Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-10-01
CHAPTER ".

well as the immaterial--even the Hem
ingray doorsteps appeared changed
as stood on them in the dusk OF the
spring evening, waiting to be ad-
mitted.
was shown into the south drawing
room to wait for Barbara; have been
shown into the south drawing room
to wait for her a hundred times, and
| had always before found 1t pleas
ant, inviting place; but ! got no fur
Their than the threshold this evening:
the change in 1t was amazing. The
prodigality of light struck me first,
and then its gala-air; 1t was as II 1t.
too. were receiving congratulations In
its best clothes along with its mis-
tress. There were flowers every
where. l am fond of all flowers but
those taken by another man to the
girl | love. Ankony's flowers overran
the south drawing room; they were
on the three-cornered piano that had
belonged 10 Barbara's mother, on the
quaint cabinet with ormolu mounts
and parquetry paneling that had been
her great-grandmother's on her grand
mothers mahogany table, and on man
tells and shelves and cases.
Their fragrance met me at the
threshold and stopped me there as If
it had been funeral fragrance. With
shiyer / crossed quickly to the library.
There was no light there but a dim
freight The library. evidently, was
not receiving congratulations, and
entered with sigh of thankfulness
for something unchanged, when, mock
cry of mockeries, just as | was throw
ing myself down to wait for Barbara
! discovered great bowl of Soliel
dor roses glowing in the middle of
| the table. The Forlorn Hope had of
fered its tribute of American Beau
ties and Jacqueminots and Marechal
Neils to Barbara, but it had always
been my privilege to take her the
splendid Soliel dor. | stood for a
minute looking at these upon the
table, then / picked up the big crystal
bowl and carried it across to the
drawing room, where l set it down
not too gently
Presently l heard Barbaras step in
inc udii' II souNucu q iltlie idHSuiu,
i thought.
Il am here" said, from the II
brary.
What are you doing there in the
dark?s
Il like the dark and the library
How capricious you arel I never
knew you to walt here before"
! made no reply, but | stirred the
fire in the hope that she would not
ring for lights.
II am tired" she said, as she sank
| into a chair drew for her.
Pleasantly" l inquired with sym
pathy,
No, downrightly. People have been
coming for days to say nice things to
me. | suppose ought to be glad.
"Oh, ! don't know. Nice things can
become awfully tiresome."
She nodded YEARLY.
Il promise in the beginning to say
nothing nice whatever" i FASTENED to
assure her
She smiled little.
You rarely do" she observed: but
| | think ! shall rather like 1t tonight
| I've about exhausted all my replies
You've no idea how quickly you run
| out of replies to the sort of amiable
| platitudes that have been showered
| on me lately"
Il dare say. You know I've never
experienced anything like it, People
| make phrases, and you make phrases
| back at them. Is that it? But you
wouldn't make them for me, / am
| sure
No. / think l shouldn't consider it
worth while"
ut wouldn't be good for you IL
| caught you at it."
| That's the real cleyerness, she
unused, ito make a catchword sound
| pristine in its freshness. A lot of
women ! know can do it. | never
could. It's art. Or"
do you remember the story of the
fairy godmother who put pearls in
stead the words in the mouth Of one
| of her godchildren?n | asked. If
| these were still the blessed days of
! fairies, / know lot of good folks
| who would ask for catchwords, don't
| your
She laughed softly.
Instead of brains, she said. They
would be so much easier managed"
| Exactly"
/ We laughed again. For a moment l
think we forgot We were SO ac-
| customed to being gay.
you are very amia5le tonight" she
remarked after a moment. It's so
| nice to find you that way. You are
not always SO. you know For in
stance"
you mistake" / interrupted; I'm
not amiable at all tonight. I am ex-
ceedingly out of sorts ] have lost
something, and ! don't like losing
things; it makes me cross,
Careless people always lose
things" said she severely; Il always
told you how careless you were
I'm afraid you were right, | ad-