The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-05-14

ffCgn me TINS INNS
IVES"
please disregard It"
IF you wish
4 do. II is not worth while" And
a ATank made no comment, II have
"A lrther interest In the matter. Do
EOu underestimate
$40" said Plank doggedly.
Il have nothing more to say. l am
.,rry. We dine at g." concluded Syl-
Va hurriedly.
Plank hung up the receiver and sat
ewing II for awhile In silence Then
his Jaw began to harden and his under
In protrudcd and he folded his great
hands. resting them In front of him
m the edge of the desk, brooding there.
with eyes narrowing like a sleepy
giant at prayer.
When Leila entered in her evening
wraps she found HIN there so i'm.
mersed IN revere that ne Ta1led t.
hear her, and she stood a moment at
tho doorway, smiling to herself. think
pg how pleasant 1t was to come dow.
ready for the evening and find him
there as though he belonged where
be sat and was part of the familiar
environment.
Recently she had grown younger In
smooth skinned, full Tipped way-so
much younger that 1t was spoken of.
Beverly" she said, Il am ready"
Plank stood up, daZed from his rev.
erie, and walked toward her. His
white tie had become disarranged.
She raised her hands. hating him, al
pulled 1t in+H shape for him. conscious
y innocent OF the intimacy.
Thank you," he said. DO you
know how pretty you are this evel.-
mgr
YES. l was very happy at my mr.
ror Do you know, the withered years
seem to be dropping from me lii e
leaves from an autumn sapling. And
| feel young enough to say so poetic
ally. Did Sylvia try to fiirt with you
over the wire"
Yes, as usual" he said drily. de-
sending the stairs beside her.
And really you don't love her any
mOre2" she queried.
Scarcely" His voice was low and
rather disagreeabls, and she looked ".
Il wish knew what you and Sylvia
find to talk about so frequently, if
you're not in love-"
But he made no answer, and they
drove away to the Belwether house,
rather wide, old style mansion Of
brown stone, with stoop dividing lis
ugly facade, and series Of unneces-
sary glass doors blockading the vesti-
bue
drawing room and reception room
danked the marble tiled hall. Behind
these the dining room ran the width
If the rear.
There We're half dozen people there
ounging informally between the living
Dom on the second floor and Sylvia's
partments in the rear-the residue ,
rom luncheon and bridge party Civ
N that afternoon by Sylvia to a score j.
r so Of cardinal women. A few Of !
nese she had asked to remain for an +
normal dinner and a desperate game
'ter-the sort of people she knew well /.
nough to lose to heavily or win from /
lthout remorse-Grace Ferrall, Ma =
ION Page, Agatha Caithness. Trusting .
the telephone that morning, she had /,
'cured the Mortimers and Quarter. q
iling three men, and now the party, \
Hh Plank as Mortimer's substitute, ),
as complete, all thorough gamesters
sex mattering nothing in the prepa- L.
tlon =
IN Sylvia's boudoir Grace Ferrall lr
ID Agatha Caithness sat before the n
e; Sylvia, at the mirror of her dress
; was correcting the pallor incident N
the unbroken dissipation of bril- n,
mt season; Marion, with her inevita tie
cigarette, wandered between Syl N
as quarters and the library. where p
iafller and Major BeIwether were q
ing in low voiced confab. re
.elIa' greeted gayly from the bou W
H. went in. Plank entered the l!ha- vi
was maued effusively b. Che IN Bt
, returned Quarters e." h wi
IKE ana sat down with ~ Ia 4 sir
lie al
On, yes, We're out,for
'nI Uttered Major FL wi
'sPlhg Quarters arm Es.A .3C
shaking it to EN-, hasi2e his W".; to
naDit that Quarter thoroughly di di,
W. Sylvia had a lot OF womeu gls
le Playing for the season score, so ms
she keep the pick of them It
ulnner and call In few choioe as
- To make a night of it." "
MS agreeable to me-" said Plank, ma
u LOOK q mt Quarter with the same his
"' I'D x9rcssion. which that gen On
Z nan NrEN"iy chose to understand. ton
= .''eu had chance to look into ney
, ao''er he said carelessly. "Some ed
when you have time to go over cor
| b... He
nave time now" said Plank. ,ru
ls,e nothing to go over. There's no nils
'o" Tor any secrecy. All wrote ar
WIS IlM, ! br,h,neaI 10 coptrol fhn