Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-05-20

Resting my chin in my hand, | re-
viewed the evening, which, from my
own private and particular standpoint,
had been a failure. Elizabeth had
mentioned Lord Wilfrid's reserved
manner, but to me he had seemed dis
tinctly sulky, and had more than
once seen his sister look at him APP
pealingly, and at last with an indig-
nant sparkle in her brown eyes, after
which he reused himself and ~conversed
in a perfunctory manner with his
neighbor-who happened to be my I'M
fortunate self.
Now. l had fully intended to impress
Gordon Bennett with the fact that he
was still under the ban of MY dis
pleasure, and in the privacy of my own
room had rehearsed a dignified bear
ing and certain imaginary speeches /
thought would be very effective. 1t
was therefore somewhat disconcerting
to be politely ignored by the gentle
man in question, who, beyond a civil
bow and smile, had appeared nawar
of my existence and had devoted him
self exclusively, to Elizabeth, who
looked especially pretty in her pale
blue princess gown, and whose nose,
being entirely guiltless of sunburn, did
not shine.
The air of jollity which had distin-
guished our little impromptu feasts
seemed to me lacking on this more
formal occasion. 1t was as though
u guests had put on another person
atty with their evening clothes, and
! found 1t unfamiliar and hard to toll
crate.
Lady Edith, to be sure, was a joy
to behold, and talked with unusual
brilliancy. Her white shoulders and
golden hair were strikingly a~ccentu-
ated by her low-cut black gown, and
the color came and went in her cheeks
like the fitful spark Of an opal.
Mr.. Blake, the quiet, the self-con-
tanned, beside whom she was placed,
let his soup grow cold as he looked at
her, and had evidently forgotten the
presence Of any one else long before
the appearance Of the salad. BY the
time coffee arrived I decided he was
hopelessly lost, and felt a sincere sym
pathy for him, for in the lace of her
bodice cleaned the little gold key, and
] knew it locked all men but one out
of her heart.
felt very sorry for them both, in
the light of my recently acquired in
formation. There were shadows be-
meath her eyes, and a ~repressed rest
lessness Of name which l. attributed
to overtaxed nerves, for / knew she
felt 1t incumbent upon her to make a
special effort to be agreeable, since
the dinner was given in her honor.
Perhaps, I reflected, the anniversary
brought with it painful memories of
other days, and for her sake as well
as my own, | wished it were over.
Well, 1t was over, and our guests
had been gone for an hour, though it
was now but IL o'clock. / imagined
Gordon Bennett and his friend arriv-
ing at their island and discussing us
over their cigars, with doubtless a
cooling and stimulating beverage to
refresh them after their exertions,
and ! would have liked to hear what
they said.
Gabrielle often remarks that she
never hears ice clink in a glass and
smells a good cigar that she does not
wish she were a man. and secretly !
sympathize with her, although | al
ways make a point Of d~isagreeing In a
slightly superior manner, as though
such things were beneath contempt.
| was thinking Of this now in d
dreamy. halfsconscicus way, when ll
suddenly became aware that I actually
slnelled 4 cigar land a very good ons
Moreover. tie odor came from bc