Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-06-21
while, and when he came back he

in. They have sent for doctor"
Aunt Selma was for going out at
once and fixing him up" as she put
1t, but Dallas gently interfered.
II wouldn't, Miss Caruthers," he
said, in the deferential manner he
had adopted toward her. You don't
know what 1t may be. He's been
looking spotty all evening"
1T might be scarlet fever" Max
broke in cheerfully. "I say. scarlet
fever on a Mongolian-what color
would he be, Jimmy What do yell
low and red make? Green?"
"Orange," Jim said shortly. II
wish you people would remember that
we are trying to eat"
The fact was, however, that no
one was really eating, except Mr.. Har-
bison, who had given up trying to un-
derstand us, considering. no doubt,
our subdued excitement as our nor
NAL condition. Ages afterward I
learned that he thought my face al
most tragic that night, and that he
supposed, from the way l glared
across the table, that I had quarreled
with my husband
II am afraid you are not WELL" he
said at last, noticing my food un-
touched on my plate. I'VE should
not have come, any Of u.s."
fnn1ind fa-
verishly. II am never i'll. II ate
a late luncheon"
He glanced at me keenly. Don't
let them stay and play bridge to-
night" he urged. Miss Caruthers
can be an excuse, can she not? And
you are really tagged. You look it.
II think 1t is only Ill humor,"
said, looking directly at him. II am
angry at myself 1 lave done some
thing silly, and hate to be silly"
Max would have said Impossible, y
or something else trite. The Harbi-
son man looked at me with interested
serious eyes.
"Is it too late to undo it?" he ask
ed.
And then and there 1 determined
that he should never know the truth
He could go back to South America
and build bridges and make love to
the Spanish girls Cor are they Spanish
down there?) and think Of me always
as a married woman, married to a
dilettante artist, inclined to be stout
the artist, not land with an Aunt
Selma Caruthers who made buttons
and believed in the Cause. But new
er, never should he think Of me as a
silly little fool who pretended that
she was the other mans wife and had
lump in her throat because when a
really nice man came along. man
who knew something more than polo
and motors, she had to carry on the
deception to keep his respect, and be
sedate and matronly, and see him
change from perfectly open admira-
ton at first to a hands-off-s is-my-
host's-wife attitude at last.
1T can never be undone," I said
soberly.
Well, that's the picture as nearly
as I can draw it: round table with
low centerpiece of orchids in laven-
ders and pink, old silver candlesticks
with filigree shades against the SOM
Der wainscoting; nine people, two of
them unhappy-Jim and I; one OF
them complacent-Aunt Selma; one
puzzled-Mr. HARRISON; and the rest
Historically mirthful. Add one sick
Japanese butler and grind in the mills
of the gods.
Every one promptly forgot Takahi-
70 in the excitement Of the game We
were all playing. Finally, however
Aunt Selma, who seemed to have Ia
kahiro on her mind, looked up from
her plate.
THAT Jap was speckled," she as
serted. II wouldn't be surprised "
it's measles. Has he been shifting
James,"
Has he been sniffiin ?g" Jim threw
across at me.
IT hadn't noticed It," I said
meekly, while the others choked.
Max came to the rescue. "She re-
fused to eat It," he explained, distinct
ly and to everybody, apropos absolute
ly of nothing. 1T said on the box
ready cooked and predigested.' She
declared she didn't care who cooked 1t
but she wanted to know who predigest-
ed it."
AS every one wanted to laugh, every
one did it then, and under cover OF the
noise caught Anne's eye, and we lef,
the dining room. The men stayed, anC
by the very firmness with which the
door closed behind us, l knew that
Dallas and Max were bringing out the
bottles that Hakahiro had hidden.
was seething. When Aunt Selma indi-
Gated a desire to go over the house Oh
was natural that she should want to:
1t was her house, in a way) / excused
myself for a minute and flew back to
the dining room.
1t was as I had expected. Jim hadn't
cheered perceptibly, and the rest were
patting him on the back, and pouring
things out for him, and saying, Poor
old Jim" in the most maddening way
And the Harbinson man was looking
more and more puzzled, and not at all
hilarious.
I descended on them like thunder
bolt.
That's it," I cried shrewishly, with
my back against the door. Leave her
to me, all of you, and pat each other
on the back, and say it's gone splen-
didly! Oh, know you, every one!'
MIR. HARRISON got up and pulled out
chair, but couldn't sit; I folded my
arms on the back. After a while, I
suppose, you'll slip upstairs, the four
of YOU, and have your game" They
looked guilty. But I will block that
right now. l am going to stay-here.
If Aunt Selma wants me, she can find
me-here!"
The first indication those men had
that Mr.. HARRISON didn't know the
ha f,,rna1