The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-08-23

ten many plays, and the dramatic in
Stinct was strongly developed in him.
Louise :" he muttered under his
breath
"Shc is very different, l know" John
went on, after a moments hesitation.
"She is very clever and a great artist,
and she lives in an atmosphere of
which, few months ago. knew moth
ing. / have come up here to try to
understand. to try to get little nearer
to her"
There was another silence, this time
almost an awkward one. Then Grail
lot rose suddenly to his feet.
Il will respect your confidence" he
promised, holding out his hand.
"Have no fear of that. l am due now
ut the theater. Your tea is excellent,
and such little cakes never tasted be-
fore"
"YOu will wish me good luck7"
mo"
"Why not?" John demanded little
startled
Because" GraillOt pronounced,
'frOm what l have seen and know of
you both, there are no two people in
this world less suitable for each other.
'LOOk here" John eXpostulated, Il
don't want you to go away thinking so.
You don't understand what this means
to me"
perhaps not my friend Graillot
replied, "but remember that it is at
least my trade to understand men and
women. l have known Louise Maui
rel since she was child
"Then 1t is I whom you don't I'M
derstand."
THAT may be So" GraillOt confessed.
"One makes mistakes. Let us leave
it at that. You are young man of
undevelOped temperament. You may
be capable of much which at present
do not find in you"
Tell me the one quality in which
You consider me most lacking" John
begged. 81 want you on my side, Grail
lot"
And l." Graillot replied as he shook
his friends hand and hurried off,
"want only to be on the side that will
mean happiness for you both"
He left the room little abruptly.
John walked back to the window, Op-
pressed with a sense of something
almost OminOus in the Frenchmans
manner. something which he could not
fathOm, against which he struggled in
vain. Side by side with it, there
surged into his memory the Dispute
tude which his present relations with
Louise had developed. She was always
charming when she had any time tC
| Spare-SOmetimes almost affectiOnate
On the other hand, he was profoundly
conscious Of her desire to keep him
mt arms length for the present.
He had accepted her decision with
out 81 murmur. He made but few eff
forts TO see her alone, and when they
met he made no special claim upon
her notice. He was serving his appren
ticeship doggcdly and faithfully. Yet
there were times like the present when
he found his task both hateful and diff
fiCult.
He walked aimlessly backward anC
forward. chatting against the restraint
of the narrow walls and the low cell
ing. A sudden desire had seized hin
to fIy back to the hills, wreathed IL
mist though they might be; to struggle
on his way through the binding rain
to drink down long gulps of his owl
purer, less civilized atmosphere.
The telephone bell rang. He placed
the receiver to his ear almost me
chanicnily.
"WhO is it?" he asked.
Lady Hilda Mulloch is asking fol
you, sir" the hall porter announced.
Lady IIilda peered around John!
room through her lorgnette, and die
not hesitate to express her disSatisfac
ton.
MY dear man." she exclaimed
what makes you live in hotel? VIII!
don't you take rooms of your own ant
furnish them? Surroundings like thes
are destructive to ones individuality.
"Wcll. you see," John explained, n
he drew an easy chair up to the fir
for his guest, "my stay in London |
only temporary one, and it hasn'
seemed worth while to settle any
where"
She stretched out her graceful bod
in front of the fire and raised her vel
Size was very smartly dressed, as usua
Her white silk stockings, which sh
, seemed to have no objection TO di:
playing, were of the latest vogue. TIL
= chinchilla around her neck and in he
! little toQue was most becoming. Sh
! seemed to bring with her an atmo
phere indefinable, in its way, but dl
r tinctly attractive. Brisk in her speecl
, u little commanding in her manner, sh
: was still essentially feminine.
o John, at her direct invitation, ha
called upon her once or twice sinC
q their meeting at the opera, and he ha
6 found her, from the first, more a
tractive than any other society woms
i of his acquaintance, None the less,
was a little taken aback at her pre-
f ent visit.
|. Exactly why are You here, an