The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-08-27

ing preposterous about my candidacy
for Miss Sidney. | am older than I'd
like to be, but that is all"
"You are a hideous old fool" 4 sail,
''but l think ! can handle you, and l
give you warning"
II am going to be quite friendly"
said Jed.
"You flatter yourself" said.
swell. anyway" he said, I'm friend
ly."
He proved to be so. The life of the
house went placidly from day to day.
IsObel with a sense Of our pOsturing
toward each other, made hooking ges-
lures of affection which shocked her
mother. She particularly delighted to
demonstrate, when Jed was serving
dinner. l thought she would end by
getting me shot in the back, but Jed
had rated me finally as unlmpOrtant,
which did my eg0tlsm no good For
such a rascal to discard me, formally
betrothed as | was to IsObel, in his
scandalous pursuits of that beautiful
girl, was preposterous.
If Mrs. Sidney had known that was
idiotically in love with Isobel, she
would not have sought relief from her
distress by the arrangement which
made me her daughters protective
hance. The only thing ! could take
credit for in this absurd situation was
that Mrs. Sidney was not allowed to
know the state Of my feelings,
was as sensible as a corrupting ro-
manticism would permit me to be. !
knew that any affection / might place
in this fashion was real and serious
emotional vice, which If not controlled
might lead to unhappiless. That con-
sclousness had steadied me, but II had
not delivered me.
Isobel walked brightly through the
old house of tragedy-as surely it was,
however hidden the tragedy. She was
the CLINT of sunshine In the aisles of
the dark woods, the odor of roses
against the wall. She had the charm
of the hollyhocks, the freshness of the
hepatica in the spring, the beauty of
the wild rose In June.
II l showed my feeling more than
liver sausage shows soul, hope /
may be punished. What l thought of
Isobel was my own affair, so long as
| kept 1t strictly my own affair.
/ took myself in hand with as much
energy and promptness as could, fol-
lowing the announcement of our en-
gagement. did not want to confess
myself a fool. / did not intend to do
so II / could help 1t.
/ overdid 1t. / became dIsagreeable.
| kept as much out of Isobel's presence
as possible. never willingly was
alone with her. / did my best to avoid
meeting her or speaking to her. Isobel
met the situation with her natural
frankness after had been giving this
demonstration of myself for some time.
Doctor" she said, "this household
necessarily imposes friendships upon
the people In IL. / wonder IL we could
not be little more agreeable to each
other"
l did not know what to say. hoped
not to be hypocrite, and / did not
want to be absurd.
Il shall be glad to be as agreeable
as I can" l said after some mental
suffering. II want to be. but l am
so awkward"
II want to be. too" said Isobel; "and
II we both want to be, we shall not
have to glover at each other every
time we meet. Even mother does not
require II and father would detest It."
Without saying anything more. she
made me see that / had used cheap
device to escape the consequences of
foolish affection. The girl In a very
friendly fashion had shown me that
my avoidance Of her was marked, cool
ald unreasonable. II was wholly rea-
sonable from my poor standpoint, but
from no other.
Isaw that was meeting my difiicul-
ty by running away from 1t. and | not
only did not like the timidlty of escape
In this fashion, but furthermore, l did
not like the opinion Isobel formed of
me because of II. l had to face the
music. and after that did. II ought
not to have astonished me that l felt
better instantly. knew that a cow
ard only increased his troubles.
] imagine II had not seemed such
a professional stick, such thing aloof
from human emotions, Isobel would
have been merely friendly and kind.
As II was. she was tantalizing. She
liked me well enough. but that meant
very little. II she did not drive. ride.
walk or play tennis with me, she had
choice of the servants. II was / or
nothing.
was with Mr. Sidney a number Of
hours every day. They varied. some
times seven or eight a day in different
periods. sometimes three or four. Very
little Of this time was occupied In pro-
fesSional duty. Life at Hartley house
would have been intolerably lonesome
Il had been there merely as a prae-
titioner And therefore welcomed a
routine that was outside my profess
sion. Mr.. Sidney had a delicacy "
perception which told him when at
tention uno3 even so amiable an in