The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-08-13

From the Bond doorway Horny
Remsen looked out upon the morning
world and found it goed-though for
the 21st of December 1t wasn't at all
in character. The earth still wore
withered yellow and frosty silver
patched with dulled red where belated
leaves chung in hedges Tended by ever
green's; but the air was spiced wine,
stirred by the northwest winds clean
steel, and the sky was deep on deep of
bewildering blue.
AS Sue Bond came out and down the
steps, close to her husbands arm,
Horny noted, approximately, that her
eyes were one with the celestial hue
and told her so in his own whimsical
ly deferential manner. She courtesied
prettily.
Fair hearing, kinsman; but tits a
speech sighed prodigtously-
that l fain would hear from another
than yourself-alas!" Whereupon
Horny scowled in chivalrous indigna-
ton.
"Pen-you ossification!-out with a
speech to the ladys eyes or I'll do you
damage" Penfield Bond smiled de-
risively.
BE respectful" he advised, you
scant-year-wedded upstart, or I'll call
your wife out and tell her what you're
not supposed to be noticing that blue
eyes are worn any longer. See?"
Coarse" murmured Horny, very
coarse. Just to show you how much
better / manage" He turned back
and called peremptorily: "Olivia-I
say. Olivia."
'Co-oming!" the answer drifted
from above, anu Mrs. Horton Remsen
was heard, presently, to run across the
EoI ho. 10 oh
appeared, the Importance of Horry's
achievement was made manifesto
seemed an incredible thing that she
should run at the behest of any man.
As Olivia Mayne she had been called
the Magnificent; as Olivia Remsen
enhanced by happiness, dignified by
her new estate-she more than ever
merited the title. Her dark braids
were a coronal, her tailored white sim
plicity a Diana's modern garb; she
stood but little below her husbands
height-lithe, fine-shouldered, well
poised, very beautiful. Penny and Sue
gave her the tribute of long look: 1T
wasn't possible to become used" to
Olivia; and Horry's head lifted the
least bit in sheer pride. Nevertheless,
he spoke casually.
"Procrastination, my dear, is to be
deplored Where's the case?-ah, yes.
Now, will you be good enough to tell us
what you think is the color of our
cousin Sues eyes?"
Olivia's own eyes widened. The abb
surdities of the three found her always
a bit unprepared-though sweetly will
ing.
sues eyes?" she repeated. AS she
looked down on Sues upturned face.
the tenderness that lay close under the
outer queenliness welled into her voice.
Sues eyes are the color-the bluest
blue''-she looked up, instinctively-
they're just the blue of this sky!" she
said delightediy; and the three
laughed.
you've shown yourself successful
tyrart," said Penny Bond to Horny.
"but you're both wrong. The entirely
beautiful eyes of my wife are two
shades darker and fifty-seven shades
warmer than the overhead. l have
spoken" He said it lightly, getting a
cigar from his case as he spoke, but In
the glance he gave his wife Horny
Remsen caught quick ardor and IN
tensity that confused him with the
sense of having blundered on too in
innate thing.
Later, as Pens big car purred over
its meal of miles to the station, he re-
called that look, however. and was glad
he had seen it, 1t meant that,
in the way that mattered most, things
we're right with Penny and Sue. Horny
veered away from the thought as soon
as he found it formed-it seemed
treacherous one to entertain, with Pen
smoking in old-time, silent friendliness
beside him. Probably Pen was
right as a trivet anyway. and the nasty
uneasiness he had been feeling had
been a maggot in his own brain. He
had been fancying that things were
not right. Pen had-well, but
most of the time Pen had been wholly
himself, and Horny had found it good
to be with him-more glad, every day,
that he and Olivia had abandoned the
long.stay-abroad idea on which they
had started in the spring. A thought
of Thanksgiving had brought them
hurrying overseas: their home holt
days, they had suddenly found, must
of their several establishments, hope
lessly given over to decorators hordes,
did not allure; but just then had come
a cable. from Pen and Sue that settled
the matter of place to stay.
1t seemed that Pens affairs, in the
business sense, must be hourishing.
Remsen Bond-the miracle that had
been vouchsafed the pair seven months
back-was as healthy. handsome and
altogether du1duic Soun6 oeSpot aS
common sense could ask. Verify. Pen
field Bond should be a happy man. Yet
Fumbling absently under two coats
for his cigar-case, Horny pulled out
with it the small case Olivia had given
him that morning on the steps. 1t
dropped, the catch struck Pens knee.
the cover snapped UP, and string OF
pearls slid through their interfering
clutches to the floor of the car.
Horny snapped an exclamation un-
complimentary to himself as he coiled
the strand back on its velvet nest.
Fastening broken-taking it to be
fixed" he explained; "and l wouldn't
have lost it fora whole lot more than
it's worth. It's the first thing
don't you see?-that l gave Mrs.
Remsen." He smiled over his own
Sentinnent h,,t hatra wing color crent