The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-08-05

ADlP, WHOM lOunu 10 De Il really ue-
.iehtful girl and certainly the posses
.ior of remarkable musical talent.
L. ;he evening the others went out
to on the lake and left Agatha
ne with me. She sat at the
played everything she
of, while l lay on broad
re ] could watch her and
J e soft music.
e that my bad night had
to do with the fact that
! enough to fall asleep while
( ful Agatha Fourth was play
re. Certainly l know that
y of that appalling rudeness,
I is suddenly brought to a state
#ciousness by the sound of &
clock striking. l counted the strokes
mechanically-there were IL. l must
have slept for hours, and, sure enough,
the room was dark except for the fire.
light, and my sighted hostess was
gone from the piano stool. AS l was
about to rise l heard voices, and, turn.
ing, | saw on the other side of the
piano a man and a girl. The man was
Vincent, of course, and l thought, as
/ looked at him sitting full in the
bright freight, that he had never
looked so handsome. His evening dress
showed off his superb athletic form
to the best advantage, and his face
WAS fresh and strong, with the bronze
of his tan extending to the roots of his
hair, which was cut close to conceal
a wave in the gold of it. It occurred
to ME at once that his face had lost
much of it's bOyishness and he looked
every inch man. But it took me
some time to realize that the girl who
sat with him was none other than the
secretary.
At first l could not tell what it was
tina: had so changed her, whether it
was her shimmerng white evening
gown, or the cleaning bracelets, until
at last it came to me in flash that it
was nothing more nor less than the
glory of her hair that had wrought the
transformation. l had never seen the
secretary with her hair done any way
but plainly and unbecomingly, but
now it was dressed as l knew it should
have been dressed long ago. She wore
1t low on her long, slender neck, rolled
at the sides and ripping loosely back
from her forehead, in shining waves
and little willful rings held in place
with big she'll combs.
And when at last 1t dawned upon
me that it was really the secretary
who was Vincents companion, so
breathless was | with amaze that at
first | hardly realized that | could
hear perfectly what they were saying.
And when | did realize it, | wanted to
rise and let them know that | was
there, but on second thought | saw
that must have been there for so long
that they would never believe that |
had not heard the whole of their con-
versation Furthermore, it occurred
to me that it might be well if | stayed
to hear what Miss Marsh had to say
for herself.
And so calmly took the dress and
put 1t on. just to amuse myself" |
heard the secretary saying, and did
my hair the way the others do theirs,
you know. And it was so late thought
no one would find me here"
And if hadn't left my pipe on the
tab no one would have found you,
think what | should have
Vincent's voice was elo-
l.
81 course, it was very vain of me,
very vain" she went on: but you
know when girl has to earn her own
living she gets little tired of all
work and no play, and sometimes the
impulse TO pretend she's fortunate and
happy and-and pretty'-the secretary
flushed under Vincent's gaze as she
faltered the last word. and hurried on
and like the others-is so strong
that it tempts her to deck herself out
In borrowed plumes and sit in an
empty drawing room at - o'clock at
night enjoying the Illusion for a brief
hour"
No, said Vincent. softly, Il don't
think it was vain; | think it was the
most natural thing in the world, and
and I'm glad you did it," he ended,
rather lamely.
The secretary laughed, and | won
dered what there was about the sound
that made Vincent rave over it. Then.
as his eyes wandered to her hair, he
sighed.
why slightest thou, oh, furnace?"
she smiled at him.