Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-04-14

dining-room.
"Now, Lucille, do behave, this
once" expostulated that lady.
"We've counted so much upon this
meeting, and Pm sure, Harvey
Rockford has looked forward to it,"
'"Then don't put me near him at
the table. I'll spoil everything"
warned the girl, mischievously.
"But, Lucilew
81 can't talk to him, auntie-not
now"
And she didn't.
But in the drawing-roOm after
dinner her aunt seemed grimly de-
termined to bring them together,
and Mr.. Rockford, himself, seconded
her attempts. He tried several times
to engage the girl in conversation
alone, and she as often thwarted him
by including some one else.
After repeated rebuffs there came
noticeable change in his policy. He
seemed all at once to realize that
Lucille was not the only girl in the
drawing-room.
He had talked for 20 minutes with
Marie Locke, and laughed-a laugh
musical with good nature-when
Lucille began to feel that he should
have apologized, that it was his duty
to have apologized long ago.
Why shouldn't Marie with her
brunette beauty and her seriousness
attract him? With toss of her
bright head, she dismissed all claim
to Mr.. Rockford's attention.
In the face of this remuneration it
was inexplicable why, as she with
drew to the conservatory, she felt a
slight sense of pique-an emotion
altogether new to her-because he
did not follow. She walked down a
narrow passage, between rows of
ferns, and stepped through an open
door upon the veranda.
She wanted to breathe the moist
air and feel her hair crinkle and
cling around her face. But the
clouds had broken away and the
stars were out.
Lucille laughed softly. That was
what depressed her; it had cleared
off. She would have a rise of spirits
when another shower came.
She turned about, smiling to her
self, to meet in the doorway-Har-
vey Rockford. In a moment she
was rallying her scattered forces.
But this was hard to do under the
bright smile and frank, unembar-
raised gaze of Harvey Rockford.
"Miss Ahrens," he said, while his
splendid figure blocked her only
means of escape. 81 have an apology
to make"
Lucile's dark eyes danced with
malicious merriment. "But, Mr..
Rockford, the weather has cleared,
and all the disturbances Of the past
few hours, both atmospheric and
subterranean, are as if they never
had happened"
"But this is a drawing-room af-
fair" he FASTENED to explain, "and
has nothing to do with your delight
full atmospheric theory"
She looked up into his face, and
for the first time her eyes we're
questioning.
He met her look steadily with
growing sense of power. 81 am both
mortified and charmed" he con-
tinued, "to learn that you are Lucille
Ahrens."
Lucille laughed. 81 can easily un-
derstand why you should be very
much disappointed, but the paradox
=" She checked herself, for she
had never stopped to seek a compli-
ment.
He smiled almost bitterly. "The
disappointment is all in myself. Can
you pardon me-tolerate me-after
have added to all my other stupidi-
ties the blunder Of misunderstanding
your manner"
There was a silence. Something
in the candor of the mans eyes, in
the kindliness of his firm, handsome
mouth, made Lucille thoughtful.
When the two rejoined the com
pany, it was time for departure. And
Lucile's aunt read something in the
faces Of both that satisfied her dear
est wish. AS soon as they were
alone she came close and gazed into