Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-05-10


! who opened the door
LAS quietly as possible, Wilkes"
she said, and without his father see
ing him"
THE judge is away, MISS" said the
man. "He drove down to the village
with Senator Soakem, who had to
catch train back to Albany; but I'm
looking for him every"
BE quick, then" Jerlled the trump.
"You snow what to do"
81 guess | do, miss" answered the
butler gloomily. I've had to do it
often enough-Perkins and me. A
good cold souse-that's the thing
and then bed. l know"
Billings waved his hand to the
| trump us he mounted the stairway III
side. And then, dash 1t, he kissed his
| fngere.
The trump kind Of glared down ths
! deserted vista OF the fine old hall and
| shrugged her shoulders.
"Ev srybody loafng, as usual" she
mutte:ed sourly, and she hurled her
| coat 1T the carven back Of a great
| cathedral chair-aEd missed it,
1t vas clear that her type scornGd
conve1tionalities aud knew how 70
make themselves thoroughly at horne.
II l.ope you'll be made comfortable
here, Mr.. Lightnut," she said, pecling
q glo9e with jerk, but l have my
doubts"
And she gave kind Of hollow laugh.
lawfully tiresome, these country
! Places" 1 said sympathetica!ly.
screwed my glass at couple OF foot
men who came into view at the far
end cf the hall, and who were whis-
| perinG and chuckling about sorGe-
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 1t rather trying visit
| ing here
By Jove, how she opened he, Eyes
at me-surprised, l knew, at finding
| me such devilish keen observer. My
| sympathy touched her, too, for her
eyeballs shone moist of a sudden and
| | saw her lip tremble as she stared.
Then she swallowed hard and slapped
| her gloves sharply across hor palm.
"It'g Francis that's to blame for that
sort of thing" she rasped, nodding
down the hall.1/
"Frlnces?" l calculated in protest.
ooh, here, l say, now"
You don't know Francis, Mr.. Light
mutt" Her jaw grounded with a snap,
and what look she gave me! wait
till you do-you just watt" And eyes
and hands lifted to the ceiling.
I coughed again.
The catl And this was my darling's
| friend!
| But her claws ralSed on: II tell you
you just can't be familiar with groons
| and hail-felIow-well-met with footmen
| without demoralizing them-and that's
| what Francis does" She jerked this
out viciously, and while l gasped,
went on You know very we'll, 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. 1.-THE trouble is, Francis has no
self-respcct-no pride"
"By Jove, if l were you, Miss
| err" Dash me If I hadn't forgotten
| her name! "If you feel that way,
don't see why the de- HIM! | 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 I could"
I added earnestly-coaXingly: And
stay away, you knoW!'
And l took a deep breath, for l ex-
pected to see her wilt or go straight
up In the air. l knew it was toss
up for either.
Not she! She just twisted a 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 | have COM
planned. That may surprise you"
Dare say you've put up with Fran
| ces though for Jacks sakel" let her
have it coldly, deliberately. Brother
Jack has been a sort Of compensa'
| tion-that's it, eh?"
And I shot her foxy wink!
That is, I almost did-pulled up,
though, just on the brink. BY Jove,
gave Re cold marrows for an instant,
thinking how l might have compro-
missed myself, you know. Besides, 1
! 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 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 or
chokey shuttle and reach out her hand
for mine.
"How you do understand!' she
crooncd unblushingly, and she leaked
O. big cold tear down upon my hand
| and let another splash my cuff-and
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