Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-09
"a MANS HEARTH

answered. You are very kind. l.
His lowered glance had encountered
her little feet, demurely crossed under
the edge Of her sober skirt. They
were very small. serious shoes indeed;
not a touch of the lady's capricious
fancy In decoration relieved them
But what struck to the mans heart
was their brave blackness. the black
ness Of polish that could not quite
conceal that they had been mended.
OF course, he at onc looked away.
but the impression remained.
II hope Holly will not initiate Matt
Raoul any more.' he finished lamely.
The girl frankly turned to watch
him ride away. Her natural interest
seemed to the nan more modest than
any pose of indifference.
But 1t seemed hat she was appoint
ed by Chance to make Tony Adriaae
together absurd. but the fanciful leg
end she had told him tainted and
haunted his sullen thoughts. He tool
it with him to his home. when he
changed into suitable attire to.keep a
luncheon engagement with Mrs. Mas
terson. 1t still accompanied him
when he entered the great apartment
house where the Mastersons lived.
He had wanted to act as Lucille
NAoSkVl sui - SSSoIi III III oNSdSkoh.
His attendance had been skilfully
compelled. But now he hated the
duty so much that he was dangerously
nea rebellion. He hesitated on the
threshold of the building, half inclined
not to enter: to go, instead. to a tele-
phone and excuse himself for deser-
ton on some preteXt.
1t was too late. Already the door
was held open for him by a footman
uhnSo diSNroot1v familiar Sri1S
Adriance saw, and resented. He
WINGED again when the elevator boy
stopped at the Masterons' floor with
out being told. implying the impossi-
bility Of Mr.. Adriance's call being in
tended for any other household. He
never noticed these things before:
now. he felt himself disgracefully ex-
posed before these black men.
He was altogether in a mood of
bitter evaporation. when he was
ushered into Mrs. Masterson's little
drawing-room. He recognized this
condition with a vague sense of sur-
prise at himself underlying the domi-
nant, emotion. All his life he had
been si%ngularly even-tempered. Now
he combated a wish to say ugly. nus
tic things to the woman who had
see her.
Yet she was very pleasant to see. In
deed. both the scene and his hostess
were charming. as they met his view.
Mrs. Masterson was standing before a
long mirror, surveying herself, so that
A%driance saw her twice; once in fact,
n once as a reflection. Sunlight
filled the room, which vas furnished
! and draped in a curious shade Of deep
blue with a shimmering richness of
color. so that the lady's gray-clad
figure stood out in clear and precise
detail. But Mrs. Masterson could bear
that strong light. and knew it. With
out turning. she smiled into the mirror
toward the man whose imagine she
saw there.
How do you like the last Viennese
fancy, Tony?" she composedly greeted
him.
Her voice was not one of her good
points. 1t vas naturally o high
pitched and harsh. and although by
careful training she had accustomed
herself to speak with a suppressed
evenness of ton that smothered the
defect to most ears. there resulted q
lack of expression Or incubation
perilously near monotony. Adriance
listened now, with a fresh sense OF
irritation, to the fault he only had OBJ.
he surveyed critically the decided lines
of h costume offered for his ap-
proval; it's audacious little waistcoat
of cerise-and-black checked velvet
the diminutive nat that seemed tt
have alighted like a butterfly on the
shining yellow hair brushed smoothly
back from Mrs. M~asterson's pink ears
and the high-buttoned gray boots with
a silk tassel pendant at each ankle
Those exquisite and costly boot.
tainted him with their sharp contras,
to those he had studied an hour be.
fore: they spurred him on to rudenes.
as II actual rowels were affixed tt
their little French heels.
The skirt is too extreme he stat.
ed perversely.
They are going to be so: this /.
quite a bit in advance" she returned
"Do you like it?'
Not so we'll! 1t makes a woman
look like a child; except for, hel
face"
Lucille Masterson's tact was ofte,
at fault from her lack of humor. In,
stead of %retorting with laughter or 81
lence. she opposed offence to hi
w%illfulness.
Thank you" she answered freez
suddenly"
You know well enough how hand
some you are" he said, a trifl,
ashamed. "Of course 1 did not mea,
what you imply. But. after all, W,
are not children, Lucille, either Of us
We are a man and a woman who ar,
going"
"Well?"
T gather a rather nasty apple!'
He forced a smile to temper the state
ment.
She slowly turned around and re
garded him.
What do you mean ?" she demand
ed. lifting her narrow. arched eye
brows. MY costume trottoir, an
apples? Aren't you considerable
confused, Tony?"
Cant we at least face what W
are doing?" he countered. "If we ar
able to do a thing. we ought to b
able to look at it. surely. We can pu
through this thing. and our friend
will think none the less Of us; the
are that kind. But they are not a
the people on earth, YOU know. VIVA
the maid who brushes your gown O
the man who opens the door for m
says of us downstairs may come neal