The Washington herald., 1914-07-26

III
Immediately after the departure Of
Richard Morfe and Eva Harracles, his
betrothed. from the front door of the
former, Mr.. Simon Loggerheads arrived
at the same front door and rang therest,
and was little surprised, and also lit
tie unnerved, when the door opened in
stantly, as if by magic. Mr.. Simon Log
gerheads said to himself, as he saw the
door move on its hinges, that Miss
Morfe must have discovered treasure
of a servant who, when she had moth
ing else to do, spent her time on the
inner doormat waiting to admit pos
sible visitors-even on Friday night.
And it was no servant who stood in
front of him, under the Pickering beam
of the lobby lamp. 1t was Mary Morfe
herself The simple explanation was
that she had just sped her brother and
Eva Harracles and had remained in
the lobby for the purpose of ascertain
ing. by means of her finger, whether
the servant had as usual forgotten to
dust the tops of the picture frames.
OH said Mr.. Loggerheads. when
he saw Mary Morfe.
For the cashier of the Bursley branch
Of the Birmingham and Sheffield Bank
it was not a very able speech. but it
was all he could accomplish.
And Miss Mary Morfe said:
OH
She was thirty-eight, and he was quite
that (for the bank mentioned does not
elevate its men to the august situation of
cashier under less than twenty years
service), and yet they neither of them
had enough worldliness to behave in a
reasonable manner
Then Miss Morfe, to whom it did at
last occur that something must be done,
produced an invitation:
DO come in" And she added: Rich
ard has just gone out"
OH commented Mr.. Simon Logger
heads again.
But he was obviously more at ease,
and he went in, and Mary Morfe shut
the door. At this very instant her broth
er and Eva were in secret converse at
the end of Beech street.
DO take your coat off, Mary sug-
gested to Simon.
simultaneously the servant appeared
at the kitchen extremity of the lobby,
and Mary thrust her out of sight again,
with the cold words:
"It's all right, Susan"
Mr.. Loggerheads took his coat of,
and Mary Morfe watched him as he
did so. He made pretty figure.
He was something of a dandy.
The lapels of the overcoat would have
showed that, not to mention the correct
ly severe necktie All his clothes, in
fact, had cut and style" even to his
boots
Mr.. Loggerheads looked Young man.
The tranquility of his career and the
quietude of his taste had preserved his
youthfulness. And, further. he had the
air of a successful, solid, much-re-
spected individual To be a cashier.
though worthy, is not to be a nabob.
but a bachelor can save a lot out of
twenty years of regular salary And Mr..
Loggerheads had saved quite lot. And
he had opportunities OF advantageously
investing his savings.
Then everybody knew him. and he
knew everybody. He handed out gold
at least once a week to nearly half the
town. and you cannot help but veneratr
man who makes a practice of hand
ing out gold to you. And he had thrilled
thousands with the wistful beauty of
his voice in The Sands of Dee" In
word, Simon Loggerheads was a per-
sonage, if not talkative.
They went into the drawing-room.
Mary Morfe closed the door. gently.
Simon Loggerheads strolled vaguely
and self-consciously up to the fireplace,
murmuring:
so he's gone outl"
"Yes," said Mary Morfe, in confrma-
ton of her first statement
I'm sorry!" said Simon Logger
heads, statement which was absolutely
contrary to the truth. Simon Logger
heads was deeply relieved and glad that
Richard Morfe was out.
The pair, aged slightly under and
slightly over forty, seemed to hover for
fraction OF second uncertainty near
each other, and then, somehow, mysteri-
ously, Simon Loggerheads had kissed
Mary Morfe.
| She blushed.
| He blushed.
The kiss was repeated.
Mary gazed up at him.
Mary could scarcely believe that he
was hers. She could scarcely believe that
on the previous evening he had proposed
marriage to her-rather Suddenly, so it
seemed to her, but delightfully."- She
could comprehend his conduct no better
than her own. They two, staid, settled
do,pn both of then, old r,,a;ds f,ii;,c, a.,