Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-06-10
CHAPTER Nv.


why, my dear child, what is the
natter"
Mrs. Duffield stared at Desiree,
amazed at her flashing eyes.
Perhaps, she reflected, Desiree was
never quite as pretty as when she
was angry. Her dark beauty was
| enhanced by the vivid pink in her
cheeks, and her brown eyes seemed
actually to snap. She was like her
mother when she was young. But
why was the child so indignant now
What did Mr.. Jefferson say?''
Mrs. Duffield insisted. You were
very nearly rude to him, my dear
shutting the door almost in his face
- not even waiting for Smith to
close it,"
Il don't care"' Desiree exclaimed.
1T is none of his business who or
what my chauffeur is! l wish people
! would not ask impertinent-'
| She stopped abruptly, aware that
David was standing at the car door,
awaiting her orders.
Where now, please. miss?" he
! inquired, touching his cap.
"Oh-I-Aunt Sylvia, is there any
where you want to go now?" she
stammered.
w HN, my utils iiNl eiAiiS
minded her, 1--WE planned to go to
Mrs. Hobart's tea, didn't we?"
"Of course How stupid of me!
Drive to Mrs. Hobart's, Smith. Wait
while 1 see what the address is"
fun bling through her card-case.
When she had found the address,
she gave it quickly, and, as she did
so, she looked into her chauffeur's s
face. Did she only fancy that she
saw an appeal in his eyes, as If he
were asking her pardon?
A Bit of Curiosity
"Well," Mrs. Duffield repeated
when the car was again threading
its way up Fifth avenue, what did
Mr.. Jefferson say? And, by the way,
l am afraid David overheard your
remark about him just now-I mean
you remark about it's being nobody's
business who your chauffeur is. He
was standing right by the door, and
the window was open all the time
"Yes,-so l saw when it was too
late. But never mind. He knows
his place too we'll to let me suspect
he overhead anything.
You want to know what Mr..
| jefferson said that vexed me so
much? Well. he asked me how it
pptltut SOOu Go iSfNSu AiiN
how it happened-that Smith was
not in the service The idea of his
daring to ask that! He who ought
TO be in uniform himself"
But, my dear. he is past the
draft age. He must be past thirty
! five"
Draft age!" scoffed the girl. "If
he is so keenly patriotic, he could
get into the service even If he is a
couple of years over age. Lots of
men have done it. He is perfectly
we'll and strong-yet he sneered at
Smith because he is driving our car
instead of fighting Germans!"
well, honey" Mrs. Duffield ven
tured timidly, might you not think
the same thing of a young man OF
whom you knew nothing? I under
stand from what your father let
drop that Smith was in the service
although / know no particulars. So
do not criticize him. But I do not
wonder that others do. 1t is a mis-
take, believe, for Samuel to forbid
anybodys mentioning the subject.
''I do not agree with YOU" Desiree
argued, forgetting entirely that she
herself had considered the prohibi-
ton ridiculous. "It is nobody's
business,"
There, there! am surprised al
your vehemence," the aunt soothed
You take it too hard"
The girl forced herself to laugh
Eyes, it is absurd of me, isn't it?'
she agreed II do not know why
should resent Mr.. Jefferson's criti-
! cism of an ordinary employe.
! think it must have been his aggres.
sve manner that annoyed me-"
Yes, and his assertion tfat Smith
was Irish. I did not know it until
| then"
| Her companion made no reply
! She was remembering Jefferson's
! comment on her chauffeur's brogue
| Yet she had noticed that Smith ha6
| Southern intonations-very marked
at times.
/ Had he assumed an Irish broguC
! for Jefferson's benefit? If so, why
At the Hobart home her thought:
turned into another channel; yet ar
hour later, when she and Mrs. Duff.
! field drove uptown. her mind re.
verted to Jefferson's remark.
Suddenly she was sure she under
stood Smiths ruse. AS he was not
in uniform, he preferred that his
questioner should consider him an
Irishman rather than an American
Stacker. And, of course, he had
overheard and resented Walter JEFF
ferson's unkind suggestions.
She supposed that it was of these
that he wished to speak, when. after
leaving Mrs. Duffield at her home
and stopping at the Leighton house
David touched his hat as his young
mistress alighted from the car.
Pardon me, Miss" he said. but
may I speak with you for just a
moment?"
Yes. Smith," she assented. But
7 do not want to stand out here.
Stem into the house with me-"
When Norah had admitted her.
and gone her way after smiling
covertly at David, Desiree turned to
the man.
''Wen. what is 1t, Smith ?"