Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-02
CHAPTER XXV.-Continued.

detected. she did not even smile. II was
a firm conviction with her that ievity out
of place was entitled to absolutely no
consideration. 81 think, Mr. Harrington.
that the proper course would be for you
to withdraw for the present she said.
rather distantly. IF the acquaintance
is to be resumed il must be on a more
formal basis
Yes. but | don't like that way, said
Dick with sincere seriousness this time.
Now il was perfectly dark. and a faint
smile was allowed to curl Miss Burton
lips at this speech-it was SO boyishly
boyish. 'katherine-as Won are also Miss
Burton. this Is the simplest way to dis
tinguish YOU
You could say Miss Katherine. and
even the use of Miss Burton would not
be likely to lead to complications. sug-
geSted Miss Burton. with genteel satire
That's SO, too" admitted Dick. well.
Miss Katherine knows plenty OF reasons
why our informal acquaintance just at
this time was more agreeable than
strictly conventional acquaintance would
have been l am just starting into bust
ness for myself, and. in a sense, ii Is
competition with her father and my uncle
who do not evince that genial cordially
which is a distinctive by-product of the
true neighborly spirit. So you see how
il is Yourself
Dick had talked himself into feeling
perfectly at home with Miss Burton, and
saw no reason why she should not have
made similar advancement: but she did
not lightly change her attitude toward a
subject, and said without flaw in her
reserve: 'Of course. IL you feel that an
open acquaintance might lead to embar-
| rassment the only thing to 90 is to post
pone the establishment of any acquaint-
| ance until this condition no longer exists.
I must request that you will be good
enough to avoid meeting Miss Burton un-
til you are willing to call at her home in
accordance with the rules of propriety.
Well, that suits me all right respond
ed Dick. May I call tomorrow night?"
II think that at least a week should
elapse before you call again, and in the
meantime, you had better consider care
fully whether or not the call would be
pleasant for any of us. Good evening".
Good evening said Dick. taking of
his hat and wishing that il were Miss
Burton's head. Kate and her aunt walked
up the path to the house. and Dick
walked very slowly along the back road
toward Minister.
she's as generous as spider,'' he ex-
| claimed, after having walked a short dis
lance. "She impresses me as having been
preserved in alcohol since the middle ages
SO that even hasty comparison will con-
vince the Skeptical that the world is sure
| ly getting better. She evidently imagines
| that it is as necessary to guard and pro-
| tect an American girl Of today as il was
| to hover about one. OF those animated
| dolls of the romantic age 1 wish auntie
| had taken her vacation. beginning this
| afternoon. l can see where she Is going
| to be a disturbing element
1t was fine. brisk night; all the world
seemed filled with motion, and little waves
of energy kept entering Dicks body unit
1t was impossible for him to be down
| cast. He stepped out with a full, easy
| stride. and his next remark clearly indi-
Gated that an earthly existence was again
beginning to find favor i'm his sight Il
wish old Mulligan was along" he said
| AS the first street lamp in Minister by
this time a familiar friend, rounded the
curve. Dick paused, looked up at the stars
| and back at the misty road. Where
every prospect p1easeS and only auntS are
| VILE he said, fervently, and pleased with
| his state of mind, he whistled an inspir-
ing march until the approach Of other
wayfarers suggested the propriety OF
| drawing the modern veil across his joy
! Gus eXuberance.
| Dick was now following the markets
| keeping closes watch over the affairs al
Washington and getting himself thor
oughly into the spirit of genuine COM
mercialism. A week seemed beyond his
| patience. and he found it impossible to
keep his mind from specializing on the
outcome of Miss Burtons unsolicited ad-
| ministration of his affairs. 1t was not
hard for him to convince himself that he
had made good impression on Mr.. Bur
| ton. but he greatly preferred to be under
no obligations to that gentleman, and felt
| much aggrieved that he could not con-
tinue his love making according to the
established custom Of the offspring of
warning factions.
At the expiration of four days he de-
cided to strain his forbearance no longer.
and about o'clock in the evening he
started for the oak tree post Office. He
found a note and gleefully hurried up the
| road to read it. BY the aid Of his cleo
trio torch he read: He who fights and
runs away. may live to run another day:
while he who stays may lose the fight and
have his sorrows double. for might is
right and aunts are bright and life is
full Of trouble"
Il wish she would write simple sense"
he exclaimed, impatiently. II suppose /
ought to see exactly what she means. but
I don't. The way it looks to me is, that
she has tried to put over a clever tale
which was not plausible enough for auntie
to swallow. auntie came down with the
heel of oppression. and henceforth Rich
ard is not considered essential to Rather
ines happiness. We'll, peace to his ashes.
I don't intend to give up as long as I'm
conscious.
Il haven't time to make a rhyme. for
rhyminSS not my way: but have no care,
I'll sure be there. when aurtie gets too
gay" he wrote beneath her lines and re-
marked: Il call that rather neat. and
this will let her know that [ am going to
call week 10 the minute from the date
that auntie herself set
Slipping the note into the tree he walked
back to Minister. satisfied that his affairs
were progressing nicely. He knew II was
going TO be strain on his Will power to
keep his attention under control until the
remainder of the week had expired: but
he had an entirely new set OF formulas,
prepared especially for Mr.. Burton's bene
fit. and decided to spend most of his time
in practicing Ivan on them.
This useful labor kent him employed I'M
til the night of his call arrived. After de-
liberation, he decided to wear a dinner
coat. and his spirits rose prodiciously as
lie dressed. Dressing always had a Pc
culiar stimulation for him: he recitel
fragments of poetry. he sang fra gments
Of sorg and during the intervals he car
ried on a conversation with Muliigan. one
sided. to be sure. but learned and versa
tile, without being in any sense a mental
strain.
During the entire period consumed in
dressing-and the period was long one.
not from any difficulty in adjusting his
raiment but because he found it neces-
sary to gesture f1uently-well. during all
this time Mulligan's mingled features
were wreathed in a hideously happy smile.
and his twisted tail vibrated in joyous
unison with the waves Of happiness which
emanated from his master.
Without the dog all the sunny sweet
nes of Dick s nature would have been
confined until fermentation set IN. but as
it was. it was gathered at the hoodtide
of ripenins. and he ran no risk of becom-
ing cynic at heart. He longed for the
dawning of the new social order he
to the waist he should ente- the ring to
do hattie with the Sreel industry krf in,