Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-03-26

oneself alone with lunatic. Only In
natics talk to things ms though they
were people"
Don't mind her, Amnryllis," ] said
softly. Poor creature. she Is jealous
She thinks you are no more than lily
blooming in a pot. We know better,
of course"
REALLY did not dream you had so
much Imagination" Myrtilla said out
right, shipping her thread as she spoke.
/ stared harder than ever at Amaryl-
lis, saying: Imagination is fearful
thing sometimes. | am glad, Amaryl-
lis, you altogether lack 1t. You would
never see in ordinary civilities to
pretty girl anything to turn your love
ly golden tawny eyes green"
Dancing or sitting out every other
number, l suppose. comes under the
head of ordinary civilities," Myrtilla
said, her lip curling.
kept on quietly: "And even IL you
felt hurt you would let me explain.
The Verinews have hearts as big as
their fortune. Thus 1t happens i owe
them what money can never pay.
Not 30 many years back there was a
big furry in the street that put my
governor In the worst sort Of hole.
1t needed a cool million to get him
out, and a Verinew million did 1t. Yet
the governor was hardly an acQuaint-
ance. Verinew learned his extremity
by chance and came to his help be-
cause, as he phrased it, he didn't think
the other side was putting up square
laaaAn tho nhliOa ttnn
that he got his million back, plus a
good profit. Eventually the Grantley
girl will have It with several millions
more. She is a granddaughter-unac-
knowledged because Nine. Verinew
wishes to seem as young as their for
tune-but the very apple of the veri-
new eye. They wanted her to be the
belle of the ball. She was shy and
sensitive and frightened half out OF
her wits. Somehow she trusted me-
81 don't at all wonder at that" said
voice from the fireplace.
bowed gravely and resumed:
"when she is not frightened she is
pretty, Armaryllis. Her head Is splen-
didly red-not quite so red as yours.
She is light on her feet, too, and loves
to dance as we'll as the flowers do.
The trouble is she has not yet quite
caught the rhythms she must move to.
so needs must lean heavily upon her
partner. l understood some Of the
others did not. Occasionally one was
Hurried, still more occasionally one
impertinent And a single cad let her
see he was ashamed of dancing with
her in spite of the millions At her
first ball-think of 1t! had to take
away the sting of 1t somehow. Per
haps did seem devoted, but she
didn't understand. l told her about
Myrtilla in our very first waltz"
A little inarticulate cry from the fire
place here. Covertly l saw tears on
Myrtilla's cheeks. She made as though
to rise, but sank back, turned away
her head and resumed the furious
stabbing with her needle. l gathered
the greenery of Armaryllis in my
hands, laid my cheek against it and
said dreamily:
| "Amaryllis, tell me why l am fated
to love dusky hair. All the painters
and poets agree that red is ever sc
much more beautiful"
"Are you sure. quite sure, you dc
love TT" Myrtilla asked TREMENDOUSLY
She was not answered in words.
Five minutes later Dicky. bursting
in upon us. found us side by side,
looking down at Amaryllis through
sunshine grown suddenly and magical
ly warm and golden. After a long
look Dicky whistled, turned on his
heel and said from the door over his
shoulder: 80 you two have made II
up. McSnifters said you would cause
that red lily bloomed so far ahead of
time. But l don't care about that
All l want is to know what you're
goin' to give me when you get mar
ried."