Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-01-29

EHst hAshhsIs ~ " "''T' ="
age" u,uo
Anyway" said Lansing, you We
nothing to. worry over"
NO. nothing" assented selwyn iiS'-
lessly.
After silence Lansing aAded, "bu'
you do a lot OF worrying all ''Ic S''iAe'
Phil" ..-
Selwyn flushed up and denied IT,
eyes. Won do. Il W. believe you
realize how much of the time you are
out of spirits" >,
docs it impress you that way
asked selwyn, mortified because III
really all right| :.
"Of course you are, Phil. know 10
but you don't seem to realize IT,
You're morbid, I'm afraid"
you've been talking to my sister!
what of it? Besides, knew tnere
was something the matter"
you know what it is too. Ana
isn't it enough TO subdue mans SPIT
its occasionally"
NO" said Lansing, 'if you mean
gour-mistake-two years ago. mat
isn't enough to spoil life for man.
I've wanted to tell you so for a long
time"
And as Selwyn said nothing For
heavens sake, make up your nina 10
enjoy your life! You are fitted to en-
Joy 1t. Get that absurd notion out OF
your head that you're done for, that
you've no home life in prospect, no
family llfe no children"
"Do You mean to say, Boots, that
You think O man who has made the
CHASTITY mess of his life that | have
ought to feel free to marry"
think it, Man, know it. Ger
tanly you onght to marry if you wish,
but, above all, you ought to feel free
to marry. That is the essential equip
ment of a man. He isn't man if he
feels that he isn't free to marry. He
may not want to do 1t, he may not be
in love. That's neither here nor there.
The main thing Is that he IS free as a
man should be to take any good oppor-
tunity, and marriage is included in the
list of good opportunities"
Sitting there in the carpetless room
piled high with dusty, linen shrouded
furniture, Selwyn looked around. an
involuntary smile twitching his mouth.
"What about your marrying" be
said, latter this talk about mine?
What about 1t, Boots? Is this new
house the first modest step toward the
matrimony you laud so loudly?'
Sure" said that gentleman airily
"That's what I'm here for"
Really"
"Well. of course, idiot. I've always
been IN love-"
"You mean you actually have some
body in view:"
mo, son. I've always been in love
with-love I'm sentimental sentry
on the ramparts of reason. I'm prop
erly armed for trouble now, so if I'm
challenged | won't let my chance slip
by me-"
After a little while Selwyn went
away, first to look up book which he
was having bound for Eileen, then TO
call on his sister, who, with Eileen.
had lust returned from week at Sill
yerside with the children preliminary
to moving the entire establishment
there Tor the coming summer
"Silverside is too lovely for w3rds"
exclaimed Nina as Selwyn entered the
library. Nobody wanted to come
away. Eileen made straight for the
surf, but 1t was an Arctic sea, and as
soon as l found out what she was
doing made her come out"
81 should think you would" he said.
"Nobody can do that and thrive"
"She seems to-" said Nina. "She was
simply glorious after the swim, and
hated to put stop to it. And you
should see her drying her hair and
helping Plunket to roll the tennis
courts-that hair of hers blowing like
gold flames and her sleeves rolled to
her armpits-and you should see her
down in the dirt playing marbles with
Billy and Drina shooting away eN-
citedly and excaiming Ten dubs! and
'Knuckle down, Billyp like any gamin
you ever heard officially unspoied.
Phil, in spite of all the success of her
first winter And do you know that
she had no end of men seriously en-
tangled? Philr'
"What?. he said
His sister regarded him smilingy,
then partly turned around and perched
herself on the padded arm of grea
chair.
Come over here, Phil; no, close to
me. I wish to put my hands on your
shoulders, like that. Now look at me.
Do you really love meT'
"Sure thing, Ninette."
"Ard you know 1 adore you, don't
your
"Madly, dear, but forgive YOU"
"No. 1 want you to be serious, be-
cause I'm pretty serious. See, I'm not
smiling now. l don't feel like it, be-
cause it is a very, very important mat
ter, Phil, this thing that has-has-al-
most happened. It's about Eileen. And
it really has happened"
"What has she dOne?" he asked curl
ously.
His sisters eyes were searching his
very diligently, as though in quest of
something elusive, and he gazed Sc
renely back, the most unsuspicious OF
smiles touching his mouth.
"Phil, dear, n young girl-a very
young girls q vapid and uninterest-
ing proposition to man of thirty-f
isn't she?"
"Rather-in some ways"