The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-07-21

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| "You know that isn't what ! meant.
Manners don't make the man. It's
what you talked abOut-thc trumpery
| little social things that you found your
kccnest pleasure in talking about. |
don't know what has ever taken you
out to IA construction camp. l don't
believe you ever did a days hard
work in your life before you came to
| the TimanyOni."
1t was growing dark by this time,
and the stars We're coming out. Some
one had turned the lights on in the
room the windows of which opened
upon the portico, and the young wom-
ans chair was SO placed that he could
still see her face She was smiling
rather more amicably when she said:
"YOu mustn't take it too hard. 1t
isn't you, personally, you know; it's
the type. I've met il before. l didn't
meet any other kind during my three
years in the boarding school; nice,
pleasant young gentlemen, as immacu-
lately dressed as their pocketb0oks
would allow, up in all the latest little
courtnsies and tea-table shop talk.
They were all men, | suppose but I'm
afraid a good many of them had never
found it Out-will never find it out.
I've been calling it environment; |
don't like to admit that the race is
going downhill."
- ha r1n hIyY1nr
once more in full possession, and he
was enjoying her keenly.
Go on" he said. This is my night
off"
1--WE said enough; too much, per
haps. But when you We're walking
with mamma. you reminded me SO
forcibly Of a man whom l met just for
n part of one evening about Il year
ago in a small town in the middle
West. He was one of them. He
drove over from some neighborin2
town in his natty little automobile
and gave me fully an hour of his valu'
able time. He made me perfectly flu
rious!"
poor you!" laughed Smith; but he
was thankful that the camp sunburn
and his four weeks beard were safe
guarding his identity. But why the
fury in his case In particular"
"Just because, I suppose. remem
Der he told me he was bank cashier
and that he danced. He was quite
hopeless, Of course. Without being
could see that the crust was so thick
that nothing short Of an earthquake
would ever break it,
"But the earthquakes do come, once
in a blue MOON" he said, still smiling
at her. Lets get it straight. 1ol
are not trying to tell me that vol
object to decent clothes and good man
ners per Sc, are you?"
The colonel was coming out, and h
had stopped in the doorway to ligh
long-stemmed pipe. The young WON
an got up and fluffed her hair with thu
ends Of her fingers-a little gesture
which Smith remembered, recalling |
from the night of the far-away lawl
party.
Daddy wants you, and I'll have t.
vanish" she said; "but I'll answe
your question before go. Types ar
always hopeless; it's only the hun
dredth man who isn't. It's great pit!
you couldn't go on whipping CLAIM
jumpers all the rest Of your life, Mr.
Smith. Don't you think so? Goo
night. Well meet again at breakfast
Daddy isn't going to let you get ava.
short of nights lodging, know"
Two cigars for Smith and four pipe
for the colonel further along, the tai
MissOurian rose out of the split-bot
toned chair which he had drawn up t
face the guests and raped the ashe
from the bowl of the corncob into tn
palm of his hand.
II think you've got it all now
Smith, every last crook and turn o
it, and I reckon you're tired enoug
to run away to bed"
Smith took turn up and down tn
stone-fiagged floor Of the pOrtico wit
: his hands behind him. Truly, the cas-
: Of Timanyoni ditch was desperate
1 even more desperate than he had sur
Y posed. Figuring as the level-heade
e bank cashier of the former days, n
told himself soberly that no man /
e his senses would touch it with a ter
n foot pole. Then the laughing gibes G
d the hundredth woman-gibes whlc
had cut far deeper than she had imat
= ined-came back to send the bloc
surging through his veins. 1t woul
I be worth something to be able to wOr
the miracle the colonel had spoken OF
t and afterward
e Colonel Dexter Baldwin was sti
y tapping his palm absently with tn
e pipe when Smith came back and sal
v abruptly:
|, 81 have decided, colonel. I'll start
s with YOU tomorrow morning, and We
DULL this mired scheme Of yours OF
l. of the mud or I'll break leg tryin
l. to. But you mustn't forget what
t. told you out at the camp. Right In II
s middle Of things l may go rotten
you and drop out"
d CHAPTER VIII.