The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-08-17

Flanelle murmured. I'VE are so
complicated and tied down by custom
in u meals, aren't we?"
"A national dish like the oatmeal
Of the Scotch. and the potato of the
Irish pursued Miss Gee triumph
antly.
But surely you must be speaking
Of the tortilla?" Miss Green ventured,
without a smile.
A dark, slender girl, a Mrs. Stand
ring. who had come in late and a
been sitting in a corner almost IN
silence. met Miss Green's pleasant,
serious gaze suddenly with a michiev-
Gus smile from a pair of very beau
tiful dark eyes, but she made no re-
mark.
do you know" Mrs. Flanelle ad-
mitted in a troubled voice, that l
thought the tormentilla was a kind OF
wild, savage, beautiful dance, full OF
mystery and madness and poetry ana
southern love-"
Brought on by the bite of a dread
full spider"-Miss Cotton paused at
the door to join in with joy. sThat's
it, of course, Mrs. Flanelle. The VIC
tim goes mad, and dances and dances
and dances uhtil-well, you can m
agine the end"
"I can't, really" Mrs. Cogwheel
"Ah,s Miss Cotton sighed, he
dances until at last in frenzy he
sinks exhausted to the ground and
expires. Good-by, Mrs. CogWheel.
You have so cheered me up. l
haven't enjoyed anything so much
since poor Mafeking died"
But the sound, the beautiful, SOL
orous sound, Of the NAME Mrs.
Flanelle murmured. at makes one
dream of-oh, unutterable things"
Lise Standring, still half hidden
in her dark corner, spoke at last, and
GREENE didn't like her tone when she
heard it.
OF roses" she suggested shyly,
land moonlight, and loves young
dream, and Blanca among the night
ingales, and Venice in a g%ondola, with
the water ripping against the bows,
and the song of the Neapol1tan tsh-
ermen-'Ave Maris Stella isn't it?
and passionate southern love, mys
terry. madness, death" She stopped
for breath and laughed a little.
Mrs. Flanelle took another piece Of
cake.
How you bring it all back to mel
she sighed in perfectly good faith.
She gazed at the open window
through which the two girls had dis
appeared. HAS your distinguished
looking niece any Spanish blood in
her veins, may I ask?'
Not a drop, I'm thankful to say
Miss Green replied in some haste. Il
wonder where she is, by the way?
1t is quite time
"Oh, leave her with Audrey a little
longer" Mrs. Cogwheel implored.
Audrey is so charmed with her. She
is so delighted to know her. These
fresh, spontaneous friendships be-
tween young girls are $685."
$50 %unusual?" Miss Gee suggested
briskly. .
"No-no,' Mrs. Cogwheel sighed
for some reason known only to her
self. "So-so-"
so short-lived?" young Mrs.
Standring asked in a quiet voice.
so beautiful" said Audrey's moth
er softly.
Mrs. Flanelle turned her dreamy,
dark eyes upon Miss Green. "Tell
me-" she said, why your niece was
christened by that stormy, suggestive,
southern name? What is a tormen-
tilla, after all?'
Its a little, insignificant weed
Miss Green replied shortly, "a little,
common, English wayside, %scramb]ins
weed, without any pretentions to dis
tinction, and, in my eyes, quite with
out beauty. 1t has a tiny scarlet
flower, and belongs to the great pc.
tentilla family"
Miss Gee scented a rival.
Then" said she, with playful for
giveness, Il was very nearly right in
the beginning-for the %potentilla is
the staple food of the poor Italian
PEASANTS it not? Italy-Spain-
a trifing difference"
Miss Green met Lise Standings
eyes again.
Don't tell her that she means
~polenta,7 the girl said under he1
breath. "She's rather a malicious
person. Don't make an enemy of her
if you're new in Malinder. Malinder
is full of pitfalls for the ,unwary."
She rose and shrugged her shoulders
Miss Green noticed how extremely
tall she was, and how extraordinarily
graceful for her height. She looked
down at the little gray lady with
amused, puzzled eyes. Greene was
not quite a Malinder type.