Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-08-26

up; and the way he had considered it,
a little humorously, down his long
nose. made her doubt the interest OF
cities TO be reckoned in round num-
bers.
tits all extraordinary he said.
you're quite as extraordinary in your
way as we in ours"
"Oh," she wondered, still Vexed with
his inventory, 81 had always supposed
US awfully commonplace. What is our
way, please?"
All" he said, measuring his long
step to hers as they sauntered a lit
tie, "for one thing, you're so awfully
good to a fellow. In London"-and he
nodded back, as if london were mere
ly across the room-"they're awfully
good to the somebodies. It's the way
you take in the nobodies I'VE here
that is so astonishing-the stray
leaves that blow in with your trade
and can't show N credentials but a
letter or two, and their faces; and
those"-his diablerie danced out again
-"sometimes such deucedly damaged
ones"
1t was almost indecent, this parade
of his nonentity! She wanted to say:
ooh, hush! Those are the things n
only enjoys-never talks about" But
instead, somewhere up at the top of
her voice, she said: "Oh, we always
lock up our silver"
But even them" he quiZzed her, Il
wonder how you dare to do it,"
Perhaps W. have to, because we
ourselves are all" ("without any
credentials but those you mention,"O
she had been about to say-but there
she caught herself on the very edge of
giving herself and all the rest of them
away to him; all so awfully bored"
she m~ischievously ended with the
daintiest, faintest possible yawn be-
hind her spread fan.
He looked as if she had taken him
by surprise; then laughed out. 'Oh,
that is the way they don't do here" he
provoked her. you mustn't, when
In not expecting it."
Then what are you expecting?" she
inquired a little coolIy.
WELL" he deliberated, mo- expect
ing you to get me ready for a sweet,
and then pop in a pickle; and present
ly expecting, hoping, a~nxiously antici-
pating, what you really care to say"
He was expecting, she looked mali
ciOusly, more than he was likely to
get; but the fact that he did see
through her to that extent was at
once delightful and charming. She
swayed back into the, shadow beyond
the dazzling line of light. She wanted
to escape his scrutiny, to be able to
look him over from a safe vantage
ground. But he wouldn't have it. An
instant he stood under the torrent of
white radiance, challenging her to see
what she could-then followed her in
to her retreat. Shall we sit here?" he
said, and she found herself hopelessly
cut off and isolated with the enemy.
She couldn't withhold a little grudg-
ing pleasure in the sharpness with
which he had turned her maneuver
and the way it had detached them
from the surrounding crowd. For
there, in the dusky center of the room,
it was as if they watched from safe
covert the rest Of their party exposed
in the glare of light; though not, as
Flora presently noted, quite escaping
observation themselves. For an in.
slant Harry turned and peered toward
them with a look in his i~ntentness
that struck Flora as something new in
him and made her wonder if he could
be jealous. She turned tentatively tc
see if Kerr had noticed it, and sur
prised his glance in a quick transi
ton back to hers.
by your leave" he said, and tool
away her fan, which in his hand pres
emily assumed such rhythmic motion
that it cease to be any more presenr
to her than a delicate current of all
upon her face.
He was not, she felt sure, in spite
of his light manipulation of her fan
a person who cared to please women
but one Of that devastating sort VIII
care above everything to please them
selves, n who are skilful withou
practice; too skilful, she feared, TO
her d~efenses to hold out against i
he intended to find out what she real
ly thought. Aren't we supposed tt
be looking at the pictures? ?" she want
ed to know.
He turned his back on the wall am
its attendant glare. why pictures
he inquired, when there are live pee
pie to look at? Pictures for places wher,
they're all half dead. But here, wher,
even the damnable dust in the stree
is alive, why should they paint, o
write, or sculpt, Or do anything bu
live?' His irascible brOws shot tn,
query at her.
Again the proposition of life-what
ever hat was-was held up befor,
her, and as ever she faltered in tn,
face of it. 81 suppose they do i
here" she murmured, with a vagu,
glance at the paintings around heg
because people do it everywher,
else"
His disparagement was almost