The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-07-08
Bringing Matters
80: To a Focus

Mortimer Jarvis, hate you!"
1t struck him squarely between the
eyes, and he reeled as if from an &C
tual blow.
The young woman who spoke these
words sat in Gibson girl attitude,
with her elbows on the table, and
glared at the masculine person who
faced her from the opposite side Of
the table.
"You-you hate mel" he said, recov-
ering his equilibrium with an effort
And hatred is akin to-to-well, nev-
er mind what it's akin to-" he added,
as NO available relationship seemed
to suggest itself. rs this a new emo
ton, Grazella, or is it one you had
left in stock when you invoiced last?"
my name is Miss Twigg."
"Yes; Grazella G. Twigg. Of course
l do"
do what, sir?''
"Twigg. Do you continue to hate
me, Miss Twigg?"
4
| regarded him appeared to indicate that
she did.
do you hate me, Miss Grazella-
Twigg-as much as you did minute
ago."
The curling irony of her lips, so to
question, likewise.
1
Il will ask you now, Miss Twigg,"
he said, after the manner of a young
Gibson lawyer conducting his first i'm
portant case, why do you detest,
abominate, and regard with abhor-
renee the individual who now pre-
sumes-"
That is the reason, sir" she inter
rupted, You are presumptuous."
Pardon me, Miss Twigg. Remem-
Der you are not On oath. Do | under
stand you to say am presumptuous
81 think that is the word | used, sir"
81 will ask you now, Miss Twigg, If
you are aware that 'presumptuous' is
derived from the Latin word Proc
sume,' meaning to take beforehand"
81 presume it is"
"Ha! Then you yourself presumed"
Hastily making note of it on the
margin of a newspaper that lay on
the table, he proceeded:
Waving that point for the moment,
however, may l ask you in what re-
spect have been pTesumptuous in the
sense of taking before"
l.. b RDx ov,fo fo1
For instance?"
For instance, Mortimer Jarvis. you
take it. for granted that I don't know
why you have been devoting yourself
to me for the last three years."
"Oh, do II"
Eyes, sir; you do. You presume to
think that l am going to be surprised
and do the this is so sudden act when
you-"
when what?"
"Oh, you think you've been so sly
about it that l never suspected"
suspected what?"
"As if any girl didn't-didn't
know"
Know what?"
Then, all at once her self-possession
deserted her, and a horrible suspicion
took it's place. Had she been unduly
presumptuous herself? T
Her lips moved, but no sound came
from them.
The young man promptly assumed
control of the situation.
"Grazella," he said, in voice which,
by every rule of accepted dramatic art
should have had an accompaniment OF
slow, tremulous music, 81 plead not
guilty to the main charge, but l am
going to take something for granted
now"
By executing a rapid flank move
ment he took possession of her hand.
In her agitation she had neglected
to place it out of the reach Of possible
danger.
She tried to withdraw it, but it was
too late. Apparently it was there to
stay.
"And you thought me presumptu-
ous!" be continued, with a desperate
attempt to pull out the flute stop in
his vocal organ. why, bless your
dear little heart, 1 am the shyster,
timidest, most self-deprecatory mortal
on earth! Been devoting myself to
yor for three years, have I? Gra-
zel,a-"
Here he thrust the table aside with
a mastery flank movement of his free
hand. as being easier than stepping
around it.
eff l hadn't been the biggest cow
ard alive I would have spoken two
years eleven month and twenty-nine
days ago. That's the way they do
nowadays in all the"
"Oh, Mortimer, what must you
think" she walled, still struggling,
but with less desperation, to withdraw
her hand.
81 think you did perfectly right.
dear, to bring me to- mean you did
right to give me chance-hold your
head still, will you! Pre-
sumptuous!' Well, like that
and that and that!"
That's just what you are!" she
pouted, half an hour later.
But he took a similar advantage OF