Meade County news., 1916-12-14

"This place is too grand for me-" Lo
relei objected.
"Oh, offer your own price for Ger
ties fat IL you like it. They're crazy
for tenants. It's cheaper than hotels
If you want to save money"
Lorelei was surprised to find hel
friends quarters not only richly bu
lavishly furnished. The decoration:
were harmonious and bespoke a reck
less disregard of cost. A fluffy Jap
anese spaniel with protruding eyes ant
distorted visage capered deliriously a
Its mistress feet.
But the objects that intrigued the
visitor most strongly were severa
paintings. They were of a kind she
had seldom seen, and In the afternoon
light one stood out with particularly
startling effect. 1t was a dusky land
scape; there was stream, meadow
edge, trees just growing black against
a dying sunset, herd of cattle com.
ing out of the west. Before this pic.
ture Lorelei paused, staring with wide
eyes of wonder.
Lilas flung her hat carelessly into a
chair, lit a cigarette from a Tiffany
humidor then turned with the spaniel
In her arms and, beholding her guest
with rapt, upturned face, remarked
with laugh:
"Looks like the real thing, doesn't itT'
"Oh-it's wonderful-so clean and
cool and quiet! I've seen cattle in Vale
that looked just like those, when I
went barefoot in the grass"
"Some Dutchman painted this
names on the corner. He's dead now,
believe. 1t used to hang in some
museum-I forget where. l like pic
lures of women best, but" She
shrugged and left the sentence unfin-
ished "There's a dandy in my bed
room, although it didn't cost half as
much as that barnyard thing. The
frames a foot wide and covered with
solid gold"
II had no idea you lived like this"
Lorelei peered through a pair Of
French doors and into perfectly ap-
pointed library, with massive mahog-
any table, deep lounging chairs, writ
ing desk, and a dome-crowned read
ing lamp.
"My study" Lilas laughed, shortly.
"Thats where improve my mind
not. The books are deadly. Now come;
Hitchy Koo must have dinner ready.
His name isn't Hltchy Koo, but it
sounds like it. and he's the cutest
little thing; got the cutest little
swing.'" She moved down the hall,
humming the chorus of the senseless
popular song from which she had
quoted.
Everywhere was the same evidence
of good taste in decoration and luxury
Of equipment, but suspicion had en-
tered Lorelei's mind, and she avoided
comment. Hitchy Koo was cook, but
Ter and house-boy, and in view of Miss
Lynn's disorderly habits it was evil
dent that he had all he could do to
keep the place presentable. His mis-
tress ate without appetite and in a
hypercritical mood that took no ac-
count Of the wasteful attempts to
please her. Quite regardless of the pa
tient little Jap, she found fault with
him savagely, so that Lorelei was
often painfully embarrassed.
$50 you like my home, do you" she
queried. after time.
"I've never seen one so beautiful"
Lilas nodded. "Hitchy sleeps out,
and that leaves me the whole place.
Jarvis furnished it, even to the books,
and I'm studying to be lady" Again
she laughed mockingly. 81 make a
bluff at reading, but so long as 1 talk
about Napoleon he never thinks to
question me. know that French gink
backward"
II wish had hobby-something to
interest me, something to live for"
said Lorelei, lamely.
Eyes. 1t gives you something to
think about when you're alone. 1t
helps you to-stand things" For the
first time Lilas showed trace of feel
ing in her voice; she dropped her chin
into her palm and, leaning upon the
table, stared as ii at vision. Her
dark eyes were somber, her brows
were lowered and drawn together.
The slipshod informality of the meal,
the constant faultfinding of the host
ess, made it something of trial. Lore
lei was not sorry when 1t was over
and Lilas took her to look at the va
can't fiat.
Miss Moore's apartment offered a
vide contrast to the one they had just
Quilted, being very small and very
nodestly furnished; but 1t was on the
Iecond floor, convenient to both eleva-
or and stairway, 1t boasted piano,
Ind the superintendent allowed his
tenant to name her own
erms. She descended with relief, feel
ng that she had made not bad bar
,ain. |,
She stated, as she sank into Lilas'
zig library chair, 81 feel quite inde-
,endent at last. The rent Is ridicu-
Gus, and l can do my own cooking"
''Don't make fool Of yourself. You
an do as well as I've done. You have
he looks"
"But I'm not engaged to a multimil-