The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-02-25

she stepped short, for there before
her just entering the dreadful"
room was the family group welcoming
Joe and his guest. She was aware
of the dismay on her sisters faces,
of her mothers ill-smothered gasp,
of Joe's grinning amusement. And
then the stifled silence was broken by
"a hearty:
Vanilla, thank you kindly, and
plenty of it, Miss JEAN"
"Well, he's human!" was her men
tail comment as they met and clasped
hands, for in the soft parlor lighting
she could see the hidden twinkle in
the gray eyes bent upon her, and
caught a flash of white, even teeth
"But what fiasco!" she added, when
she had fled back to the kitchen.
Evelyn and May must be wild
THEY'LL accuse me of doing it ON pur
pose. But l might have known it.
always spoil everything"
When she joined the family on the
porch to superintend the tea and
cakes she was inclined to reconsider
her hastily formed impression of her
brothers friend. In a chintz chair,
balancing a Wedgwood cup on one
knee, Perry Spaulding looked any
thing but human. His legs seemed
far too long for the slender proper
tions of the chair, and the cup in his
large, masculin hands became infin-
|itesimally small. Jean sensed 4
chill in the atmosphere as she sat
down and received her portion of or
ange peko, which, according to one of
Perry's novels, was the only thing fit
to drink, She wondered vaguely
what was wrong. Perry Spaulding
sat over in his corner, bumped up
and silent, apparently oblivious of
Evelyn's beautiful languor, or Mays
eyer questions about his books. And
he wasn't drinking his peko. In her
concern Jean forgot and passed him
another cake, although she had read
in "The Princess Wanders" that it
was decided foux pas to eat more
than half one. He took it CRATE
fully and flashed her a smile. Then
lust when she thought the ice was
broken, he withdrew into his shell and
became again uninteresting and
mute. Evelyn posed on. May talk
ed animatedly of "The Girl in Green
Perry Spulding ate a third cake
And Jean survived them all contem
ptuously. Why couldn't they be
natural, anyway?
won't you have more teal" she
asked sweetly of Perry, as he made
an awkward move in the direction OF
the tea-cart.
"Thank you-er-no," Perry began
when the cup, rafting warningly, slid
from his hand and crashed to the
floor, ruined heap.
at doesn't matter in the least,
Jean assured him, gathering up the
pieces as unconcernedly as though
thew were kitchen ware instead Of
Wedgwood, borrowed for the ocra;
sion from the next-door neighbor
''We have. dozens like it. Evelyn,
she continued in the same soothing
tone, won't you show MIR. Spauldine
the garden? It's frightfully warn
here"
Evelyn, rising as rapidly as hel
studied languor would allow, led Per
nv Spaulding from the delightful!
cool porch to the garden, which, de
void of bamboo screen or shelterins
vine, was blazing in the sun Of lat
afternoon.
"What's the natter" Jean de
manded, as soon as they were out o
earshot. "Wasnt the tea right
Weren't the cakes"
"He's a very difficult young man,
Mrs. Wilcox cut in, grievously.
"But fearfully handsome" Ma.
Said. Hell thaw out later
"Thaw out nothing!" growled J1e
"A man doesn't like all these gew
gaws," with an impatient wave at tn
ea-cart and it's appointments. can
what in heavens name has got int
YOU? You act like so many pup
pets"
"We're trying to create the kind o
atmosphere to which he is accustom
3D." Mrs. Wilcox said in an offende
tone. "He always writes about thi
sort of thing. We thought"
ooh, very WE'LL" replied Joe, with
shrug. "Suit yourselves! But don
be surprised if he leaves tomorrow.
"Wish he would" was Jeans in
ward comment as she gathered u
the tea plates. She WIS angry wit
her family and with the man who ha
wrought such transformation in tn
otherwise simple home. 81 hate pre-
tenders!" giving the cart a shove.
. At dinner Perry Spaulding was
different man-affable, polished
just like the heroes in his books. H
talked quite volubly and bent upo
Evelyn glances which made 'ean
pulses flutter in spite of her. An
, yet, there was an indefinble some
thing in his manner-a sort of re
signation, as it we've, which puzzle
Jean. His laughter was too ringing
his gestures overdone. And he a,
ways said the correct thing. 1t wa
as if he were acting a part-a PAL
played to please the public, not him
self.
"He's perfectly wonderful" Ma