Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-09-20

Derby was taken dDdCh.
Il don't see that II is" she said
with unusual and somewhat stammer-
ing mildness. Most blonde-haired
women, even II they haven't bleached
their hair. have had it restored
Dominick did not answer her. The
servant presented a dish at his elbow
and he motioned 1t away with an i'm
patient gesture.
Berry, who was not looking at him,
went on.
What kind of clothes did she wear?
They say she's an elegant dresser,
gets almost everything from Paris.
even her underwear. | suppose she
didn't have her best things up there.
But she must have had something,
because the papers said they'd gone
prepared for a two weeks trip"
81 never noticed anything she
wore"
well, isn't that Just like you, Dom
mick Ryan" exclaimed his wife, I'M
able. at this unmerited disappoint-
ment, to refrain from some expression
OF her feelings. And you might know
I'd be anxious to hear what she had
on"
I'm very sorry, but haven't an
idea about any of her clothes. l think
they were always dark. mostly black
or brown"
Did you notice" almost pleadingly,
what she wore when she went out?
Mrs. Whiting. the forelady at Hazels
millinery. says she imported set OF
sables, muff, wrap and hat, for her
this autumn. Hazel says It was just
the finest thing of its kind you ever
laid your eyes on. Did she have them
up there"
II couldn't possibly tell you. | don't
know what sables are. / saw her once
with a fur cap on, but l think it be-
longed to Willoughby, an Englishman
who was staying there, and used to
have his cap hanging on the pegs In
the hall It's quite useless asking
me these questions. don't know any
thing about the subject. Did you wind
the clock while / was away?"
He looked at the clock, a possession
Of his own, given him in the days
when his mother and sister delighted
to ornament his rooms with costly
gifts and in which he had never be-
fore evinced the slightest interest.
"Of course, | wound it," Berry said
with an air of hurt protest. Haven't
wound it regularly for nearly three
| years."
! This brought the subject of Rose
/ Cannon to an end and she was not al
| luded to again during the dinner. The
| conversation reverted to such happen
| ings in the city as Berry thought
might interest her husband, and it
seemed to her that he was more
pleased to sit and listen to her chat
ter of her sisters, the bank, the thea
tiers, and the shops, than to dilate any
further on his adventures in the
snow-bound Sierra.
When the dinner was over, they re-
| turned to the front of the fiat, where
next to the parior there was a tiny
| ballroom fitted up as a smoking
room and den. 1t was merely a con-
tinuation of the hall, and the cozy
corner" which Berry had had a Polk
street upholsterer construct in it, oc-
cupied most of the available space,
and crowded such visitors as entered
it into the corners. 1t had been Ber-
ny's idea to have this room lined with
books" as she expressed it, but their
joint possessions in this line consist
ing of some twenty-five volumes, and
the fact that the contracted space
made it impossible to accommodate
both the books and the cozy corner
Berry had decided in favor Of the lat
ter. She now seated herself on the
divan that formed the integral part OF
this construction, and. pfling the pill
lows behind her, leaned luxuriously
back under the canopy Of variegated
stuffs which was supported by two
formidable-looking lances.
Dominick sat in his easy chair. He
always smoked in this room and read
the papers, and presently he picked
them up from the table ana began to
look them over. The. conversation
languished, became spasmodic, and
finally died away. Berry, leaning back
on the cushions, tried several times
to revive it, but her husband from
among the spread sheets of the eve
ming press answered her with the in
| articulate sounds of mental preoccu'
patton, and sometimes with no sound
at all, till she abandoned the attempt
and leaned back under the canopy in
a silence that was not by any means
the somnolent quietude of after-dinneI
torpor.
The clock hands we're pointing &c
half-past nine when a ring at the bel
was followed by the appearance of the
Chinaman at the door, stating that the
expressman had come with Mr.. Ryan
valises. Dominick threw down his pa
pers and left the room. AS Berry sat
silent, she could hear the express
mans gruff deep voice in the hall and
the thuds of the valises as he thumped
them down at the stair-head. Domi
nick answered him and there were q
few more remarks. followed by the re
treating sound of the mans heavy
feet on the stairs and the bang of the
hall door. lie sat looking at the clock
waiting f. ber husband to return, anc
then as he did not come and the hal
seemed singularly quiet she leaned
forward and sent an exploring glance
down its dim length. Dominick was
not there, but a square of light fell
| ont from an omen doorway Of his rOOm