The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-05-03


make themselves thoroughly at home.
81 hope you'll be made comfortable
here, Mr.. Lightnut," she said, peeling
a glove with jerk, ''but 1 have my
doubts"
And she gave kind of hollow laugh.
"Awfully tiresome, these country
places" 1 said sympathetically. 1
screwed my glass at couple Of foot
men who came into view at the far
end of the hall, and who were whis-
pering and chuckling about some
thing. Things seem to be run bit
loose, don't you know-that's fact.
Don't mind for myself, but fancy a
girl might find it rather trying visit
ing here"
By Jove, how she opened her eyes
at me-surprised, knew, at finding
me such a devilish keen observer. My
sympathy touched her, too, for her
eyeballs shone moist Of sudden and
I saw her lip tremble as she stared.
Then she swallowed hard and slapped
her gloves sharply across her palm.
"It's Francis that's to blame for that
sort of thing" she rasped, nodding
down the hall.
"Frances?" 1 calculated in protest.
'Oh, here, say, now"
"You don't know Francis, Mr.. Light
mutt" Her jaw grounded with snap
and what look she gave me! wait
till you do-you just wait!" And eyes
and hands lifted to the ceiling.
I coughed. again.
The cat! And this was my darling's
friend!
But her claws naked on: "I tell you
you just can't be familiar with grooms
and hail-felIow-well-met with footmen
without demoralizing them-and that's
what Francis does" She jerked this
out viciously, and while 1 gasped,
went on: "You know very well, Mr..
Lightnut, if you play cards and drink
and carouse with your men-servants
until two or three o'clock In the morn
ing, you can't reasonably look for re-
spect from them" She breathed heaV-
lily. "The trouble is, Francis has no
self-respect-no pride!"
"By Jove, If 1 were you, Miss
er-" Dash me if I hadn't forgotten
her name! eff you feel that way, l
don't see why the de- HIM! I mean
why do you stay on here and-er-
sacrifice yourself?" I drawled this In
the most devilish sarcastic way! I'D
pack my jolly trunk and get as far
away as l could"
added earnestly-coaxingly "And
stay away, you know!'
And took deep breath, for ex-
pected to see her wilt or go straight
up in the air. l knew it was a toss
up for either.
Not she! She just twisted sour
smile at me.
'Ummh!" she grunted. Perhaps
you don't know that Francis has sug-
gested that to me several times
frankly and rudely-when 1 have COM
planned. That may surprise you."
Dare say you've put up with Fran
ces though for Jacks sake!" let her
have it coldly, deliberately. Brother
Jack has been sort of compensa-
tion-that's it, eh?"
And I shot her a foxy wink!
That is, l almost did-pulled up,
though, just on the brink. BY Jove,
gave me cold marrows for an instant,
thinking how l might have compro-
missed myself, you know. Besides, l
could spare her that-had rubbed 1t
in so devilish raw, anyhow. That is,
you would have thought so; for that
sort of thing said to a normal Yankee
girl would have stirred her pride or
unclaimed the jolly lightnings from
her eyes-you know!
But dashed If this imported freak
didn't suddenly nod with a sort OF
chokey snufHe and reach out her hand
for mine.
'How you do understand" she
cTooned unblushingly, and she leaked
a big cold tear down upon my hand
and let another splash my cuff-and
Jenkins hadn't come with my things
yet, dash it! 81 do try to be patient
about Francis for Jackys sake-he
asked me to; and do try not to mind
the way things are run, but oh, Mr..
Lightnut, what this place needs is a
head!" She almost squeezed my hand,
and blinked damply at me out of her
pasty face "And then," she SNUFF
fed, 81 do so want to make home
for my father and my brothers. They
have never known what it was to have
e home-think of it,"
"See here" l said, fixing my mon
ocle sternly and folding my arms
for had got back my hand under
pretense of fixing my part. "You don't
mean to say that Jack would ever ask
you to take charge here!"
Rather plain and direct, that, don't
you think? Sort of heavy broadsword
,4ro1>o wa, lynou R1f she took If