The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1915-09-02
ARMSBYS
CAPTURE
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN

| wed any one you don't love. There
q girl who | am sure you would Low
If you only knew her as | do. | wis
you TO become acquainted with hel
and If, after a certain time, you don
fancy her | shall not insist on you
! yielding TO my wishes"
II don't wish TO marry and | won't.
"But you are not so unreasonable a
to avoid the girl have mentionedY'
"Yes, | am"
Perhaps it was the fact Of her neph
| ew's Indifference to her fortune, per
haps her great affection for him. per
hapS q desire to have her own way
At any rate. the old lady resolved t
| conquer. She talked of other matter,
| for awhile. then said careleSSly:
How would you like a trip abroad ?
II should be delighted. but ii would
cost several thousand dollars"
81 will furnish the amount necessary
on one conditiOn-that on your return
you spend week with me-"
The conditions were accepted. Arms
by went abroad and on his return
went directly to his aunts country
house, where she was at the time Al
dinner he was presented t. Miss Lucy
Ellison. He saw at once that he had
been drawn into a trap. He had
agreed TO spend a week in the house
and was to be besieged by this young
woman.
This was true, and there was more
that he was not aware of Miss Eli
son had way with her that was very
taking with men. No one could find
out exactly why, but they tumbled
over one another In endeavOring 10
win a smile from her. Sometimes she
was coy, sometimes aggressive. She
knew when to be the one and when TO
be the other.
ArmSby was indignant at the trick
his aunt had played him. After din
ner, finding her alone. he said to her:
Aunt, you have brought me here in
order that this girl may get me for a
husband. | will keep my contract |
will remain with you a week. but you
may tell your friend that | will have
nothing to do with her. | shall expect
you to order my meals served in my
room"
Certainly. Bert; anything you
wish"
The next morning Armsby sent
downstairs for the morning paper and
sat himself down by his window to
read the news. CHANGING up from il.
there In a hammock swung between
two trees was Miss Ellison in a pure
white summer costume, a dream of
loneliness. There were no windows in
Armsby's room that did not fire in
that direction. and the only way he
could shut out the view was to draw
the shade. This he did, but the in
terror of his room soon grew tiresome.
and he raised it again.
He stood looking down on the
charmer, trying to cOnjure up some
plan for freeing himself from the
siege to which he must be subjected
for week. He was free to spend
portion of each day elsewhere. but he
had no friends In the neighborhood. and
how can a man amuse himself alone?
He began to realize, to speak in COM
monplace language. that he was in a
hole
He went down to the library, select
ed book, returned and sat himself
down to read. But somehow in spite
Of all he could do his eyes would wan
der from the book and out to the girl
In the hammock. Surely 1t was a
pleasing picture. so relaxed. The folds
of the skirt hung gracefully over
the side Of the hammock: the point of
a dainty white slipper peeped beyond
a fringe of lace.
Armsby sent down word to his aunt
that he wished his room changed to
the other side of the house. After
luncheon he went for a walk. but he
did not go far-the day was too warm.
Returning. he took a siesta and. when
be awoke, went to the window. There
sat or, rather. reclined Miss Ellison on
a rustic bench. propped by half dog
en- pillows. She saw him, waved her
hand to him and smiled.
The smile was telling shot. Arms
by couldn't forget 1t. He rubbed bis
eyes to get rid Of 1t, but 1t would not
be downed. There was something so
unusual in this barefaced attempt to
capture him that It began to interest
him. Barefaced or not, its very ag-
captivated him. He had
mind to let the girl have her way
Just to see what she would do with
him. Besides. how was he to live for
week by himself? The first day
interminable. What would be
he last? An eternity. Anyway. he
would rather stand siege, with the
'reedom Of the house. than shut ND in
lis room.
So he lowered his flag so far as this
vas concerned. went downstairs and
hereafter took his meals with the 9th
RS. Miss Ellison for five days con-
1nued her aggressive tactics, then
hanged like south wind hauling TO
ne north and froze him. The remain
ng two days Of the time set for his
'isit she kept him In tortures, relent-
a on the sixth, and on the seventh he
declared that If she didn't love him
Re would blow out his brains