The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-05-19

him, then from Jappy. l have head
ache and no means Of defense. He ad-
mits that he deserved it, but | am not
surprised Colly is a sporting chap. He
hasn't mean drop OF blood in his body.
You have made a friend OF him. So please
don't feel that l hold a grudge against
you for what YOU did. The funny part
OF it all is that mamma quite agrees with
him. She says he deserved IL, Mamma
is wonderful really, when II comes to
pinch. She has given up all thought of
putting a foot outside the castle" Can
YOU have luncheon with us tomorrow?
Would it be too much trouble IL We were
10 have 1t in the loggia? l am Just mad
to get out OF doors IL only for an hour
or two in that walled in spot Mr.. Poopen-
dyke has been perfectly lovely He came
up this morning TO tell me that YOU have
not sneezed at all and there isn't the re-
moiest chance now that YOU will have
cold. 1t seems he was afraid YOU might.
You must have a very rugged constitu-
tion. Britton told Blake that most men
woulc have died from exposure II they
had been put in your place. How good
YOU are TO ne ALINE T.
P. S.-I may come down to see you this
evensg.
shall skip over the rather uninter-
eSting events of the next two or three
days. Nothing of consequence happen
ed unless you are willing to consider
Important two perfectly blissful nights
IF sleep on my part: also | had the
pleasure of taking the countess "out
walking" in my courtyard. to use
colloquialiSm. once in the warm. sweet
sunshine, again meath the glow of
radiant moon. She had not been out
side the castle walls literally in more
than five weeks. and the color leaped
back into her cheeks with a rush that
delighted me. may mention in pass
ing that | paid particular attention to
her suggestion concerning my dilapi-
dated, gone to seed garden. although
l had been bored to extinction by Jas
per Junior when he undertook to en-
tighten me horticulturally She agreed
to come forth every day and assist me
in building the poor thing up. propping
il, so TO speak
As for Mrs. Titus. that really engag-
ing lady made life so easy for me that
l wondered why | had ever been ap-
prehenSive. She was quite wonderful
when lit came TO a pinch" | began
10 understand a good many things
about her. chief among them being her
unvoiced theories on matrimony. While
she did not actually commit herself.
had no difficulty in ascertaining that.
from her point of view. marriages are
not made in heaven and that proper
ly arranged divorce is a great deal less
terrestrial than it is commonly sup
posed TO be. She believed in matri-
mony as a trial and divorce as a re-
ward, or something 10 that effect.
Ny opinion seemed TO carry consider
able weight with her. For day or two
after our somewhat sanguinary en-
counter she was prone TO start, even
to jump slightly, when l addressed my
self 10 her with unintentional direct
ness. She soon got over that, how
ever.
We were discussing Aline's unfortu-
nate venture into the state of matri-
mony, and |, feeling temporarily au-
gust and superior, managed to say the
wrong thing and in doing so put my
self in Il position from which | could
not recede without loss of dignity. If
my memory serves me correctly ! re-
marked with some asperity that mar
riageS of that kind never turned out
we'll for any one except the bride
groom.
She looked at me coldly. II am
afraid, Mr.. Smart, that you have been
putting some very bad notions into my
daughters head" she said.
Bad notions?" | murmured.
she has developed certain pronounc-
ed and rather extraordinary views con-
cerning the nobility as the result of
your-ah-argument, may say"
I'm very sorry. | know ono or two
exceedingly nice noblemen. and I've no
doubt there are great many more.
She must have misunderstood me-
wasn't running down the nobility. Mrs.
Titus. | was merely questioning the
advisability OF elevating it in the way
we Americans sometimes do"
you did not put it so adroitly III
discussing the practice with Aline,"
she said quickly. Granted that her
own marriage was n mistake. dread
full mistake. il does not follow that all
international matches are failures. |
would just as soon be unhappily mar
ried 10 duke as TO a dry goods mer-
chant. Mr.. Smart"
But not at the same price. Mrs. Ii
tus." | remarked.
She smiled "A husband is dear at
any price"
Il shouldn't put it Just that way" |
protested. "A good American husband
is necessity, not luxury"
We'll. to so back to whatI started
to say. Alipn is very bitter about mat
rimony as viewed from my point Of
view. I am sorry to say attribute
her attitude to your excellent counse;-
ing"
You ftatter me. | was under the ;m-
preston she took her lesson Of Tar
nowsy."
"Granted. But Tarnowsy was unfit.
Why tar all of them with the same
stick? There are good noblemen, you'll
admit
"Bnt they don't need rehabilitation.
"AliDe, I fear. will never risk anoth-
er experiment. It's rather cslalnitous.
isn't it? When one stops TO consider
her youth. beauty and all the happi-