Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1910-06-02

white reminded one of the not far dis
tant and restless sea. Little crowds
surged here and there like the waves
-dowagers at their afternoon cards,
laughing. chattering girls, a sprinkling
of tennis-clad youths or more sedate
nen in negligee suits. Walters were
hurrying here and there, replenishing
glasses and cups or bearing salads and
ices. Suddenly one of these white,
fiuttering moths, carrying an over
loaded tray, came into collision with
youth who was turning, racquet In
hand, reluctantly from his mash" of
the day. The tray gave a great lurch
above the elegant gown of severe
looking dame seated at one of the card
tables. Just at this crucial moment,
when the Mortified grand danes were
on the verge of combined shrek, a
tall, athletic, almost middle-aged man
sprang forward, righted the walters
arm with its accompanying load and
was about to pass on.
"Why. Mr.. Dudley. is that you? How
glad we are to see you," echoed stimuli
taneously from the four pairs Of lips.
Come said the woman whose
gown had been so miraculously saved,
"join us in little game of bridge.
Do"
The man smiled politely with a re-
fusal of the proffered place, stood a
moment at punctilious attention-then
passed on.
A little farther on, a giggling quartet
of girls caught sight Of him, and one
of them, evidently the daring one of
the group, motioned him to come to
their table. She seemed a bit fright
ened after she had accomplished her
end, for the man, who stood at her ell
bow In an instant, was cold, formal
and notwithstanding to expect
something to be said. He was vastly
unlike the old-young or young-old man
in tennis garb who had accompanied
| her ncr ronr the courts. The few words
of cordially expressed good-by, which
had been upon the girls lips. froze into
platitudes and, after : moment. the
man, again, passed on.
The eyes of the five young persons
followed him. Awful jolly today.
isn't he?" said the youth facetiously.
Il don't care II he isn't jolly"
snapped the girl who had called him.
Il like him. and he says lot when he
does talk"
Stung little, In his small way, the
youth went on maliciously: "Oh, yes,
all the girls like Richard Dudley-of
course they do-they'd like me, too, II
owned that place of his and all those
motor cars and things. All the girls
and their mammas like Dick Dudley,
but he doesn't like them-not a little
bit. My uncle belongs to the same
club and he told me last night that
Dick was tired of being molly-coddled,
that he was dead tired of women
Me for the big timber, said Dick, to
my uncle. Me for nature, where the
soft breezes can lull me to my slum-
Der and where there are no girls and
no mammas. Oh, bachelors life for
me- That's what Dick said, or words
to that effect"
What the boy said was true to a
certain extent, although Richard Dud-
ley was too much gentleman to have
said the same in so many words. He
had sold his motor cars; he had given
up his suite at the club, he had closed
his palatial home, because he was
tired-of women-young women, old
women, middle-aged women. Thus far
his life had been frittered away. He
was past forty and now he must go in
for some real thing He loved nature
and he could afford to be philanthropic
perhaps he would try both, but there
must be no women-absolutely no
women in the question. The frivolity
of the sex palled on him as he walked
away from the inane little group. He
met on the stairs a would -be-young
lady, who had come out years ago,
when he. himself, had been a youth.
why, Richard" she said Familiarity,
Il hear you are going to leave us.
How can you be so cruel?" The re-
mark was simple enough, but the look
was ravishing and Richard passed on,
more at odds than ever He to start
for the tall timber that night; and he
did.
Once out In the open, he was a new
man. He engaged room and board I'm
the most commonplace way. at a little
village hosiery, and was so assiduous
In his long. daily trips on his motor.
cycle through the country, that the
wiseacres OF the village grocery con.
cluded he must be real estate agent.
Morning after morning he woke with
the birds, finished his frugal breakfast
and was OFF almost before daybreak
When for years had he seen the sun
rise? What sights and sounds came
up from the wods-violets and bird
songs and the thrilling of the wind
No roof gardens and senseless chatter
for him. AS the days wore on and the
faded nerves took on a more normal
tone, Richard found that he was lone
ly. Lonely for what? He did not
know-he certainly did not yearn for
the chug. chug of his motor. nor for
he senseless chatter of the reception
Dom and the roof garden. What was