The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1909-01-07

answered: II beg your pardon. Cap
tain Selwyn did not know you were
serious"
"Oh, I'm not" he returned lightly
I'm never serious No man who soli
oquizes can be taken seriously Don't
you know, Miss Erroll that the crown
ing absurdity OF all tragedy Is the so
liloquyY'
Her smile became delightfully."- uncer
tain She did not quite understand
him, though her instinct warned her
that for a second something had men
aced their understanding
Riding forward With him through
the crisp sunshine OF mid December
the word tragedy" sti! sounding IN
her ears. her thoughts reverted natural
ly TO the only tragedy besides her own
which had ever come very near to he.
his own
? Could he have meant that2 Did peo.
pie mention such things after they had
happenedi Did they not rather con.
ceal them. hide them deeper and deep
er with the aid of time and the kindly
years for burial past all recollec.
ton?
Troubled. uncomforta intent on
evading every thought or train OF
ideas evoked. she put her mount to
gallop But thought kept pace with
her.
She was. OF course. aware of the
situation regarding Selwyn's domestic
affairs She could not very well have
been kept long In ignorance OF the
facts, so Nina had told her carefully.
leaving in the young girls mind only
a bewildered sympathy for man and
wife whom n dreadful aud incompre.
hensible catastrophe had overtaken,
only an impression OF something new
and fearsome which she had hitherto
been unaware of in the world and
which was TO be added TO her small
but unhappily growing list OF sad and
Incredible things
Returning from their gallon Miss Err
roll had very little to say. Selwyn.
too, was silent and absentminded. She
thought of her brother. and the old
hurt at his absence on that night
throbbed again. Forgiven Yes. But
how could she forget 1t?
II wish you knew Gerald WELL" she
said impulsively. HE Is such dear
fellow, and l think you'd be good for
him-and, BESIDES" she hastened to
add, with instructive loyalty lest he
mlsconstrue: Gerald would be good
for you. We were a great deal togeth
er-at one time"
He nodded, smilingly attentive.
"Of course when he went away to
school II was dlIorent," she added
"And then he went To Yale. That was
four more years, you see"
Did he rowAyour brother Gerald"
NO" she said. She did not add thai
he had broken training That was hel
own sorrow, TO be concealed even from
Gerald. mo; he played polo some
times. He rides beautifully, Captain
Selwyn, and he is so clever when h,
cares to beat the traps. for example
and-Oh-anything, He once swan
oh, dear, / forget. Was 1t FIVE or IF
teen or fifty miles? Is that too far
Do people swim those dlstances?
"Some OF those distances" repliet
Selwyn.
"Well, then, Gerald swan some o
those distances. and everybody wa
amazed. / do wish you knew hin
we'll"
Il mean to-" he said Il must loo
him up at his rooms or his club or pei
haps at Neergard & Co.'S"
"Will You do thisf' she asked so eai
nestly that he glanced up surprised.
'YesH he said. and after a momen
'Pll do 1t today, think-this aftel
noon. Are you having a good time
he asked condescendingly, but withor
intention.
Heavenly! How can you ask tina
with every day filed and a chance I
decline something every day? If you
only 60 to one-iust one-.of the dance