The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-10-06

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 the Mcclure Company 0ut7'' he asked pleasantly in a low yet conversationaI tone.
 The girl glanced up for the first time, suddenly and as if startled. She had the air of having been deeply ab- sorbed in her book and of not being sure that her neighbor had snoken to her; also she looked extremely young and innocent
 ''I said what am to- do if MT James R. Snaythe comes along and or ders me out?'' Val repeated '"That's what 1 thought you safd,'' replied the girl. meeting his admir1ng, Quizzica1 .eyes with a somewhat be wildered yet defensive gaze But why should you say 1t to me?' Isn't that rather hard hearted of youT'' asked Loveland.
 "I don't understand you at all,'' said the girl. You look like gentleman, so I suppose you can't mean to be rude or fmpertinent But if not you seem to be talking nonsense" This was straightforward, to say the least, yet her voice was so sweet and | g1rlish, with such a dainty little drawl in it, that the rebuke did not sound as severe as if spoken with sharper ac- cents.
 s'Of course don't mean to be rude or impertinent," Loveland defended himself, at a loss for the next move in the game. -"But thought-that is, mean-you know, that is my chair. | Pm delighted you should have tt''- "Your chair?" echoed the girl "Oh, | you are mistaken. No wonder, if you 
 couldn't have dreamed I'd take it on 1 purpose"
 "No-o, P'- began Loveland, looking guilty.
 : Her eyes were on him. ''You did think sop she exclaimed 'I see you | did. That was why you-and yet I 1 don't see how you could have fancied I should know who you were unless are you very famous person?' Lord Love1and laughed rather fool ishly. "I think you've punished me I enough" he said
 ''Then you admit that you deserve | to be punished?' [ 'Perhaps.''
 (which means that you did believe I took your chair on purpose"
 ''I didn't stop to think" said Love land, telling the truth as usual, but l ACoS I10Cu1CALy JIdh AS0d4s ''You are English, aren't you?" the 1 girl asked, looking at him with her brown. bewild ering- eyes.
 "Oh,, yes," replied LoveIand in tone | which added, ''of course''
 'I was sure you were I suppose | you don't understand American girls very well or perhaps any girls yet. But, then, few men do really, except poets or novelists. And you're not a 1 poet or novelist?' 1 Rather notw
 ''You speak as though I'd asked if you were a pfckpocket. Do you de spise writers?'
 tEI'd be sorry to be one Wouldn't youT' The girl laughed.
 'I am one," she said. 'T write stories.''
 'You're chamng."
 ''No, Pm not. Why should you think sop
 "Oh, we'll, because you don't look as if you wrote"
 l that for a compliment But women who write aren't scarecrows nowa- days, if they ever were.'
 ''Well, anyhow, you're too young"
 'I've been writing stories and get ting them published, too, ever since I was sixteen That's some years ago now. Please don't say you wouldn't have thought itI That would be too | obvious even for an average Amer jeans idea of an average Englishman."
 "As you thought said Loveland, ''I don't know much about Americans yet. Pm going over to the States to learn"
 '%The Statesl How English that sounds! We think we're all of Amer ica-an that's worth talking about in ordinary conversation You thought I'd taken your chair. believe you really did think that.''
 ''I did, admitted Val. q wonder why. My aunts name is on it''
 "Ohr' said Loveland
 ''See,'' went on the girl, leaning for ward and displaying the label in the deck stewards handwriting.
 ''I do see,'' said Val. ''But that hap pens to be my name"
 'FLoveland?"
 "Yes."
 The girl blushed brightly. And she was more attractive than ever when she b1ushed "Oh, how very odd! Then perhaps this is your chair! How perfectly horridI'' She began to un- wind herself from the rug which was wrapped round her as a chrysalis round an incipient butterfly.
 "Please don't get up.' Loveland's tone was almost imploring. ''Do keep the chair. I want you to keep ft.''
 Thank you very much. But don't want to keep it if it's yours, and I think now it probably is.''
 "But you expected to find yours here.'
 "No; 1t wasn't that. But as I was passing saw my aunt's name on the back of a chair, and because the deck steward had been told to put one in a nice sheltered place I took it for