The Delta independent., 1915-07-09
at parting, 1t was with the convincing
manner of real friendliness


manner OF real friendliness.
One wonderful afternoon in Octo-
ber, when the distances were mist
hung, and the skies very clear. Sam
son sat across the table from Adrienne
Lescott at a road house on the Sound.
The sun had set through great cloud
battalions massed against the west,
and the horizon was fading into dark
ness through haze like ash Of roses.
| She had picked him up on the Ave
nue., and taken him into her car for
short spin, but the afternoon had
beguiled them. Turing them on little
farther, and still a little farther. When
they were a score of miles from Man.
haitian, the car had suddenly broken
down. It would. the chauffeur told
them, be the matter of an hour to
effect repairs. SO the girl. explaining
to the boy that this event gave the
affair the aspect of adventure. turned
and led the way. on foot. to the near
est road house.
I'VE will telephone that we shall
be- late, and then have dinner" she
laughed And for me to have dinner
with you alone. unchaperoned at a
country inn. is by New York standards
delightfully."- unconventional 1t borders
On wickedness." Then, since their at
titude toward each other was SO
friendly and innocent, they both
laughed. They had dined under the
trees of an old manor house, built a
century ago, and now converted into
an inn, and they had enjoyed them
selves because 1t seemed to them
pleasingly paradoxical that they should
and in a place seemingly SO shabby
genteel a cuisine and service OF such
excellence. Neither of them had ever
been there before. and neither of them
knew that the reputation of this estab-
ishment was in its own way wide
and unsavory.
The repairs did not go as smoothly
as the chauffeur had expected, and.
when he had finished. he was hungry.
So. eleven o'clock found them still
chatting at their table on the lighted
lawn After awhile. they fell silent,
| and Adrienne noticed that her com
panion's face had become deeply. al
most painfully set and that his gaze
was tensely focused on herself.
What is II. Mr. South?" she de-
manded.
The young man began to speak.
In steady. self-accusing voice.
Il was sitting here. looking at YOU"
he said, bluntly Il was thinking
how fine you are in every way: how
there is as much difference in the tex
ture OF men and women as there is In
the texture of clothes. From that
automobile cap you wear to your slip
pers and stockings. you are clad In
silk From your brain to the tone OF
your voice. you are woven OF human
silk. I've learned lately that silk isn't
weak. but strong. They make the
best balloons OF it." He paused and
laughed. but his face again became
sober. Il was thinking, too. Of your
mother. She must be sixty but she's
a young woman. Her face is smooth
and unwrinkled. and her heart is still
in bloom. At the same age. George
won't be much older than he is now.
The compliment was 30 obviously
not intended as compliment at all
that the girl flushed with pleasure.
Then" went on Samson, his face
slowly drawing with pain. Il was
thinking Of my own people. Ny
mother was about forty when she
died. She was an old woman. My
father was forty-three. He was an old
man. was thinking how they with
cred under their drudgery-and OF the
monstrous injustice OF T. ALL
Adrienne Lescott nodded Her oyes
were sweetly sympathetic.
ITS the hardship of the conditions"
she said, softly. Those conditions
will change"
A man had come out onto the YER
anda from the inside, and was ap-
preaching the table. He vas immac-
ulately groomed. and came forward
with the Difference OF approaching :;
throne, yet as one accustomed to ap-
preaching thrones. His smile was that
OF pleased surprise.
The mountaineer recognized Far
bish. and, with quick hardening
OF the face. he recalled their last
meeting. II Farbish should presume
to renew the acquaintanceship under
these circumstances. Samson meant
to rise from his chair and strike him
in the face. George Lescott's sister
could not be subjected to such meet
ings. Yet. 1t was tribute to his ad-
vancement In good manners that he
dreaded making a scene In her pres
ence. and as a warning, he met Far
bish's pleasant smile with n look of
blank and studied lack OF recognition
The circumstances out OF which Far
bish might weave unpleasant gossip
did not occur to Samson. That they
were together late in the evening. un.