Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-11-10
Be [ VIZ lEE:a.El:aN
DAN CTS
By SARA CONE BRYANT
Copyright, by Short Stories Co., LID

FRAU DduluSdIlGu library llSlSulu6
to the snatches of talk and music
which penetrated the heavy draperies
between her retreat and the salon,
and enjoying the moments stolen
respite from social duties all the more
for her uncertainty as to how long 1t
would last Through the small gap
In the portieres she caught fugitive
glimpses of passing guests. One tall,
square-shouldered, in the Prussian
uniform, paused briefly, just in view.
Two charming English girls passed,
and then second tall mans figure, in
evening clothes.
And then the draperies were gen
thy pushed aside, and Mr.. John Dur
ham came quietly in through the open
ing.
You'd much better go away, Jack"
the girl murmured, lazily.
Thanks, awfully," was the cheer
full response, since you are so press
ing, will stay a bit" And he pro-
ceeded to settle himself on chair
arm opposite the window-seat where
Anne had curled herself up.
Anne tapped her foot on the wood
en- edge of the window-seat; finally
she laughted Mr. Durham looked gen
tly surprised Then his face grew
quite serious. 'Do you like these Ger
mans, Anne?" he said.
TOO abstract. Make it concrete,
Jackie, and I'll tell you"
"Well, Won Hammerstein, for in
stance?"
Certainly | do" promptly; don't
you?"
Il don't think l know him quite as
well as you do"
IF you did, you would" said Anne,
enthusiastically. He $50 inter-
esting."
Out of the corner of her eye she
observed that her enthusiasm awak-
ened no response.
When Jack spoke it was on another
subject, though not unconnected
with the former: Pretty swell VIC
lets you have on" he said. Made in
Germany"
What do you mean?'
81 mean, am | the only man who
isn't allowed to send you violets
You are wearing some tonight"
"Why, Jack!-Jack, don't you see,
you are the only man | know well
enough to - well - to advise for his
own good?"
Anne's face wavered between re.
sentiment and guilty amusement;
finally reluctant smile crept toward
the dimple in her left cheek, and she
lifted reproachful eyes to his,
"Ah, Jackie, how mean you aren
she said, in small voice she re-
served for him.
"Anne!" Her heart jumped with
the startle of it, The voice was nG
more Jacks familiar voice than the
stern white face was his face.
you have called me a boy a good
many times in the past, Anne" he
said 81 am not boy. The time
has come when you must understand
that"
Something in the low repressed
tones hurried the girls heart-beats
and made it hard to hold her eyes
level on his. She found her eyes
dropping till she could see nothing but
her own tightly clasped hands; al
that she was both angry and ashamed
1t had never happened to her before
1T means something to me-" she
heard him saying, that you should
not think of me as a boy find | cam
stand it any longer, Anne, will yor
look at me, please?'
Anne's ears were full of pounding
noises, and her heart was doing un
comfortable things out of due local
ity; as for looking at him!-she real
lied suddenly that she was afraid t.
look. Then she considered afraiC
of Jack-Jack? That was plainly ridi
culous. She would not yield to sucl
folly; she would look at him coolly
and say: "Well?" But she did not
And then through the pounding the
voice came again, still lower, bu
with a quiet iNcomprehensible author
ity in 1t: Look at me, Ahne!"
He had not moved, but 1t seemed t.
her that he had taken her face il
his two hands and was lifting It; ant
the rebellious eyes followed the sam,
imperious power. long minute sh,
looked with eyes that could not es
cape the passionate holding of his
while he gave her his soul to read al
a man holds out his palm to a friend
And when the minute was over, tn,
knowledge had crept through ever,
fiber of her that the face was indeed
not the face of boy, but of man
Queen Anne-my queen" h
breathed,
The girl made a hasty, tremulou
motion, Slipping to her feet as if to es
cape some danger The movemen
brought her gown against him, am
both his hands closed round the on
which hung at her side. The elias
was so unlike the friendly grasp q
the hand she knew as Jacks that sh
thought she did not like it; a it'll
gasp came from her lips with the il
coherent words: "Oh, please OF
don't, Jack; you make me very uncon