Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-09-06

explained frankly: Got 1t from your
father this morning. don't you know
during our long talk about you In the
library"
VII"
Then she swallowed and her face
fell perfectly blank. BY Jove, | could
have kicked myself for a jolly ass for
breaking It to her 80 raw! or course,
she would know that II her father
talked OF her, 1t would be nothing for
me to hear that was true or kind
nothing she could wish might be SAID
10 the man she loved.
fastened to reassure her:
But | don't believe a dashed word
OF anything he said about you"-l
spoke hotly-"and | don't care a Jolly
hang for what the others said, either
so there you are!"
"Oh. you don't?" Could tell how l
had touched her by her expression,
don't you know; and she fell to look
Ing at me the ~queerest way. And
would you mind telling me who the
others are?"
eyed her gloomily, sympathetical-
ly. AS II she didn't know already!
"Well-oh, dash 1t, my mind has
been filled with-er-just anything"
| began cautiously.
II know,"-she murmured 1t "a II
to herself-"one can see that!" And
she bit her lip.
I'm the first place, you know"-and
there | pulled up. No, dash 1t, |
wasn't going to say a jolly word about
poor Jack-no. sir! But then, about
the other one-well, she was Just a
t%reacherous snake In the what Sits
name, and she ought to be exposed.
BY Jove, she should be!
TITS the trump. you know" l said
Indignantly.
"The-the what?"
Her pretty teeth flashed like the
keyboards Of a tiny organ-you could
even hear q little gurgly, musical
CULVER somewhere behind. And then
| remembered that, OF course, she
wouldn't know whom | meant.
"Oh, your guest, you %know-your
friend from school," | went on. try
ing to tread cautiously and yet feel
Ing myself growing red. "Oh, see
here now, l don't like to say things,
but-er-"
"Oh, go on!" she trilled, her sweet
face shining wistful.
We'll, | lei this-er-Miss Kirk
land; came out with us this morning
don't you know. | think of her as the
frump-little Observation-Disclosures OF
mine. you know, she's so awful" And
l screwed my glass with a chuckle.
For an instant l thought she
wouldn't catch 1t, she stared at me sc
blankly. Then the joke OF 1.-THE
jolly aptness, SO to speak-got hel
full and square, and she just lifted 9
scream, hugging her knee and rock
Ing back and forth, her face sufrused
her laughter pealing like a chime o.
bells.
And | Just rocked, too. keeping hel
company. Really, l don't think l eve
laughed so much since some chal
plunked down on the hard crown o
my new tile last winter. At least
wanted to laugh-in church, 20,
know, and it's so awful how you fee
there when something-oh, you know
And II you could have seen that poo
fellows face!
BY Jove. how glad Twas for he
jolly n Of humor that could Sc
the point of things SO quickly, an,
think them clever. Always had S
dashed little patience with stupid pee
pie, don't you know, And Just her
, another little thing came to me and
let her have 1t:
"Oh, ] say!"-I leaned neare
chuckling-"your father pretends I
;, think her n most beautiful and vii
ming girl-fancy!" And my fac
stretched itself In such a jolly gri
!. that | could hardly hold my glass.
u She bent toward me, smiling ado
ably. You mean this-er-'Mi'
Kirkland?'"
Il | nodded chortlingly.
II She peered at me through her lor
what-you.call'ems-oh, such a way!
d But you don't think so, do you
r How sweetly, how fetchingly she sa
Il 1t.
"Me?" | gasped, BY Jove, in n
horror, l lost my grip upon my jol
lie grammar. "Oh, | say now! THU
I the ~frump-this Miss Kirkland, y,
IS KNOWS a fright-regular freak, da,
it! told the Judge SOL"
n ~"You-you-"
"Of counsel" And | shrugged d
gustedly, making the ugliest grima
u | possibly could. why, dash 1t, II
re were a N and had a face II
hers. | never would have left Chi
or England-or wherever her 10
home was-no, sir"
II She caught her breath with a lit
do gasp-then she was of again! TT
on time she rested her arms upon I
M rail behind and buried her head
them, her lovely shoulders juggling
ue and down, her sobbing laughter Sc,
IN ing her OFF at last into a spell of cou
ing.
as OH" she breathed, lifting at |
Ter her sloriouslv blushing face and 4