Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-08-02
Cynthia-of -the-Minute
Cooyrish 1911 By Louis Joseph Vance

and resentful pang which invariably as
| sails a pretty woman confronted by
rival Of equal IL not superior physical at
J fractions and more fortunate. i'm the pos
session Of a wardrobe better calculated
TO set or her charms.
She was what reporters are fond Of
calling a golden blond. with very regu-
lar and handsome features and really
superb, IL slightly exaggerated. habit OF
carrying her head and finely proportion
ed body. The dangerous grace with
which she moved Cynthia thought in'n,>
liable. She seemed TO resemble nothing
so much as a magnificent white moth
with a woman's head and shoulders: for
she had discarded her dust wrap be-
fore leaving the car, revealing a cos
tune whose trailing draperies of flmy
white matched in splendor even the
wonderful scarf of lace and golden SPAN
giles falling negligently away from her
perfect shoulders. And the last-named
garment. the watcher knew at glance.
was worth the cost of many a womaTs
happiness.
As she reached the level on which
Cynthia and Crittenden stood waiting
her glance embraced the two, at first
inadvertently. a suggestion of lazy inso-
. I+~AA~N IA AAGA AdA sc anu l6dNE-lluQGu eyes
then recognizing the man with a swift
flash of surprise as swiftly yelled. She
paused the hint of an instant, looked
from Crittenden to Cynthia and hack
again, and nodded coolly.
why Bruce" she drawled in a colt,
rich voice, what a surprised!
BY this time he had himself well in
hand; his bow was immediate, if dis
tant and unaccompanied by spoken re-
ply. But the woman had not waited for
this acknowledgement; already she was
TRAILING past them, moving slowly to-
ward the hotel entrance, while her COM
panions raced up the steps to overtake
her.
To the latter Cynthia gave little heed
after receiving an impression that the
second woman was rather more plain
and plainly dressed than the other, and
that neither of the men was particu-
iarly distingushahle from those types
of weIl-groomed and well set-up Ameri-
cans to the sight of whom she had
become accustomed in the last few
months.
One OF the men, however. knew Crit
tenden and threw him a greeting with
a cordial wave of the hand, en- PEASANT:
4 Hello. Crit; thought you were out of
town"
To this Crittenden responded. with an
air as casual and good natured; Good
evening, Tommy"
And the entire party disappeared in
the direction OF the restaurant, leaving
Cynthia TO try to realize that the en-
counter. to her intuitions so fraught
with provoking significance, had passed
of in hardly more than a minute OF
real time Already Crittenden, quite the
same cool, collected. friendly hammered
young man of that afternoon and even
ing, was saying in accents of amused
detachment: Fancy people who live In
New York being surprised to meet one
another at Coney Isiand! And already
the Red Man was rolling heavily back
TO them in the wake of one Of his huge
cigars; while. the other car having
drawn aside, the important and bedizen-
ed fiunky was ushering in Rhodes car
and with much pomp and circumstance
king ready to open its door.
In so far as she analysed the situa-
ton at all. Cynthia laid at the door or
regret that their pleasant companion
SHIN should have been thus clouded, the
blame for the discomfort Of which she
was sensible. She was unsophisticated
enough to aim close to truth the shafts
OF her mental inquiry into the incident;
tn guess that there had been love be-
tween that moth woman and Crittenden'
where there was love no longer, but
only pain and vain regret-for him. at
least.
whether or not because Of the dis
cord sounded by this untoward meeting
in the harmony of their association
they We're a silent company on the
lhomeward way The Inventor of Occupa-
tions. not a man to dim his lustre IN
the comparative obscurity of tonneau'
elected TO ride beside the driver, into
whose defenseless ear he poured to-
mn n - of CONVERSE
ton in about equal proportions through
out the ride What he said was, how
ever. couched i'm his favorite rumble
lmerging with the purring of the motor,
lindistinguishable TO the two behind.
lCrittenden, after one or two aboruVe
attempts TO be amusing. lapsed into
thoughtful silence, and Cynthia was
auite too tired to talk. Besides, she
was content with her thoughts; they
occupied her not unhappily; once she
succeeded i'm laying the memory OF the
white moth woman. Her bent was to-
ward optimism; she saw a sangulne
promise in the morrow, not In the least
doubling that she would secure employ
ment as companion to this Madame Sa-
varan, or that having il she would find
II cOngeniaI. Her future seemed quite
serene and settled to Cynthia; she was
young enough for that.
II Drowsily conscious. Cynthia reused
only when the machine drew up be-
fore her lodgings.
Crittenden got out and turned to help
her alight. Rhode rose and turned,
proffering a great moist paw over the
back Of the seat. As her own hand
was smothered in its fervid grasp it
encountered a slip OF cardboard.
M card" explained Rhode. If you
dent cop out that Job tomorrow morn
in le me know about it soon's you can.
G Tonight. Hope you enjoyed the ride.
1T was delightful" she told him
prettily. You've been very kind-you
have both been very kind. 1 can't
thank either Of you en- )ugh."
Don't mention it, said the Inventor
CT Occupations. and sat down again.
Her fingers rested an instant in Crit
tenden's- palm as she descended to the
sidewalk. He moved a pace or two with
her toward the brOwnstone stoop.
IF possible-and if 1 may" he said
I'll lunch at Suzanne's tomorrow. Shall
you be there?"
j. III try" she said a bit doubtfully
I'm anxious to know about Madame
Savaran." he pursued. You won't
mind
Indeed" she said, disturbed by some
thing in his attitude, Il shall be glad
III. And-O. thank you. thank you,
Mr.. Crittenden!'
His smile was curious. as revealed by