New-York tribune., 1920-09-26

BY this time Florence had re-
gained hsr dertatve supRciliousness.
There's q few things you coule
help" she saids and the incautious
Herbert challenged her with the IN
quiry abe desired.
%What could ] hafp9@
"I should think yuu could hslp
bumpin' into me every second when
I'm takin' o walk ON my own affairs,
and walk along On your own gide Of
the sidewalk. anyway, and not be
80 awkward @ person has 20 keep
trippin' over you about every time
I try to take step!"
Herbert withdrew temporarily to
his own side Of the sidewalk. sWho7"
he demanded hotly, "Who sayp I'm
awkward?"
"All the family" Miss Aewstsr re-
turned, with o slight, infuriating
laugh. "You bump into 'em side
ways and keep getting half In front
Of 'en. whenever they try to take a
step, and then when 1t looks as If
they'd pretty near fall over you''--
"You look herel"
"And besides all that" Wloremce
went on, undisturbed, "why, you
generally keep kind Of gnorting. or
something, and then making all
those noises In your neck. You were
doin' it at grandpa's last Sunday
dinner, because every time there
wasn't anybody talking. why. every
body could hear you plain as every
thing, and you ought to've seen
grandpa look at you'll He looked as
If you'd set him crazy If you didn't
quit that chutterlng and cluckling!"
Herbert's expression partook Of a
furious astonishments II don't any
such a thing!" he burst out. 81
guess ] wouldn't talk much about
last Sundays dinner, II ] WAS you,
neither. Who got caught ncldn' tho
ice cream freezer spoon cut ON the
back porch, If you please74 Yes, and
I guess you better study @ little
grammar, while you're about 1t.
There's no such words In tho Eng
lish language as 'cluckling' snd 'chut-
tering.'"
"I don't care what language
they're in," the stubborn Florence
insisted. "It's what you do, Just
the same-cluckling and chutter-
ing!"
Herbert's manners went to pieces.
ooh, dry upl" he beloved.
''That's o nice way to talk! So
gentlemanly"--
"Well, you try and be g Lady,
then!"
"Tryl" Florence echoed. "Wen,
after that, I'll just politely thank
you to dry up yourself, Mister Her.
bert Atwater!"
Herbert's eyes cleaned with
fierce triumph. "You couldn't If you
did tzyl You couldn't if you tried
till you were million years old!
You couldn't if"-
II said Dry up!'" shouted Flor
ence.
At this Herbert became moody.
"Oh, pfuff!" he said; and for some
moments walked in silence Then
he asked: "Where you goin', Flor
ence?"
The damsel paused at a picket
gate, opening upon a broad lawn
which was evenly bisected by wide
brick wall leading to the ample
frame porch Of a fat and honest old
brick house. Fright here to grand
pas, since you haf to know!" she
said. "And thank you for your
delightful comp'ny which I never
asked for, if you care to hear the
truth for once in your life!"
Herbert meditated. "Well, I got
nothin' else to do, as I know Of"
he said. Lets go around to the
back door SOS to see if Kitty Silver's
got anything"
Then, not amiably, but at least in
consequently, they passed inside the
gate and went up the brick walk to-
gether. Their brows were fairly un-
clouded; no special marks of conflict
remained. For this was but their
customary way Of meeting.
They followed a branch Of the
brick walk and passed round the
south side of the house, where a
small orchard of apple trees showed
generous promise; hundreds of little
round apples among the crisp leaves
glancing the high lights to and fro
on their infantile green checks, as q
breeze hoped through the yard,
while the shade beneath was filled
with sunshine flecks that moved CO.
quettishly. This shifting of orange
lirb% orI b7,,o ,,,oo J.;l III.