The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-12-07

P1bSb l Shbo
"Then you can't go with us to see
the cricket" continued Agatha First
i~nterrupting our aside by her ap'
preach, as if just realizing what Ter
hune's absence really meant. And
again I felt that the interest In Arch's
goings and comings should have come
not from her, but from Agatha Sixth
who had said nothing. And when
Agatha First added: well, If you
must go, you must. But be sure to be
back in time to show that new move
in our chess game" Then, laughing
ly, Remember, it's a date!" I thought
so more than ever. Terhune, redden'
ing slightly, muttered something and
left us to pack his bag. Left US, and
without so much as a word to Agatha
Sixth.
Frankly, I didn't like the look of It
And I know Dearest felt the same
way. We had observed with some
anxiety, not to say surprise, that dur
ing the last day or two Terhune and
Agatha First had struck up an ex'
t~raordinary intimacy. Extraordinary
Of course in the light Of the affair be-
tween Terhune and Agatha Sixth,
though of course Agatha First could
not have been aware Of that. I had
told Dearest when we had first OBJ
served this new stake In our match
making venture, that 1t was explained
by Agatha Sixth's action in delaying
her answer when Terhune had pro
posed. Feeling that things were now
"up to her." as my American brought
up wife would say, the old boy had re,
solved to let matters pretty much
alone. And I couldn't blame him. ]
thought his friendship with Agatha
First rather a judgment on Agatha
Sixth for playing with him in that
manner. But not so Dearest! When
I had advanced this idea she had
withered me with a look and had de.
clared 1t to be her opinion that an
attachment that couldn't stand the
fire Of a little conventional coQuetry,
which she thought n Of the most In
alienable Of women's rights, was not
WORTH having, and that I could not
excuse or explain Arch's conduct In
that way.
However that may be, when Agatha
First and young Freer had romped out
Of sight in the direction Of the garage
for the fun Of telling the men them
selves to send the electric runabout
around, Agatha Sixth rose slowly from
the little rocker where she had sat
through all the talk as If she were
not at all concerned in 1t, and clench-
ing her sewing In one small hand,
walked past us in silence toward the
house.
Are you going to get ready, dearr'
ventured my wife to the small rigid
back I'VE start right away, you
know"
There was a moments silence, and
then at the door she turned the brav-
est little face toward US you ever
saw.
YES" she said sweetly. I'm going
to get ready. You needn't think
shall stay at home just because he's
not going" The "he's" was empha-
sized. "Id rather go without him any
way!" And she vanished into the
house.
My wife and I stared at each other.
well That do you think of thatr'
I exclaimed.
II think she's a little heroine!" the
secretary-I mean earest-answered
"As for that mani" she stopped, but
her expression was such that I was
GLAD Terhune wasn't there to see It.
well, it is a shane!" l conceded.
He ought not to treat the poor little
girl so! What can he be about, any
way? If he doesn't take care he'll
jolly well fall between two ~stools!"
yes, If you mean the girls BY
Stools" agreed Dearest, land serve
him right, too-the old firt! But
Wilfred," and she fixed me with a look
that l secretly trembled before be-
cause 1t means an unpleasant duty to
be performed by me, you must find
out what he's up to-" But before I
could reply we were in the midst OF
hurried farewells to Terhune, who II
he were in Disgrace. was also our
guest, and we had packed him off In
the little runabout to catch his train,
without q word of rebuke.
Not half an hour later we were
standing on the steps Of the side EN-
trance to the castle in our automobile
toys, with Agatha Sixth and Leslie
Freer, waiting for Agatha First, or
Miss Endicott-to use her proper
name once in a while-to join us be-
fore starting on our trip to see the
cricket. Freer, a pale-eyed, sandy
haired young chap, was enveloped In
one of the coats that go with the ma
chine for the convenience of chance
guests, and was promising US that he
would be quite comfortable, though
10 one seemed particularly solicitous.
81 wonder why Miss Endicott
doesn't come-she's so SLOW" he re-
marked for the twentieth time, at
least.
But it wasn't until I had quite fin
ished fussing with the machine, a six
cylindered touring car, having gone
over every part of her with the chauf-
fepr and WAS h%epinning TO get q bit