Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-10-09
DIRECTED BY CUPID
BY MARVIN PETERS.

Steeds looked up from his type
writer with a frown. The muscle on
the left side Of his nose, leading
downward to the corner Of his mouth,
twitched, twitched without reason
and without volition.
Thinking he had been mistaken,
and hoping as well, for he wanted
desperately to finish the manuscript
under his hand, the young man APP
piled himself. But he had not writ
ten a dozen words before the quick,
painless contraction occurred once
more.
Steeds sighed. The twitching was
his danger signal, the warning that
he had been applying himself too
closely and must rest. 1t was already
evening, an evening in early spring.
He closed his desk and went up
stairs to pack.
A trip to the city with its the
aters, its resistless rush, its life al
ways at the food, rebuilt the broken
tissues and sent him back refreshed,
bubbling with enthusiasm for his
work.
When, his bag and suitcase
packed, he idled a moment, recollec-
ton spurred him to activity.
"The Bancrofts' dinner is billed
for the nineteenth" he unused "This
is the sixteenth. / can wire them
I'll be there for it, after all. May
put them out a little. I'm; wonder
if I'd better. Well, Mrs. Bancroft
is resourceful and Tony has played
plenty Of tricks on me in his day."
He grinned. "I'll do it."
The evening of the nineteenth
Steeds, in correct attire and festive
mood, descended from his hotel to
a waiting taxicab.
1t was dark when the cab drew up
before a modest three-story house. 1t
was the first time he had visited the
Bancrofts in their new abode, but
it was so in keeping with their tastes
and income that he ran up the steps
almost with feeling of familiarity.
He was still whistling when he rang
the bell. A maid opened the door.
"Mr. Steeds?" she asked.
eyes," replied Steeds, surprised
that he should be recognized. He
had never seen the maid before, and
she did not pronounce his name quite
correctly, he thought.
''You are to step into the library,
please" she said.
The library was a pretty room,
book-lined, and with cheerful fire
in the crate. He was still surveying
it approvingly when two ladies en-
tered from door opposite.
Neither was Mrs. Bancroft He
had never seen them before. Obvi-
ously they we're mother and daugh-
ter. 1t was equally apparent that
they were dressed for an evening
function.
The younger woman-she was
scarcely more than a girl, nineteen
or twenty, perhaps-advanced toward
Steeds.
Her clear eyes had no hard gilt
ter and no shadow in their depths.
The healthful color of her skin was
not buried beneath rouge. Her gown,
cut modestly high, revealed but bit
of rounded neck.
"Mr. Steeds," He fancied that he
caught again a slight mispronuncia-
ton of his name.
eyes" he said, and bowed over
the hand she gave him.
"My mother"
He took the hand Of the elder
woman, who had been searching his
face with quiet, well-bred appraisal.
Apparently Steeds' blonde strength,
which had withal intellectually
about it, appealed to her. She
smiled.
The girl stood. A tinge of color
came into her cheeks as she began:
"Mr. Steeds, we have an impor-
tant question to settle. Ny mother
and l have arrived at a decision"
"a decision?' he interrupted, puz-
zled.
The girl raised her hand a trife