The Ocala evening star., 1922-12-22
By
BOOTH HARRINGTON


Miss Apperthwaite was at home the
following Saturday. I found her In
the library with LES Miserables" on
her knee when l came down from my
room a little before lunch time; and
she looked up and gave me smile
that made me feel sorry for any one
she had ceased to smile upon.
"I wanted to tell you," / said, with
a little awkwardness but plenty Of
truth, "I've found out that I'm an aw-
full fool
"But that's something" she returned
encouragingly-"at least the beginning
of wisdom"
81 mean about Mr.. Beasley-the
mystery l was absurd enough to find
in 'Simpledoria.' l want to tell you"
"Oh, l know" she said; and al
though she laughed with an effect Of
carelessness, that look which / had
thought "far away" returned to her
eyes as she spoke. There was GER
tain inscrutability about Miss Apper-
thwaite sometimes, it should be added,
as If she did not like to be too easily
read. 1--WE heard all about it. Mr..
Beasley's been appointed trustee or
something for poor Hamilton Swift's
son, a pitiful little invalid boy who in
vents all sorts of characters. The old
darky from over there told our cook
about Bill Hammersley and Simple
doria. So, you see, I understand"
"Im glad you do" l said.
A little hardness-one might even
have thought it bitterness-became
apparent In her expression. And Pm
glad there's somebody in that house,
at last, with a little Imagination"
"From everything I have heard" I
returned, summoning sufficient bold
ness, "it would be difficult to say
which has more-Mr. Beasley or the
child"
Her glance fell from mine at this,
but not quickly enough to conceal a
sudden, half-startled look of trouble
q can think of no other way to ex-
press it) that leaped into it; and she
rose for the lunch-bell was ringing.
I'm just finishing the death of Jean
Vatican, you know, in Les Miser-
ables,'' she said, as we moved to the
door. I'm always afraid I'll cry over
that. l try not to, because it makes
my eyes red"
And, In truth, there was vague
rumor of tears about her eyes-not as
if she had shed them, but more as If
she were going to-though 1 had not
noticed il when / came in.
That afternoon, when
reached the Despatch Office, / was
| commissioned to obtain certain politi-
cal information from the Honorable
David Beasley, an assignment I ac-
| cepted with eagerness, notwithstand-
| ing the commiseration 1t brought me
| from one or two Of my fellows In the
reporters room. "You won't get any
thing out of himl they said. And
they were true prophets.
1 found him looking over some docu-
ments in his office; reflective, un-
| lighted cigar in the corner of his
mouth his chair tilted back and his
feet on a window-sill. He nodded,
upon my statement of the affair that
brought me, and without shifting his
! position, gave me look of slow but
wholly friendly scrutiny over his
| shoulder, and bade me sit down. I
began at once to put the questions l
was told to ask Neutrality-suspicious.
4 Che seemed to believe) satisfactorily
\ answered by slowly and ruminatively
stroking the left side Of his chin with
two long fingers of his right hand, the
while ne smiled in genial contempla-
ton of tarred roof beyond the win
dow. Now and then he would sIe me
a mild and drawing word or two, not
brilliantly illuminative, 1t may be re-
marked. "Well-about that" he be-
gan once, and then came Immediately
to full stop.