Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-01-22

! he fired up ana III iuto Inv " "
muss-up, and I've, stayed away
since"
"Oh. Gerald. And 1t simply proves
me right"
mo. It, doesn't did go, to Neer-
gard and made clean breast or it;
And he let me have what wanted like
a good fellow" -.
"And made you promise not to do 1t
again."
mo. he didn't He only laughed.
Besides. he said that be wished he
had been in the game.
What. exclaimed Alike.
"He's n first rate fellow" insisted
Gerald, reddening, land 1t was very
nice of you to let me bring him over
today. And he knows everybody down
town too. He comes from very old
Dutch family. but he had to work pref.
ty hard and do without college. Id
like II awfully If you'd let me-if you
wouldn't mind being civil to him once
or twice. you know. I'm going to pro-
| pose ulIu tOE tuG ctbJ N'
Proscenium. Why not!
81 see. And now you propose TO
bring him to my house"
IF you'll let me. asked Jack. ana
he seemed to think it might be all
right If you cared to ask him 10
play"
II WON'T" cried Alike. revolted. u
will not turn my drawing rooms into
clearing house, for every money
laden social derelct in town. I've had
enough of that I've endured the ac-
cumulatcd wreckage too long-welru
treasure craft full of steel and Oil ana
coal and wheat and heaven knows
what! | won't do it, Gerald. I'm
sick of 1t all-sick. sick"
The sudden, flushed Outburst STUN
ned the boy. Bewildercd. he stared
round eyed at the excited young ma
iron. who was growing more incensed
and more careless of what she ex-
posed every second.
81 will not make a public gambling
hell of my own house,! she repeated
dark eyes very bright and cheeks
afire. 81 will not continue to stand
sponsor for lot Of queer people sim
ply because they don't care what they
lose In Mrs. Ruthven's house. You
babble to me of limits. Gerald. Tbs
is the limit. Do you or does anybody
/ else suppose that ! don't know what
IS being said about us-that play Is
too high in our house, that we are
easy in our choice Of lntimates as
long as they can stand the pace? DO
Won think was educated for this
for the wife of chevalier Of indus
try|
"M-Mrs. Ruthven!" he gas1ed. But
she was absolutely reckless now. ana
beneath 1t all perhaps lay certainty
of the boys honor. She knew he was
TO be truSted.-was the safest recepta
Gle for wrath so long repressed she
let prudence go with parting and
yindictive slap and opened her heart
to the astounded boy The tempest
lasted q few seconds. Then she ended
as abruptly as she began.
To him she had always been what a
pretty young matron usually Is to a
we'll bred but hurebrained youth just
untethered Their acquaintance had
been for him q combination of charm
ing experiences diluted with gratitude
for her interest and harmless soup
con Of sent.mentality. In her partic-
ular case, however. there was little
something more-a hint Of the for
bidden-a troubled enjoyment, because
he knew, of course, that Mrs. Ruthven
was on no footing at all with the
Gerards.
"Dear Mrs. Ruthven." he blurted
out with clumsy sympathy. you
mustn't think such things, b-because
they're all rot. you see, and If any fell
low ever said those things to me I'd
jolly SOON
"Do you mean to say you've never
heard US criticised|'
-well-everybody is-criticised. OF
course
"But not as we are. Do you read the
Papers? Well, then. do you under
stand how woman must feel to have
her husband continually made the butt
Of foolish, absurd, untrue stories, as
though he were a performing poodle?
I'm sick of that, too, for another
|
month. unpleasant things have been ac-
cumuating and they're getting too
heavy. Gerald. too crushing for my
shoulders. Men call me restless. What
wonder! Women link my name with
any man who is kind to me! Is there
no excuse then for what they call my
restlessness? What woman would not
be restless whose private affairs are
the gossip of everybody? Was it not
enough that endured terrific publicity
when-when trouble overlook Inc two
years ago? suppose I'm Il fool to talk
like this, but girl must do it some
time or burst And to whom am to
go? There was only one person, and
can't talk to-that one. He-that per-
son--knows too much about me any
way, which is not good for woman.
Gerald; not good for a good woman-
| mean a pretty good woman, the kind
peoples sisters can still talk to, you
know"
81 want you to believe me your
friend" said Gerald in the low, reso-
lutte voice of unintentioni! melodrama.
"Wby. thank you. Are you SO sure
you want that. Gerald|
"Yes, as long as live" he declared.
generous emotion In the ascendant. y