The Tupelo journal., 1910-03-04
Mr.. Van rorps Solid Arms Slipped into the Sleeves.

why, certainly" said Mr.. Van
Torp with an amiable smile.
You can hardly have come straight
from the theater," continued the lady,
"for l heard the other people in the
hotel coming in fully 20 minutes be-
fore you did"
"We walked home very slowly"
said MI. Van Torp, still smiling ami
ably.
"Ah, 1 see! You went for a little
walk to get some air!" She seemed
delighted.
1--WE walked home very slowly in
order to breathe the air." said MI.
Van Torp-"to breathe the air, as you
say. 1 have to thank you very much
for giving me your seat, Mrs. Rush
more"
"To tell the truth" replied the good
lady, 81 was very glad to let you take
my place. / cannot say I enjoy that
sort of music myself. 1t gives me a
headache"
Margaret entered at this point in a
marvellous creation" of Chinese
Grape, of the most delicate shade of
heliotrope. Her dressmaker called it
a tea-gown, but Mr.. Van Torp would
have thought it quite appropriate
for a "dinner-dance" at Bar Harbor.
"My dear child" said Mrs. Rush
more, how long you were in getting
back from the theater! I began to
fear that something had happened"
1--WE walked home very slowly"
said Margaret, with a pleasant smile.
"Ah? You went for a little walk
to get some air."
1--WE just walked home very slowly,
in order to breathe the air." Margaret
answered innocently.
1t dawned on Mr.. Van Torp that the
dignified Mrs. Rushmore was not
quite devoid of a sense of humor. 1t
also occurred to him that her repeti-
ton of the question to Margaret, and
the latter's answer, must have re-
vealed to her the fact that the two
had agreed upon what they would
say, since they used identically the
same words, and that they therefore
udu oil uAOOl oIohuiA6 dOOuI oOulC-
thing they preferred to conceal from
her. Nothing could have given Mrs.
Rushmore such profound satisfaction
as this, and it revealed itself in her
bright smiles and her anxiety that
both Margaret and Van Torp should,
if possible, over-eat themselves with
the excellent things she had been at
pains to provide for them and for her.
self. For she was something of an
epicure and her dinners in Versailles
were of good fame, even in Paris.
Great appetites are generally silent,
like the ~sincerest affections. Marga-
ret vas very hungry, and Mr.. Van
Torp was both hungry and very much
in love. Mrs. Rushmore was neither,
and she talked pleasantly while tast-
ing each delicacy with critical salts
facIIoa.
by the by" she said at last, when
she saw rnaI the millionaire was
backing his ~foretopsail to come to an
Choir, as Capt. Brown might have ex-
pressed it, II hope you have not had
any trouble about your rooms, Mr..
Van Torp."
None at all, that I know of" an
swered the latter. MY man told me
nothing"
"The Russian prince arrived this
evening while you were at the thea
ter, and threatened the director with
all sorts of legal consequences be-
cause the rooms he had ordered were
occupied. He turns out to be only q
count after all"
you don't say So" observed Mr..
Van Torp, In an encouraging tone.
What became of him?" Margaret
asked, without much interest.
did Potts not tell you, my dear?
Why, Justine assisted at the whole In
terview and came and told me ct
once"