venture on tentative informality. There
was no doubt that ultimately he must
be counted on in New York, but no
body except him was impatiently cor
dial for the event, and so at the little
house party he slipped and slid from
every attempt at closer quarters until.
rolling smoothly enough, he landed
without much discomfort somewhere
between Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Nor
timer. And 1t was not a question as
70 (which would be good to him." OBJ
served Major Belwether, with his mis-
beading and benevolent mirth. at was
which would be coolest quickestP' J
And Mrs. Mortimer. abandoning Cap
tain Voucher by the same token, dis
played certain warning notices per-
fectiy comprehensive to her husband
and at first he was inclined to recog.
nize defeat.
But the general unsuccess which had
20 faithfully attended him recently
had aroused the long dormant desire !
for general review of the situation |
with his wife-perhaps even the fur |
live hope II some conjugal arrange
menf tending toward an exchange OF |
views concerning possible alliance.
The evening previous, to his intense
aisgust, host hostess and guests had |
retired early in view of the point
shooting at dawn, for not only was
here to be no point shooting for him.
put he had risen from the card table
heavily hit, and, besides, for the first
line his apples and port had disagreed
Nth him.
AS he had not risen until midday, he
vas not sleepy. Books were an aver
don equaled only by distaste for bis
'wn company. Irritated. bored, he
lad perforce sulkily entered the ele-
Iator and passed to his room, where
here was nothing on earth for him to
10 except to thumb over last weeks
porting periodicals and smoke himself
tupid
But 1t required more than that to en-
mare the goddess of slumber. He
Faiked about the room haunted of slow
houghts; he stood at the rain smeared
ane. fat fingers resting on the glass.
he richly favored cigar grew distaste-
vi, and II he could not smoke. what.
! PHYS name. was he to do?
For hours he sat in his room or
aced the four walls. doubtful, cha
rined, furious by turns. Once he drew
out a memoran-
dun book and :
Alol stood under a {
\ lighted sconce
10 studying the fig |
ures. His losses '
at S hotoVer
~ Il =