Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-01-09
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.1A|S2Nofhq + Eh6Y:Ihnee
oY% Bertrand SinGlair
cYy8h M LITTLE. BROW dca

CRATE. Fall had come, and there was
q sharp nip to the air.
"Well, what do you think of it az
tar as you've gomez" he asked alb
ruptly.
II think it's fine," she candidly adj
mitted. "I'm enjoying myself. I like
1t. Don't your
"As a DIVERSION" he observed
thoughtfully, 81 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 it 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 iso-
lation. l think we must be remarkable
people that we didn't fight like cats
and dogs. For eighteen months, you
know, there wasn't a soul to talk to,
and not much to think about except
what you could do if you We're some
place else."
You're acquiring the atmosphere
he remarked - sardonically, she
thought.
No; just enjoying myself" she re-
piled lightly.
well, if you really are" he an
swered slowly, tive may as we'll settle
here for the winter-and get settled
right away. I'm rather ear 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 I thought you in
tended to knock around more or less.n
But don't you see, you don't partic-
1larly care to-" he pointed out "and
t would spoil the fun of going any
place for me if you were not interest
Cd. And when it comes to q show
1own I'm not aching to be a bird of
passage. One city is pretty much like
mother to me Well take a run over
20 New York. I want to get some
BOOKS and things. Then We'll come
back here and get a house or a flat.
tell you right now" he laughed not
l~npleasantly, "Im not going to renig
IN this society game. You can play it
Is hard as you like, until spring. I'll
,e there with bells on when it comes
% a dance. And I'll go to a show
when a good play comes along. But
Won't mix up with q lot of silly women
and equally silly she=men, any more
than is absolutely necessary"
.rVvf D.,
"Why, Bill" she exclaimed aghast.
well, amt it 500" he defended la
lilly. "There's Kitty Brooks-she has
certainly got intelligence above the av-
erage. That Lorimer girl has brains
superimposed on her artistic tempera.
ment, and she uses 'em to advantage.
Practically all the rest that I've met
are intellectual NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. on
looks and clothes and amusing them
selves, and that let's them out. Shucks,
there isn't a real nan in the lot. May
be I'll run across some people who
don't take a two-by-four view of life
If / stay around here long enough, but
1t hasn't happened to me yet. I 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 oveI Bills face during that
after-theater supper.
Bill snorted.
"DrOll. Perhaps" he said. "Bla.
tant ignorance, coupled with a desire
to appear the p%ossessor of culture. is
sometimes amusing. But as a general
thing it simply irritates."
you're hard to please" she replied.
He shrugged his shoulders and re.
manned silent.
"Well." he said presently, "wcIl take
that jaunt to New York day after to-.
morrow"
He was still sitting ty the window
when Hazel was read: to go to bed
She came back into the room in 9
trailing silk kimono, and. stealing
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