The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-03-24
GEORGIAN SILVER
BY LOUISE OLIVER

WHICH miSul udNe COuNeyeu u uiNeIoity
Of Impressions upon IN who noticed.
But for the enlightenment Of the few
who knew not Alex. | shall explain
that he was quietest when most de-
lighted, and he was indeed thankful to
his hostess for putting him bes,le this
sweet little violet of humanity.
He drew a long breath and waited
for her TO speak. He didn't know the
girl and he hoped she didn't know him.
Otherwise she might be like the 9th
ers; ov~ertalkative. unnatural. and apt
to overdo. He was too modest to ap-
preciate the fact that, as the best
catch in the matrimonial sea, he was
apt to be offered bait In generous guam
titles and of infinite variety.
Dorothy looked around the dining
room with wide eyes, then up at him
with a smile. II can't believe I'm
awake" she said.
"NoT 1t was an invitation to go
on.
"No. They say that sometimes a
wish Is father to a thought. Maybe
I've just wished for something like this
so often that now / think it's true.
Maybe I'm not here at all-only think
Ing I am"
"what does 1t matterf Maybe I'm
thinking all this too"
81 was just thinking" she remarked
in the interval before the soup, shat
it's a shame Bob couldn't be here. He'd
love II so. But Aunt Jane said he
couldn't come. that's all there was to
II. Aunt Jane said 1t was kind Of Mrs.
Dexter to ask one of the poor Vir-
ginia relations without ringing In the
three of us. .>You see, there's Robert,
Stonewall and myself. The boys are
dears you ought to know them. Bob's
my twin"
"He must be a dear" ventured Alex.
She laughed, but colored neverthe-
less.
He changed the subject. "Are you
fond of old silver?' he asked. "rye
been admiring those Georgian candle
sticks. The pattern is very are"
"Pve been collecting bits here and
there" he went on. mo doubt you can
tell me some wonderful things about
old silver. Most Southerners can. But
one thing l have discovered for myself,
that Southerners may part with their
homes. their clothes. and even their
souls. but their silver-never. | know
where there are some splendid collee-
lions in the South. but you can't get
them"
Dorothy's appetite for food suddenly
disappeared. She laid down her fork
and looked so distressed that Alex
wondered what dreadful thing he had
said.
81 want toto tell you" said the
girl finally, "where | happen to know
you may find a beautiful collection of
Georgian silver. 1t Is at Berni's. on
Fifth avenue. 1t all came from one
family. and 1t seems to me the things
ought to stay together" Then sud
denly and brightly. as If to put a dis
tasteful thought behind her. 81 wish
you could know Wally and Bob. Poor
Bob I"
"Why poorr"
"Oh, he loves nice things so. We
all dol But | really mean 1t literally,
you know. We are poor, very. You
see that's why I'm" She stopped.
Virginia pride was uppermost. "Noth-
ing" she answered his eager inquiry.
II thought | could tell you. but I
can't"
A painful flush had spread over her
face. and Alex had an uncomfortable
feeling that tears were near. Some
thing was giving this little girl a great
deal of unhappiness, he had discov-
cred. and suddenly he had a desire to
chase the clouds away from the seri-
Gus dark eyes, and to see the dimple
come and go in her lovely. smooth
cheek.
The next day he stopped In Berni's.
And there was Dorothy herself, hat
less. coatless and In the plain black
garb of a clerk. She colored f~uriously
when she saw him.
Alex was puzzled. Was the story of
Virginia. then, merely a happy fiction.
manufactured to entertain a dinner
partner7 If so, 1t was good. Good
afternoon" he said: ~ understand
there was a fine collection of old
Georgian silver here. May ! see it?"
Certainly Dorothy led the way
to a table on which was an array that
made Alex fairly jump with astonish-
ment.
Its splendid !" he cried. "Whose
was it? Where did 1t come from? |
never va anything like it."
'"The silver is mine-all have. But
the boys must go TO school, and 1t
must go. | won't let anyone else sell
1t. That vas one stipulation | made
to Berni, that must approve the pur-
chaser. When anyone else comes
along, l double-treble the price,"
but | must have It'll Do you APP
prove of me?"
She nodded.
But the collection isn't complete.