Judsonia weekly advance., 1918-05-01

silk-stockinged feet at the small coal grate. Fall had come, and there was sharp nip to the air.
 "Well, what do you think of 1t as far as you've gone" he asked ab- ruptly.
 "I think it's f1ne," she candidly ad- mitted. "Tm enjoying myself. like It. Don't you?"
 "As diversion" he observed thoughtfully, q don't mind it. These people are all very affable and pleas ant, and they've rather gone out of their way to entertain us. But, after all, what the dickens does 1t amount to? They spend their whole life run ming in useless circles. I should think they'd get sick of it. You will"
 Hardly, Billum," she smiled. We're merely making up for two years of is0- | latfon. think we must be remarkable people that we didn't fight like cats and dogs. For eighteen months you know, there wasn't soul to talk to, and not much to think about- except what you could do if you Were some place else"
 "You're acquiring thee atmosphere" he remarked = sardonHally. she thought.
 "No; just enjoying myself" she re- piled lightly.
 "Well, if you really are," he an- swered slowly, i've may as well settle here for the winter-and get settled right away. Pm rather weary of being a guest in another mans house, to tell you the truth.'
 "Why, I'd love to stay here all win ter," she said. "But thought you in- tended to knock around more or less"
 "But don't you see, you don't partic- ularly care to-" he pointed out; land 1t would spoil the fun of going any place for me if you were not interest ed And when 1t comes to a show down I'm not aching to be a bird of passage. One city Is pretty much like another to me. We'll take run over to New York. I want to get some books and things. Then we'll come back here and get house or a fiat. I tell you right now" he laughed not unpleasantly, 'Tm not going to renig on this society game. You can play it as hard as you like, until spring. I'll be there with bells on when it comes to dance. And I'll go to a show when a good play comes along. But Il won't mix up with lot of silly women and equally silly she-men, any more than is absolutely necessary"
 "Why, Bill !" she exclaimed aghast.
 "Well, ain't it so?" he defended la zily. "There's Kitty Brooks-she has certainly got intelligence above the av- craze. That Lorimer girl has brains superimposed on her artistic tempera- ment, and she uses lem to advantages Practically all the rest that I've met are intellectual nonentities-strongo on looks and clothes and Amusing tbem- selves, and that lets them out. Shucks, there isn't-a real man in the lot. May be III run across some people who don't take Q two-by-four view of life if stay around here long enough. but it hasn't happened to me yet. must say that the habitual conversation of these people gives me a pain. That platitudinous discussion of the play to- night. for instance"
 "That was droll." Hazel chuckled at the recollection, and she recalled the weary look that had once or twice fitted over Bills face during that after-theater supper.
 Bill snorted.
 "Droll. Perhaps" he said. "Bla. tant ignorance, coupled with desire to appear the possessor of culture, is sometimes amusing. But as general thing it simply irritates."
 You're hard to please" she replied.
 He shrugged his shoulders and re- mained silent.
 "Well," he said presently, well take that jaunt to New York day after to- morrow"
 He was still sitting by the window when Hazel was ready to go to bed. She came back into the room in al trailing silk kimono, and, stealing softly up behind him, put both hands on his shoulders.
 "What are you thinking so hard about, Billy-boy?" she whispered.
 q was thinking about Jake Laue1 and wondering how he was making go," Bill answered. q was also pie turing to myself how some of thesc worthy citizens would mess things up if they had to follow in his steps. Hang 1t, don't know but we'd be better off if we were begging away for a foothold somewhere, like old Jake"
 If we had to do that" she argued. "I suppose we would, and manage to get along. But since we don't have to, why wish for 1t? Money makes things pleasanter."