The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-04-08

"There are lots OF hotels in New
York" suggested the countess.
Hotels! Do you suppose we're 60
ing to let you run off to New York
aloneT
"we?"
Yes; your father and |. We have
had little talk about you"
'You and my father"
"Yes."
"Why, you-you surprise me, MIR.
Devine. | had no idea that my father
ever consulted you"
The Cherub smiled complacently.
''He has, though. You're thinking Of
what he said last night when we came
back from the village. But he didn't
know how things stood then. We had
an understanding this morning. and
we agreed that we would try to make
you see how foolish It was to run
away. Hasn't he said anything about
it?"
Nothing that has Influenced my
plans"
But you can see how feel about
It, can't you?" Mr.. Devine flushed at
his unfortunate wording of this ap.
peal. What he was trying TO do most
was TO conceal his real feelings. But
he plunged boldly ahead with his ar
gument That's why | am going to
stay here until you have promised to
be reasonable" was his closing dec
laration.
Indeed" man with such deep
knowledge of womanRind as the Cher
ub thought he possessed would have
detected a note of challenge In her
tone. Mr.. Devine, however thought
that he was managing the affair very
cleverly, when she continued, 81 sup
pose ] may have time to think it over,
IL am to reconsider"
"Of course, all the time you want"
he assented readily.
The countess looked up quickly and
replied:
This is Monday, isn't it? Well by
Wednesday night l shall probably be
able to tell you exactly what mean
to do-that is, providing / am still
here"
But you can wait two days, can't
you?"
Yes; | can if you can"
Then the Cherub understood. She
meant to take him at his word and
hold him to it. Although he thought
of many things which might happen
to p, q. and N. if for two whole days
his watchful eyes should be taken
from it, he did not finch.
"Pm game" he said.
The changing of big gong announces
the daily openings of the New York
Stock Exchange. During five years
there had never been a morning when
Cherub Devine was not to be found
within earshot of that gong when it
rang in Wall streets brief but tumultu-
GUS day. He was to be found waiting
with calm confidence whatever crisis.
big or little, might arise, and generally
there was something of the sort.
Yet here he was at opening hour on
this post-holiday Tuesday morning only
vaguely conscious that he was miles
away from it all. If he remembered
it was only the troublesome thought of
moment. What did he care if
thousand gongs were ringing to open
thousand stock exchanges? They
might stay open forever or close for
good and ALL he was helping the
Countess Vecchi toss bits of sweet
crackers to a pair of white swans.
Perhaps it was the clear, crisp Sep
tember air, perhaps it was something
else. which caused the Cherub to feel
within him new glow and thrill of
mere existence. He himself did not
entirely understand the origin of this
feeling, but he had no inclination to
analyze it. He was glad he was there.
Especially he was glad that the count
ess was there too. Beyond that moth
ing was to be desired.
Thus it happened that the advent of
a red headed boy on a bicycle seemed
almost an impertinence. The boy drop