The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-06-25
By MEREDITH NICHOLSON


justice to it; but l was acting, I
knew, like resentful boy.
u 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 p
Mrs. FarnswOrth affirmed this.
knew that | was merely being rude
and the consciousness of this was not
uplifting. At the luncheon hour the
influx Of shoppers gives the Tyring.
ham a CHEEKY tone, and all about US
were people apparently converslne
sanely and happily The appearance
of Uncle Basins ghost in the familiar
dining room would have been wei.
come diversion. l 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 10
play with US only few days longer
three days, shall we say, Alicel-if
you knew that then wen untangle ev.
erything, wouldn't you be nice-very
nicer
In spite Of myself couldn't resist
this appeal. l was more and more i'm.
pressed by the flneness, the charm OF
Mrs Farnsworth. When she dropped
the make-believe foolishness In which
she INDUCED quite as amusingly as
Alice, she appeared to be 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 that our troubles are
not at all the troubles you're thinking
about, but very different"
"Please pardon me-" muttered
humbly, aud wished that Alice we're
not so bewitching in a sailor hat. 1t
may have have been the hat or only
Mrs. Farnsworth's pleading tone that
brought me to a friendlier attitude
toward the universe and it's visible
inhabitants. The crowd thinned out,
but we fingered, talking Of all manner
of things.
1--WE must come In again very soon,"
sand Alice. "And next time we shan't
run away, which was very naughty. I
suppose when you begin a story you
just have TO keep it going or it will
die on your hands. That's the way
with our story, you know. OF course
It's unkind to mystlfy you; but you
are In the story just as we are"
My mystification was certainly deep
enough without this suggestion that
l was mere character in q tale whose
awkward beginning aroused only the
gravest apprehensions as to the con-
clusion. She looked at her watch and
continued: I'm so absurd-really
am, In ever so many ways, that no
one would ever put me in book.
Everyone would say no such person
ever existed It's incrediblel And
so have to pretend Pm in q story all
the time. It's the only way | can
keep happy. And so many people are
in my story now, not only Montana
and the poor fellow locked up at Bar.
ton--oh, what IL he should escape |
Constance, il would be splendid If he
should escaper'
You didn't finish your enumeration
of characters" | suggested. us my
part an important one or am l only
lay flgureT'
"My dear boy" cried Mrs. Farms.
worth, you are the herol Yos have
been the hero from the hour the story
began If you should desert us now.
whatever should we dor
IF I'm the hero" | replied In her
own key, II shall begin making lovs
to Alice at once"
Alice, far from being disturbed by
my declaration, nodded her head ap
provinglY.
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, we must leave lot to
chance. And there are ever so many
chances"
mot 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 Sc
beguiling!
Folly rode with ms all the way "a
Barton. If anything sensible was ut.
tered on the drive. can't recall it. Our
talk, chiefly of knights and ladies. and
wild fights from imaginary enemies
had the effect OF squirting Flynn to
perilous spurts OF speed.
fTO RE CQ~TINIfEDN