El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-27

was a prOfusion of dishes, some silver.
others OF rare old china, and. as I saw
later. there was hardly one Of the lat
tcr winch was not broken or Clipped,
bus each steamed with some savOry
vegetable or meat and ] soon fell Ia
the way Of handing plates around the
table and helping others from the
olsnes IN front or near me, just as We
were wont to do in the railroad eating
houses IN New England when was a
DoY. The conversation was easy and
homel1ke, and saw at once that / was
not looked upon as stranger. No
questions were asked me about myself,
IOE winch ! was thankful and / soon
saw too that the colonel did hot intend
to relate Jh~ details OF our meeting that
morning or to account to the other
members Of the family for his sudden
impulse to invite me TO become guest
at the Pines. So, as If by mutual con-
sent we refrained from making any
reference to the matter, and I determ-
ined to leave it to the colonel to make
any explanations which he might think
to be best
The colonel told Miss Ellen what the
girls had said about Jim, at which she
laughed heartily, but grew very red
and showed some annoyance when ne
related what they had said about chOos-
ing farm in the county, and especial
~ when reference was made to Squire
Hawkins. I shall never forget how my
plate looked after 1t had gone around
the table. I had left my place empty
and came back piled to the brim with
every sort Of vegetable on the table.
Miss Ellen laughed when I confessed
that / did not know how to eat rice,
nor would she rest content until she
had taken my plate and arranged It &C
cOrdlng to the manner of eating rice
In that section She covered it with
butter and sprinkled a little salt on 1t,
and, handing it back to me babe me
eat it, telling me that 1t was a part
Of my education She laughted again
when / wanted to put pepper on IT, but
she would let her father put q little
dish gravy over it if it were not pal
atable. I ate it not because I liked
it then, for would have eaten so much
sawdust had she told me 1t was good
and bade me do so.
Every now and then. after I had
swallowed some rice, I would look up
10 find her eyes fixed LOguishly on me,
and then we would both laugh. She
seemed to relish the idea that I did not
like the rice and that I was eating il
because she had fixed Il and told me to
DO so ! made this fact very plain 10
her by the faces would make in swal-
loving II She confessed afterwards to
a little malice in forcing me TO eat Il.
and later, when I really began to like
IT, she would often say, viii you have
your rice with cream and sugar on It
OF little pepper, Mr. Palmer
After dinner we went on the porch.
where Bud brought US pipes. 7 hope
you like the pipe" he said as he handed
Up cigars lately-0n account OF the
tariff he added with q big. good ma
Uured laugh / said 7 did: chat il was
my chiefest luxury in my university
Gays and still preferred 1t to cigars.
ColOneI Iurpln said that If I did not
object TO music Ellen would PLAY us
something, that she always did when he
took his after dinner smoke said
that could not imagine greater luxury.
and leaned back prepared TO undergo
any amount Of torture and OUTRAGE 10
my artistic nature, for I knew some
ming OF music. as my father had been
Splehclo performer on the piano and
nad given me the benefit Of his knov-l-
edge Instead OF hymns and waItzes
however, there floated through TIE
window 10 US the sweetest notes
seemed ever to have heard. SAT
ureaInlty thinking OF this lovely girl
and her odd surroundings when She an
peared at the window and asked If tbere.
were anything I liked especially
60, 40 not Know If You care for
know it is Chopin. but il is the music
ne nAes, and so 1 always play some OF
the nocturnes for him"
The truth is, Mss Turpin." I said.
I did not think Of what you were
playing. but was merely feeling the ef-
feet OF the music Your playing seemed
to me to be part Of the scene out here,
as If II were an accompaniment to the
moon IN its wanderings or to the stars
Ny speech sounded like flattery, and
I blushed as the thought came to me.
I hope YOU viu forgive my praise II
It seemed eXtravagant" I said, "but
I only said what was in my heart with
out rejecting that you might take 1t
for flattery." had been accustomed
TO pay compliments at will. and some
times, / fear, was given to flattery
but 1 would not have had this Young
girl to think me guilty Of such i'll
breeding for anything in the world
IF that is the way you feel she an
severed sweeJly. 4 viii play some thing
for YOU and truststo pleasing father"
and gcinC back to the piano she PLAYED
something do not know what Bud
said ne had never heard her play IL be-
fore. and though asked her often az
ter that TO play it for me again, I never
heard it; yet the strains even now 90
through my head when 7 sit in the
moonlight or lie awake nights think
ing Of Ellen.
ITO be continued tomorrow.