The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-14
fcontinued from Page 1s.)

L no management, no making the most of: and there stood the girl ready for lunch, blooming with the efful- gsnee of sixteen, while she
 When Selma had gone downstairs romping with one of the dogs, and she had stealthily produced her bag and with the aid of various powders rsuouched her complexion and art fully rearranged her hair under her becoming hat, she thought that her carefully adorned house bore the same relation to this house which had as 1t were grown of itself. as her cultivated charm bore to the uncon- scious insolent beauty of the young girl
 The luncheon gong was rumbling beneath the hand of old Druce as she slowly descended those stairs which she longed to possess.
 They were all in the ihall-Miss Frampton came forward to greet her This lady was a good-humored roly- poly person. between forty and fifty, devctedly attached to dear Miles and dear Selma. but always the victim of an immense admiration for Miss Tarl- Ion and her maxims She had sat at the feet of that weIlrinforme lady, that she might learn the neighbor- hood through and through and he able to guide the wayward steps of the child she had brought up. Thus, she knew the exact social atmosphere surrounding Mrs. Trent, and was by no means pleased at her present inti- mate descent into their family life.
 There was no entree dishes at the Ponthewel luncheon- table. The meal, hot and, cold, was placed upon the sideboard and the table: and when Druee had handed plates and poured wine. he and his satellite disappear ed. and people got up and down help
 But how we'll cooked everything was, How it all suggested. in some wordless way. the existence of the weli-trained kitchenmaid and the ex- perienced head of the culinary de- partment!
 Laura sat on one side of the able and talked to Miles. Selma and Jem Eikgled together upon the other.
 The master of the house made a great effort to be agreeable to his guest. He knew that he was not idea that she was a smart woman. But he did his best, and she played up to him better as the meal went on. AS she miled and told anec- dotes and other wise sought to ingrat- fate herrelf she was noticing how completely at home Jem was in the house He get up quite naturally 10 take Miss Frampton's plate, and there was some joke about her not taking hook, which caused both the Cmfravilles to laugh heartily when fc brought the bottle to her side He was quite at his best, gentle and Eood-tempered, not the least rough CT cverbearing.
 She was quite surprised at herself fdr the seething indignation which the sight and sound of him awoke in her. r
 Jem-her Jem--the man stranded in uncongenial Surroundings, the sol itary who had turned to her for sym psthy, for something to fill up his dull days Verify the instinct which had prompted her at all costs to make friends with the Umfravilles had not been at fault He had always discouraged the idea She now knew why. But. the thing being done, he had no compunction in al- lowing her to see that she had never had access to more than a vacant corner of his affections-the corner which would naturally be left unap- nropriated if his heart were set upon girl of sixteen.
 It all coursed through her brain ss she sat listening to Miles long story, conscientiously related, of a man who had a motor accident in another part of the county
 He went completely off his head, poor chap. They took him to the Cottage Hospital, and the last I heard of him, he thought he was the Arch bishop of Canterbury
 There was a burst of laughter from the frivolous Selma and Jem at this.
 How did it show itself?" asked lem Did he present valuable liv- ings to the nurses?"
 No. I believe he wrote a long letter to the Pope on the subject of reunion, signed Joseph Cantuar.'
 Poor old Joe," said Jem, 'I am very sorry about it. met Conroy the other day, and he said he was on his way to see him.
 Sort of thing he would do,'' said Miles admiringly. 'T will say this for Conroy. though of course I don't agree with all his curious ideas, ne is jolly decent sort. Old Joe Mun- ford has never lost a chance of go- ing against him-wrote to the Bishop to try and get him to stop some cf the practices at the Mission, and so on But the moment Joe is down on hfu furL Coprou ~oez 1.1l~