The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-05-28
CHAPTER XIV.
"If Ever | Find a Mani"

"If Ever ] Find a Mani"
81 trust you've not been getting into
trouble, Mr. Lightnut!"
Her lovely eyes were dancing with
mischief as they hung there below
mine-eyes, bluer than the Hudson at
our feet; yet between the jolly rip
pies that played across those pools OF
truth could glimpse far down into
depths that were the most devilishly
enhancing, darkly, deeply, beautifully
oh, you know!
Why, by Jove, almost took crop
per right into them! Only caught
just in time, you know; Strengthened
right on the verge, as it were-and
came up with gasp, monocle dam
Cling.
Had almost forgotten the dashed
windows-and the two cats that
might be looking out!
murmured some jolly apology,
adding:
"Oh, yes-quite so; certainly! I
mean-eh, what?"
She was smiling, her rose-peta1 Up
dragging through her teeth.
"The bobby you know, just now"
she nodded toward the porte-cochere
-"I was positive he had come to drag
you away to your loathsome dungeon.
And when he retired, 1 was-oh, SO re-
lieved!" And she clasped her hands,
her eyes lifting upward.
"Oh, say now-were you, thought
I grinned delightedly and slipping to
rustic chair beside her, looked her
affectionately in the eye. For all her
air of chatting, I knew that under it
was current of anxiety for me-the
darling!
l screwed my glass at her tenderly.
What would you have done?" l
said softly, "if he had-er-lugged me
off, you know?"
Can you ask?" What reproachful
side-glance she shot me through the
meshes of her silken what-you-call-
ems! why, Of course, should have
drawn my good excalibar and run him
thr-r-rough and thr-r-r-ough!"
By Jove, how she said It! And she
Illustrated with the stemless rose
dash 1t, no; the roseless stem! She
was superb-looked like the jolly
fencing girl; only dashed sight more
stunning, don't you know! And her
excalibar, too! Didn't know what
jolly excalibar was, but guessed 1t was
some delightfully."- mysterious but dead
ly feminine thing-some kind Of sub
merged hat-pin-sort-of-thing, you know
that sort, dash it! Yet she would
have drawn it-and her good one, too,
she said!
"Jove!" I said feelingly. would
you, really" And I almost took her
hand-and again remembered the win
dows! So 1 just shot her a look.
Her glorious eyes sparkled. That
is, l would If 1 had one,' she said
smiling; "but I'm afraid poor. Arthur
lost the last and only one. Sad, isn't
it,"
"oh!"
l just felt my jolly heart sink like
What's-its-name. Who the deuce was
poor Arthur" This must be another
some other laundering chap who
had been engaged to her. And what
rotten, careless beggar, too, to have
lost it-that is, If he really had! or
course, he would say 50, anyhow. And
how the deuce did he get it, in the
first place-did she give it to him, OF,
did he
By Jove, how I should have liked to
punch Arthur's head! Always did
hate chap with that name! I flushed
guiltily, but she did not see. For the
moment, she was looking OFF dream
fly across the valley.
81 wonder" she said pensi7ely,
"why it is one can never find another
man like Arthur. Do you suppose it
is because he was the ideal?"
For an instant, I swallowed hard
then plucked up brayely, or tried to,
don't you know.
Jolly likely! cnlrpeo. 4neh
gloomily: "Oh, I say, you know, was
he your ideal?"
"Always!"-the blue eyes lighted
wistfully-"I suppose it's because he
was my first love; I found him so
brave, so noble-mannered, you know
so simple!"
Simple! Dash simple people-never
could stand them! Thing I admired
was brains! Aloud said gently-aL-
most humbly:
$50 glad you like him, don't you
know-did like, 1 meant"
did like? I do still!"-her tone
lifted in earnest protest. love to
think of brave, dear Arthur and his
knights-so few, and yet so full OF
love, of gallantry and daring!"
So his nights were like that! By
Jove, 1 was devilish glad then that
they had been so few-that was some