The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-07-24
CHAPTER x-contInued.

Abbey, | wouldn't climb those stairs
for a bottle of Horaces Falernian,
served on Seneca's famous citron
table"
Not a friend in the world" Abbott
lamented.
Laughingly they hustled him into
the hallway and fed. Then Courtlandt
went his way alone.
Harrigan was in happy temper He
kissed his wife and chucked Nora un-
der the chin. And then Mrs. Harri-
gan launched the thunderbolt which,
having been held on the leash for
several hours, had for all Of that, lost
none of its ability to blight and scorch
James, you are about as hopeless
a man as ever was born. You all but
disgraced us this afternoon
Mother"
"Me?" cried the bewildered Harrigan.
Look at those tennis shoes; one
white string and one brown one. lbs
enough to drive a woman mad. What
In heavens name made you Gomez"
Perhaps it was the after effect of a
good dinner, that dwindling away of
pleasant emotions; perhaps 1t was the
very triviality of the offense for which
he was thus suddenly arraigned at
any rate, he lost his temper, and he
was rather formidable when that oc-
CURED.
Damn it, Molly, wasn't going, but
Courtlandt asked me to go with him,
and never thought of my shoes. You
are always finding fault with me these
days. don't drink, don't gamble,
l don't run around after other women;
/ never did. But since you've got this
social bug in your bonnet, you keep
me on hooks all the while. Nobody
noticed the shoe strings; and they
would have looked upon it as joke
If they had. After all, I'm the boss
of this ranch If want to wear a
white string and black one, I'll do
it. Here!" He caught up a book on
social usages and threw it out OF the
window. Don't ever shove a thing
like that under my nose again. If you
do, I'll hike back to little old New
York and start the gym again"
He rammed one of the colonePs per-
fectos (Which he had been saving for
the morrow between his teeth, and
stalked into the. garden.
Nora was heartless enough to laugh.
he hasn't talked like that to me in
years." Mrs. Harrigan did not know
what to do-follow him or weep. She
took the middle course, and went to
bed.
Nora turned out the lights and sat
out on the little balcony, The moon
shine was glorious. So dense was the
earth blackness that the few lights
twinkling here and there were more
like fallen stars. Presently she heard
a sound 1t was her father, returning
as silently as he could. She heard him
tumble among the knickknacks on the
mantel, and then go, away again. BY
and by she saw a spot of white light
move hither and thither among the
grape arbors For five or six minutes
she watched 1t dance. Suddenly all
became dark again.
Mora, are you there?
"Yes Over here on the balcony.
What were you doing down there?"
"Oh, Nora, I'm sorry l lost my tenn
per- But Molly's begun to nag me
lately, and l can't stand it. l went
after that book. Did you throw some
flowers out of the Window"
YES"
"a bunch of daisies?"
Marquee .tes," she corrected.
"All the same to me. picked up
the bunch, and look at what found
inside"
He extended his palm, flooding 1t
with the light of his pocket lamp.
Nora's heart tightened. What she saw
was a beautiful uncut emerald,