The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-01-22

ciOu and veXatiOu
He greeted her a his usual careless
happy fashion just as she reached her
CHAMBER dor. aud she turned Al tbs
sound OF lis voice. confused. unsmi.
Ing. a lit.le pale.
is il he3dache OF are you. too. IN
quest OF cigarettes - he asked as he
stopped in passing her where she
stood. one slender band ON the knob
Of her door
Il don't smoke. yOH know she said
looking up at him. with cold little
laugh. 1T isn't headache either
was-boring myself Mr.. Siward.'
rs there any virtue IN me as rem
edy?"
"Oh. l have no doubt you have lots
of virtues Perhaps rou might do a. 81
tempo.acg .ea.p. liz, nc to the ~
iurel." She laughed again Cacertai... .
But You are On a quest for cisa
rettes"
And you?"
"A rendezvous-with the sand man
GOOD night"
Good night, II you must say it.
Its polite TO say something. isn't
ltT'
1T would be polite to say, Will
pleasure. Mt Siw0rd"
"But you haven't invited me to o.
anything not even to accept a cfg
rette. Pesides. you didn't expect 70
meet me up hereF"
The trailing accent made it near
enough a question for him 70 say Yes.
| did"
How could your
az saw YOU leave the room"
you were sketching for Marion
Page. DO yuu wish me to believe tia,
you noticed me and
And followed you? Yes. | did fo'-
low you.
She looked at him. then past him 10
ward a corner of the wide hall where
a maid il cap ana apron sat preten.
ING TO be sewing. CAREFUL she mo,
toned with smiling lips. Servant
gossip. Good night again.
couldn't we have a moment
"No"
Zone minute
Hush. | must open my door lin
gering Il might come out again /
YOU have anything particularly i'm
portant to communicate to me-"
Il have. There's a big bay window
at the end of the other corridor. VII
you come
But she opened the door, with light
laugh. saying GOOD night'' again
and closed it noiselessly behind her.
He walked on. turning into his cor
ridor. but kept straight ahead, pasai2-
his own door, on to the window at the
end Of the hall then north along
wide passageway which terminated III
a hay window overlooking the roof OF
the indoor swimming tank.
L Appeared that Ae had cigarettes
enough. for he lighted one presently
and. leaving his chair, curled up in tlit
cushioned and pillowed window seat
gathering his knees together under his
arm
The cigarette he had lighted wen
out. He had bitten into 1t and twisted
It so roughi@ that it presently cruln
bled, and he threw the rags of it int
metal bowl. locking his jaws in 81
lence, for the night threatened TO be
bad one for him. A heavy fragrance
from his neighbours wineglass at dlA
ner had stirred up what had for time
lain dormant. and by accident some
thiug-some sweetmeat he had tastet
was saturated in brandy
Now his ,restlessness at the pros
pect of a blank night had quickened {
uneastness. with hint of fever tintin!
his skin, but as yet the dull ache IN IN
body was scarcely more than a pre-
monition
He had his own devices for tidin,
him over such periods reading, tobat
co and the long, blind, logged tramp
, he took in town, but here tonight il
the rain one stood every chance o
walking off the cliffs, and he was $icl
of reading himself sightless over u''
sort of books sent wholesale to Shot
over. and he was already too Ill Il
ease physically to make smoking ell
durable
After awhile he began to walk me
notonously to and fro the length of tn
corridor, like a man timing his step
to the heavy ache of body or mind
Once he went as far as his own dool
entered and. stepping to the wash BASH
let the icy water run over hands an
wrists. This sometimes helped I
stimulate and soothe him. 1t did nov
for awhile-long enough to change tn
current of Lis thoughts to the girl n
had hoped Light have the imprudene
to return for a tryst, innocent enousi
, in itself. yet unconventional and IN
reasonable enough to prove attractiv
to them both.
Probably she wouldn't come Sh
had kept her fluffy skirts clear of hid
since cup day. which simply corrobo
rated his vague estimate of her la
she done the contrary his estimat
would have been the same, for uncoll
..t>,,sIy hut naturally he had Pre-