Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-19

tney FOUND callers IN the nNlns 1aii
Pennock and Hibbard Gaylord were chatting |
with Mellicent Almost at once the doorpei
rang too. and Donald Gray came in with ms
violin and a roll of music Mellcents mother
came in also. She greeted all the young men
pleasantly and asked Carl Pennock 10 zen
Mr.. Smith all about his fishing trip lhen
she sat down by young Gray and asked Nun
many questions about his music. she was eo
interested in vions, she said.
GRAY waXcd eloquent and seemed wohue'-
fully pleased--for about five minutes tneh
Mr.. Smith saw that his glance was sni1tlns
more and more frequently and more ana niole
unhappily to Mellicent and Iibbard GaEloru'
talking tennis across the room,
Mr. Smith apparently lost interest in young
Pennock's fish story then. At all events
another minute found him eagerly echoinS
Mrs. Baisdel's interest in violins--out WIZ, VIZ
this difference: violins in the abstract WIN
her became a violin in the concrete Win
him and he must hear IT at once
Mrs Jane herself could not have told
exactly how II was done, but she knew that
two minutes later young Gray and Meilcehs
were at the piano, he shining-eyed anu
happy. drawing a tentative bow across .he
strings she. no less shinng-eyed ana happS'
giving him "a" on the piano
Mr. Smith enjoyed the music very nuch--
90 much that he begged for another seIec-
ton and yet another. Mr.. Smith did no.
appear to realize that Mcssrs. Pennock anu
Gaylord were passing through sham lhtetes'
and frank boredom TO disgusted si,ehc
Equally oblivious was he of Mrs. Jane e.
forts to substitute some other form OF eile'
tainment for the violin playing lie shooh
hands very heartily. however. with fehhoch
and Gaylord when they took their somewhat
naughty departure n little later and, strange
| TO saw his interest in the music seemed ~
go with their going; for at once men @ In, ne
turned to Mr.. and Mrs Frank Bialsuei WIZ,
n very animated account of some Blaisoel
! data he had found only the week before
| He did not appear to notice that .he
| music of the piano had become hotn's ~, nu
-.
talk and laughter between. He seemed III
| terested only that Mr.. Blaisdell, and especl-
ally Mrs. Blaisdell. should know the ih'l'ha.e ,
| history of one Ephraim Blaisdell, porn Ill
| 1920 and his ten children ana iorts -hle
| grandchildren. He talked of various lnNSsl
| ments then and of the weather lie taINu' U
| Of the Blaisdells trip, and of the cost Oh ran,
| road fares and hotel life. He talked-lhueeu'
| Me- lane told her husband after he left that
| Mr. smith had talked of everything uhue'
| the sum- and that she nearly had III o
| cause she could not get one minute " ne, ne
| Golf to break in upon Mellicent anu INA.
u ,orrid GRAY fellow at the piano. She hau
not supposed Mr.. Smith could talk like 'hat
She had never remembered he was sue"
talker. ,. ,,,o.ob y,
| .,a scbooI tennis court the next day. Mr'
| smith told Miss Maggie that he thousnt he
| would drop around there. lie Saiu he i'N
very much to watch tennis games ~ -
| Miss Magic said yes, that sne hNeu ".
watch tennis games too If this was Just
| , wee hit Of n hint it quite failed OF llS
purpose, for Mr.. Smith did NOT oner u 'Ino
her with him. He changed the supJeGt' , ~.
deed so abruptly, that Miss Maggie DIT ner
lin and flushed a little. throwing swit
ciance into his apparently serene counte-
nance. , ,;,,
Miss Maggie herself in the afternoon, win
an errand for an excuse, walfed Slowly ny
the tennis court. She saw Mr. smith AZ
once-but he did not seem at all Interested
in the playing. He had his back to the
court, in fact: He was 1inisdai, ,alM,g We We
was still talking with her-though on the
opposite side of the court-when Miss Mag
| gle went by again on her way nome
| Miss Maggie frowned and said some
thing just under her breath about that
| child-airting as usual" Then she went on,
walking very fast, and without another
glance toward the tennis ground But a
little farther on Miss Maggie's step Jagged
perceptibly, and her head lost its proud
| poise Miss Maggie, for n reason she coult
not have explained herself, was feeling sud
denly old. and weary, and very much alone
To the iGlage in the mirror as she took
off her hat n few minutes later in her own
| hall she said scornfully:
| well, why shouldn't you feel old? You
are old. You are old :" Miss Maggie had a
habit of talking to herself in the mirror
but never before had she said anything like
this to herself.
An hour later Mr. Smith came home 70
sumner;
Miss Maggie, without looking up from the
stocking she was mendng
Game? Go? Oh! Why. I don't remem-
ber who did win finally" he answered.
Nor did it apparently occure 70 him thar
for one who was so greatly interested IN
tennis. he was curously uniformed.
| 1t did occur to Miss Maggie. however.
The next day Mr.. Smith left the house
soon after breakfast and. contrary to hi!
usual custom, did not mention where ne wa:
going. Miss Maggie was surprised and d:s.