Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1911-02-09
CHAPTER V.-contInued.

When Clara happened to broach the
subject of music at their third or
fourth meeting she found she had
touched the dominant chord of Will
frid's nature; being no mean execu-
tant herself, they at once met on COM
mon ground She found that he had
seen most of the modern operas (at a
dollar admission) and some others of
which she had never even heard, and
he laughingly confessed to the pos
session of a tenor voice.
But you know what the great Won
Bulow said about tenors, Miss Pas
savant?"
mo; tell me, please; something
spiteful, am sure"
Judge for yourself; he said that
tenor was a diseased"
Clara laughed THAT recalls Her
vey's-was it Hervey's ?-clever gen.
eralization of the human race" she
said. You know he divided us up
into men. women. and curates."
THAT was certainly rather severe
on the gentlemen of the CLOTH" com
mented Stennis, unless he had in
mind the old saying about the last
not being the least"
Upon another occasion they were
discussing the feminine passion for
fine clothes.
Women dress to please them
selves" valiantly asserted Clara.
championing her sex.
Are you sure?" said Stennis. mo
true woman would be content with
such a simple motive as that; it must
be something far more complex"
For instance?" she asked, with
one of her challenging glances which
dared him to do his best or say his
worst
Il think they dress to please them
selves first; secondly. to please the
men; and. thirdly. to make other
women envious."
For shame!" was the laughing re-
tort, tapping him with her fan; time
enough to be cynical when you get to
be as old as papa"
Such little verbal passages at arms
as these-and there were many of
them as time passed, for upon Stennis
was conferred the freedom of the
house in Park avenue after that initial
dinner-served to put them more and
more at their ease and to cement their
friendship. The rather shop-worn so
ciety woman of eight or ten seasons
discovered new sensation; in match
ing wits with Stennis she was sure to
strike responsive fire in him every
time, nor was it certain that in so
doing her own wings were not IN
danger of being singed; she certainly,
and perhaps unwittingly, revealed to
him oftener than to others a softer,
more womanly side of her nature.
On Stennis' part he ever delighted
TO be with her, because she possessed
the happy knack of educing his bright
est thoughts; she became his social
mentor and the arbiter of his slowly
forming tastes. He really wondered
at himself, after an evening in her so
ciety, when he recalled the consumed
ly bright things he had said, and he
began to take no little pride in his
social and fashionable progress. For
he was everywhere voted a success.
His wealth. his pristine freshness, his |
total freedom from the too frequent
vulgarities of the newly rich, made
him everywhere welcome; he was put
up at two or three good clubs; start
ing with a few valuable fnfroduc-
tions from the Passavants, his circle |
of acquaintance widened rapidly, and
not the least surprising feature Of It |
all to Stennis was the ease with which
he assumed his place among the elect |
of New York society. II was as
though he had been to the manner
born.
So the winter passed. in high jinks |
and perpetual holidays" and the