The Ordway new era., 1916-08-25

was to her credit that she selected it!'
'They have oil-paintIngs, too" added
Mrs. vertrees. with glance Of gentle
pride at the Landseers. "rve always
thought oil-paintings in a private
house the worst of TASTE"
"Oh, II one owned n Raphael or .
Titan" said Mr. Vertrees, finishing
the Implication. not in words, but
with a wave OF his hand. go on.
Mary. None of the rest of them came
in? You didn't meet Mr.. Sheridan or
L! He paused and adjusted lump
of coal in the fire delicately with the
poker. "Or one of the sons?"
Mary's glance crossed his, at that,
with a flash OF utter comprehension.
He turned Instantly away, but she had
begun to laugh again.
mo-" she said. mo one except tho
women, but mamma inquired about the
sons thoroughly"
"Maryw Mrs. Vertrees protested.
"Oh, most adroitly, toow laughed the
girl. "Only she couldn't help uncon.
sciously turning to look at me-when
she did itn
"Mary vertrees!'
"Never mind, mamma! Mrs. Sher1-
dan and Miss Sheridan neither Of
them could help unconsciously turning
to look at me-speculatively- the
same time! They all three kept 'ook-
Ing at me and talking about the Oldest
son, Mr.. James Sheridan, Jr. Mrs.
Sheridan said his father is very anx-
ious to get Jim to marry and settle
down. and she assured me that Jim IL
right cultivated. Another Of the sons,
youngest one. they didn't seem to con.
slider quite one Of themselves, some
how. The other brother is the middle
one, Roscoe; he's the one that owns the
new house across the street, where that
young black sheep Of the Lamhorns,
Robert, goes so often. Papa" She
stepped nearer to him SO that he had to
face her. and his eyes were troubled
as he did. There may have been q
trouble deep within her own. but she
kept their surface merry with laughter.
Papa. Bibbs is the youngest ones
name, and Bibbs-to the best of our in
formation-ls a lunatc. Roscoe is
married. Papa, does it have to be
Jim?'
Mary" Mrs. Vertrees cried, sharp
ly. YOU'RE outrageous! That's a per-
fectly horrible way of talkingw
"Well. I'm close to twenty-four,"
said Mary, turning to her. IT haven't
been able to like anybody yet that's
asked me to marry him, and maybe I
never shall. Until year or SO ago I've
had everything I ever wanted in my
life-you and papa gave it all to me
and it's about time l began to pay
back. Unfortunately, I don't know
how to do anything-but something's
got to be done"
But you needn't talk Of it like thatv''
insisted the mother. plaintively. "It's
not-it's not
mo. it's not said Mary. II know
thatv'
How did they happen to ask you to
dinner?" Mr.. vertrees inquired, un-
easily. "Stextrawdn'ry thing"
Climbers hospitality" Mary de-
fined it. 1--WE were so very cordial and
easy! It's sort of house-warming
dinner, and they talked about 1t and
talked about it-and then the girl got
her courage up and blurted out the In
vitation. And mamma said that you
and she had promised to 60 to lecture
at the Emerson club tonight, but that
her daughter would be delighted to
come to the big show! So there am,
and there's Mr.. Jim Sheridan-and
there's the clock! Dinners at seven.
thirtyw
And she ran out of the room, SCOOP.
Ing up her fallen furs with a gesture
of flying grace as she sped.
When she came down, at twenty
minutes after seven her father stood
In the hall, at the foot of the stairs.
waiting to be her escort through the
dark.
AT least no one could suspect me to-
night" she said. II look rich, don't 1.
papa?"
She did. She had look that wor.
shipful girl friends called regal" Al
head taller than her father, she was as
straight and jauntily poised as a boy
athlete; and her brown hair and her
brown eyes were like her mothers, but
FOR the rest she went back to some
stronger and lIvelier ancestor than
either of her parents.
Don't l look too rich to be suspect
ed?" she insisted.
You look everything beautiful.
Mary" he said, huskily.
And my dress?" She threw open
her dark velvet cloak, showing spien-
DOR OF white and silver. Anything
oetter at Nice next winter, do YOU
tninkr She laughed. shrouding her
glittertng figure in the cloak again.
Two years old, and no one would
dream it! l did 1t over"
You can do anything, Mary"
There was a curious hun,,i,t,,