The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-02-14

about the place were the cupola of al
earlier day and the porte cocher,
stuck out like a broken wing.
She led him into the house ant
waved him toward the hall tree. WheI
he had set down his hat and stick she
led him into the drawing room.
Mother, we're home"
"Yes, DEAR" said Mrs. Kip, who
called Daphne ''dear" before com
pany.
Mother" said Daphne, 81 want to
present Mr." (mumble-gulp). She
had not yet achieved his name.
Her mother shocked her by saying,
Delighted to meet you, Mr. ]
didn't quite catch the NAME"
Daphne blushed for her mothers
query, but was glad to overhear the
strangers answer:
81 am Mr.. Wimburn, Mrs. Kip-Clay
Wimburn."
At this moment a tall, stumbling
man walked in. He looked as if he
| looked older than he was. His spec
tacles overwhelmed a rather unsuc-
cessful nose. Daphne hardly needed
TO introduce him as her father. She
gave Wimburn name now, and he
felt called upon to explain his incur
sion.
Il know your son Bayard very well.
I'm in his office. We belong to the
same raternity-different chapters of
course. We struck up great friend
ship. When he knew was coming to
Cleveland he said, Tell my sister to
be nice to you,' and-and-"
Wimburn paused in some embarrass-
ment before the ballroom manner of
Mrs. Kip, but the pompous DISCUSSES
of timidity fell from her as she MUIR
mured-and blushed in a motherly
way:
Daphne told me. He said for you
to kiss his mother for him."
"Ye-es."
"Well, I am his mother"
"Oh! May I?''
"WilI you?"
He pressed his lips respectfully on
her cheek, but she, closing her eyes to
imagine him her son, flung her fat
al dDOul MN anu uLid iAiIli u tllO-
ment. He kissed her again with a
kind of vicarious devotion.
I'D want Bayard to deliver such q
message to your mother" she ex-
planned.
Already Wimburn was a member of
the household; he had been kissed
and sympathized with.
He turned to Daphne with an apollo
getic look and saw that she was star
ing at him with softer eyes than he
had thought she had.
Definite anxieties engaged Mrs. Kip, |
for tea had come in tottering on a
tray carried by a panic-smitten cook,
as agile as hippopotamus and as
shy as a violet.
Daphne and her mother and father |
went through the tea ceremony with |
the anxiety of people in an earth
quake, and the Swedish dromedary"
stared at the unaccustomed sight as
if the tea bibbers were drinking poi
son and she watching for the convul-
sions to begin.
Clay Wimburn talked altogether
about Bayard and his wonderful prog
ress in business in spite of the hard
tines. Bayard. he said was sticking to
MS desk like a demon, and he let moth
ing distract him.
1T must be glorious living in New
York." Daphne sighed.
"Why don't you come and pay Bay
ird a visit?" Wimburn suggested.
"He wouldn't have time to take me
anywhere, and l don't know anybody
Use there"
'You know me. And I'd be only too
,lad to try to repay your hospitality
O me-"
Mrs. Kip looked on and listened with
he fond alarm of one who has seen
atal courtships begun with just such
encing.
When at length Daphne suggested
hat there was still time to rush down
0 the Hotel Statler for a dance or
wo Mrs. Kip smiled at her. Wimburn
id not know that he had been brought
ome on approval. Mrs. Kip realized
hat he was not to be returned as inn
ossible Her fancy gambled in flu
ures.
Wimburn was the victim of an onset
that delirium amans known as love
t first sight. He was at the right age,
nd he found something exotically
aptivating in this strange girl in the
TRANCE city. He was poisoned with
I'VE, and his opinion of Daphne was
1natically fantastic. No one in the
-orId equaled her. No one ever had {
qualed her or could equal her in any
Iture ever.
Spring and love are the perennial q
Iiracles, always new, always amazing. I
was spripgtime in Wimburn's years t
nd in the calendar Of the world; and t
,untless other youth of mankind, ami T
al kind, bird and fish kind, flowers t
nd fruit trees, and perhaps of chem
ais in the ground were feeling the t
lme mania. n
Daphne's cordially was at first nv
erely the hospitable warmth OF her t
cordial community. But she a
lught the fever from Wimburn and
scided that he was the final word in
imam evolution.
Tt,nv ho0ou RI droad the sociofv ~