The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-12-06

AAN hhoubu lamps Hlhue prGtl
; light over Miss Reynier's cream.co
l. ored silk founces, over the delicat
: lace on her waist. over her gloss
? dark hair and spirited face. As Alec
contemplated that face. with its cage
yet modest and womanly gaze. and IN
noble outline Of her figure. he though
with an unwonted towering OF lmag
nation, that she was not unlike th
Diana OF classic days. "a domesti
= DIANA" he added In his mind. Ssh
may love the woods and freedom, bu
she will always return to the hearth.
Aloud he said; III you win permi
me, Miss Reynier, / would like to in
form you at once OF the immediat,
object OF my visit here. You mus
De well aware" At this point Mr.
Van Camp. who. true TO his nature
was looking squarely In the face o.
MS companion, OF necessity allowed
himself to be interrupted by Miss Rey
nier's lifted hand. She was looking
beyond her visitor through the draw
ing-room door.
Mr.. Chamberlain and Mr.. Lloyd
Jones" announced the servant.
AS Miss Reynier swept forward with
outstretched hand TO greet the new.
comers. Van Camp fixed his eyes on
his hostess with a mingled expression
OF masculine rage and submission.
whether he thought her too cordial
toward the other men or too cool
toward himself, was not apparent.
Presently he, too, was shaking hands
with the visitors, who were evidently
old friends of the house. Madame Rey.
nier, the aunt OF mademolselle, was
summoned, and Van Camp was ma
rooned ma sofa with Lloyd-Jones,
who was just ia from the West
Aleck found himself listening to an
interminable talk about copper veins
and silver veins, a new kind of assay
ing instrument. and the good luck at
tendant upon the opening of Lloyd
Jones new mine, the Liza Lu.
Aleck was the essence of courtesy
to everything except sham, and was
able to indicate a mild interest in Mr.
Lloyd-Jones mining affairs 1t was
sufficient. Lloyd-Jones turned side
wise on his end of the soft spread out
plump, gestlculating hands, and
poured upon him an eloquent torrent
OF fact speculation and high-spirited
enthusiasm concerning Idaho in gen
eral and the future of the Liza Lu
in particular. More than that, by and
by his cheerful, half-impudent manner
threatened TO turn poetic.
It's great, living in the open out |
there" he went on, by this time IN
cluding the whole company in his ex-
ordium. You ride or tramp. or dig
rock all day; and at night you lie
down under the clear stars, thankful
for your blanket and your rock-bed
and your campfire; and more than
thankful If there's a bit of running
water near by. It's great life!"
Miss Reynier listened to him with
syes that were alternately puzzled and
It was a discourse that
would have seemed to her much more
latural coming from Aleck Van
lamp; but then, Mr. Van Camp really
lid tho thing-that sort of thing
nd he rarely talked about it. It had
robably been Mr.. Lloyd-Jones' first
ssay In the world out of reach of his
alet and a club cocktail; and he
'as consequently impressed with his
1t was evident that Miss
.eynier and the amateur miner were
n friendly terms, though Aleck had .
OF seen or heard of him before. He
ad hobnobbed with Mr.. Chamber
in in London and on more than one :
'Nntitic jaunt. The slightest flicker
Jealous resentment cleaned in Al :
XXI eyes, but his speech was as slow i,
I'D precise as ever. =
I was just trying to convince Miss -
eynier that outdoor life has its pe-
liar joys" he said. Il was even :,
wv suggesting that she should dig. :,
ough not for silver. Does Mr. b,
oyd-Jones' lucre seem more allur- II
g than my little wriggly beasts, Miss g.
synier?" y
If Aleck meant this speech for a .,
Up to force the young woman to in
'ate a. preference, the trick failed, N
it deserved to fail. Miss Reynier IT,
- - oDiI ~ p'"S "altlhg game. da
I couldn't endure either your mines
your mudpuddles. You are both IN
surd, and | don't understand how I'll
ever get recruits for your hobbies e.,
come over and see this new en-. ~
wing, Mr. Jones; it's an old 90
hioned picture of your beloved NJ, H
me-" VA
Lleck, thus liberated from Mr.. ~,
yd-Jones and his mines, made his
across the room to Madame Rev -
r. The cunning of old Adam was .
his eye, but otherwise he was the oor
.ure of deferential innocence. ~ ~
Iadame Reynier loved Aleck, with ~, ~
inoffensiye Americanisms and un- AZ,
ing kindliness; and with her =
nds she was frankness itself. With
men in Miss Reynier's hands for
it seemed to Aleck
Kelly that either one could make {"
alarming progress. Besides. he ratl
glad of tete-a-tete with the chap. g
e. sale
adame Reynier was TALL straight way
ian, elderly, dressed entirely in thin
k, with gaunt, aristocratic fea- He
and great directness of speech. stru
had the fine kind of hauteur which mag
ids persons of this type ever to payi