Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-11-08

take it?"
"Ive often explained il to you,
but you never seem TO understand.
When father died, he left me moth
ing. / had my living to make,
and"
"But surely there We're a thou
sand easier, pleasanter ways of
earning it than to kill yourself
socially by becoming an employee
in such family as this. Ii can't
be congenial.
The odd smile in her eyes check
ed him and gave him a vague
sense of uneasiness.
1T is congenial," said the girl
ter a pause. ~ have my own
suite of rooms, my own hours, my
own way. | have natural bent
| for finance, and business associa-
ton with MIR. Conover is a real
education. The salary is goou. My
word in all household matters is
law. Mr.. Conover knows l under
stand how things should be con-
Quoted, and he has grown to rely
| on me. | am more mistress here
than most women in their own
homes Mrs. Conover is Ill 30
auckland Blanche being away
"Anice,' he broke in, "l've known
YOU since you first went into long
dresses. And | know that the rea-
sons you've just given are none
Of them the sort that appeal to a
girl like you. To some women
they might. But not to you. Why
did you come here, and why do
you stay There is some reason
you haven't"
"'Scuse me, Miss Lanier, said a
voice at the entrance of the al
cove. The Boss sent me to ask
you would you come to the urorin'-
room. lie says the supper-room s
open, an he'd like you to soop
ritend things. I've been lookin'
everywhere for you. Gee, but goin'
through a bunch or cops in a pool
room is pie alongside OF
wcrkin' a way tnrouga 1his push
The speaker was squat,
swarthy little man of whom his
ready-made evening clothes sat
with the grace and comfort of a
set of thumb screws. Give rec
ognized him with difficulty, as the
usually self-assured BILLY Shev-
lin. Conover's most trusted polit-
.ical houchman.
"Very WE'LL" replied Anice Lam
she noted the dumb misery in
Billyis face, and paused 70 ask:
aren't you having good
time, Mr.. Shelvin?"
"a good time? Me? Oh, yes,
mistake me in this open-face suit
aft
That's all that's botherin' me. I've
been rubin elbows with the Van
Alstynes that own hail of Pomp-
ton Az no and live III Noorup, and
with Stat Kerrigans wife, who
used to push coffee and sinkers
at Kerry's beanery. On, I'm an
qassiety all right. An | feel like
pair of yellow shoes at a fun
raj"
Never mind!" laughed Anice.
The supper-rooms open. and
you'll enjoy that part of the even
ing, at any rate
81 will, EN- Not me, Miss The
Boss's passed the word that the
boys is to hold back and kind of
make a noise like ipnercenL by
ISLANDERS till the swell push is all
fed. So it's me for the merry out
skirts while they're gettin their
moneys wort. '''
Give Standish watcher them
thread their way through the
crowd, until Anice's dainty little
head with its crown of simmer
ing bronze hair was lost to sight.
Then he sat looking moodily out
on the heterogeneous, ill-assorted
cOmDany before him
Now that he had talked with
Anice he no longer regretted the
impulse that had led him to ac-
cept Mrs. Conovers invitation. The
girl had always exerted a subtle
charm, a nameless influence, over
him. Years before when he was
struggling, penniless, to make
living IN a city where his family
name opened every door to him,
yet where it was more of an i'm
pediment than otherwise in his
task of bread winning; even then
he had worked with vague, half
formed hope of Anice Lanier shar-
ing his final victory.
Then had come her own finan-
cial reverses, her fathers death,
and her withdrawal from the world
that had known them both. Since
that time circumstances had
checked their growing intimacy.
1t was pleasant to Standish to feel
that that intimacy and UNDER
standing were now renewed al
most just where they HAD left off.
His battle for livelihood and sue
cess had beaten from him much
of the buoyancy that had once
been his charm. Anice seemed the
one link connecting him with
Youth-the link whereby he might
one day win his way back to that
dear lost country of his boyish
hopes and dreams. 1t would be
good to forget, with her, the
dreary uphill struggle that was SO
bitter and youth-sapping when en-
dured alone. Then he laughed
grimly at his own silly fantasy,
and came back TO everyday self
control.
The rooms were clearing. Give