The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-07-23

justice to it; but l was acting. I
knew, like a r%esentful boy.
Il love you that way" said Alice
as stared vacantly at my plate. But
you really are not making yourself
disagreeable to us-really he is not.
COnstance!'
Mrs. Farnsworth affirmed this. I
knew that | was merely being rude,
and the consciousness of this was not
uplifting. AT the luncheon hour he
influx Of shoppers gives the Tyring-
ham a CHEEKY tone, and all about us
were people apparently conversins
sanely and happily. The appearance
of Uncle Basins ghost in the familiar
dining room would nave been a well
come diversion. / was specializing as
to just what he would say about his
widow and the whole mess at Barton
when Mrs. Farnsworth addressed ME
pleadingly.
IF you knew that we want you to
play with us only u few days longer
three days, shall WI say, Alice?-if
you knew that hen We'll untangle ev-
erything, wouldn't you be nice-very
nicer"
In spite Of myself l couldn't resist
this appeal. ! was more and more i'm
pressed by tn. %fineness, the charm Of
Mrs. FarnswOrth. When she dropped
the m~ake-believe foolishness in which
she INDUCED quite as %amusingly as
Alice. she appeared to be a very SEN
sible person. The humor danced in
her eyes now, but her glance was more
than an appeal; it was a command.
IF you knew hat our troubles are
not at all the roubles you're thinking
about, but very different"
"Please pardon me-" l muttered
hNmbfy, and wished that Alice were
not so bewitching in a sailor hat. It
may have have peer the hat or only
Mrs. ~FarnswOrth's pleading tone that
brought me to a fr;endlier attitude
toward the universe and its visible
inhabitants. The crowd thinned OUT,
but we fingered, talking of all manner
Of things.
1--WE must come in again very soon."
Sane Alice. "And next time we sh;an't
u away, which was very naughty. I
suppose when you begin a story you
just have to keep it going or it viii
die on your hands. That's the way
with our story, o know. OF course
it's unkind to mystify you: but you
are in the story just as we are"
My mystification was certainly deep
enough without this suggestion that
l was a mere character in a tale whose
awkward beginning aroused only tie
gravest a~pprehensions as to the con-
clusiOn. She looked at her watch ana
continued: I'm SO absurd-really l
am, in ever SO many ways, that no
one would ever put me in a book.
Everyone would say no such person
ever existed! It's incredible! And
so | have to pretend I'm in a story all
the time. It's the only way l can
keep happy. And SO many people are
in my story now, not only Montani
and the poor fellow locked up at Bar
tOn-Oh. what il he should escape!
Constance. 1t would be splendid if he
should escaped"
"fou didn't finish your enumeration
of characters" l suggested. rs my
part an important one or am I only
a lay fgure?"
MY lear boy" cried Mrs. Farms
worth, you are the hero! You have
been the hero from the hour the story
began. If you should desert US now,
whatever should we dO?"
If I'm the hero" l replied in her
own key, Il shall begin making love
to Alice at once"
Alice, far from being disturbed by
my declaration, nodded her head ap-
p%rovingly.
ION. we had expected that! But
you needn't be in a hurry. In a story
like this one, that runs right on from
day to day, W must leave a lot to
chance. And there are ever so many
chances"
"Not all on the side Of failure.
hopper"
1--WE must be going" She laughed.
! wished she hadn't that characteristic
little turn Of the head that was so
beguiling!
Folly rode with us all the way to
Barton. II anything sensible was ut
tered on the drive. l can't recall 1t. Our
talk, chiefly of knights and ladies', and
wild flights frcm imaginary enemies.
had the effect Of squirting Flynn to
perilOus spurts OF speed.