The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-01-18

herself over one shoulder. After the
manner Of women she fiuffed her hair
out from beneath her hat with need
less repetition and posed at herself
in the mirror, half smile lowering
gu her lips and I'm her eyes.
She pictured herself walking smart
Iy through the lobby; she saw lettering
heads turn as she passed. She even
rehearsed the racy moment when the
steel of her knife sank deep into the
red of the steak, the quiet dignity Of
her Keep the change" and the OBJ
sequious bow of the waiter. The new
/ boarder in the adjoining room lurched
/ noisily about, and with the WEAKNESS
born of experience she closed the win
dow which opened out on the joint
! fire-escape landing and turned the key
| in the bureau drawer which contained
her Bible and mother-of-pearl card
| case; incidentally she turned her back
| on Minnie.
There is a parior in the highest
! priced and highest-storied hotel on
| Broadway, which is done In pale gold
| and pink it Is like a small, rare jewel
box softly tufted in satin and lighted
with opal globes; through its graceful
| ly hung doors you can see into the
| glistening laSby beyond, but the only
| sounds that penetrate are strains of
| far-away music and the soft swish of
wonen's gowns.
Within this golden retreat Minnie
| dropped into the soft embrace of a
| brocade divan and gave herself up to
| its luxury; closing her eyes ever so
| slightly she could imagine herself
| 1ourneying through Lady Audrey's gar
dens in a gold and crystal sedan chair,
with a graceful ennui in her pose and
| Gala lilies in her hair The hush of
velvet rugs and faint music lulled Min
MES dreaming senses, her tense hold
| on the tan uurse-one dollar and thir-
| y ,,"te--reIaxed, and she nestled
! deeper in the pink brocade.
:. nan in a frock coat and shiny
| patent shoes dropped YEARLY on the
| farthest end of the divan. His hair
was gray at the temples and his eyes
/ We're surfeited with too much living;
he was the typical clubman and diet
tante of the seventh-day world.
Minnie regarded him with the little
! intake of breath which proximity to
! those of his sphere invariably caused
| her. From the supercorrect cut Of
coat to the shining fingernails he be-
| spoke Inverness coats and cabs. Min
ME did not exactly know what consti-
| tuted an Inverness coat, but no draw
| ingroom novel was complete without
one. She could also picture this tired
eyed man in the dark mahogany quiet
| of his den, or strolling the white and
brass deck of yacht. Her halfclosed
eyes to all intent and purpose were
regarding an oil painting which hung
| beyond his head, but none of his de-
tails was lost upon her; she knew that
his cane had a gun-metal knob and
/ that his shirt studs were gold.
/ She had rehearsed her hour for so
long that she was not even surprised
when he leaned toward her and spoke
THAT is a very warm and rich lit
Of work You admire his school?" He
referred to the oil painting, and his
tones were deep and serious.
IT'S just beautiful" replied Minnie
who had not even observed the por
trait.
| Her temples were throbbing violent
ly. She felt that she was contaminat-
ing this seventh-day creature in even
replying, and that he would resent her
if he knew. just as she resented Mr..
Snuggs in the white goods.
II see you riding in the park quite
often. Only q few mornings ago l was
bold enough to canter after you, ad-
miring your mount"
THANK you," she replied, taking the
plunge and fitting her small head bit.
1.-THE women in my family have al
ways ridden WE'LL"
eff you bespeak the race / doubt 1t
not"
He spoke the words with patrician
grace that thrilled her; she CROPPED for
a suitable reply, but none came. There
was a pause; she observed that he
wore crested ring on his right hand.
She felt it incumbent upon her to JUS
tify her unattended presence, and
glanced with well-restrained impa-
thence into the lobby beyond
|
you are waiting for some lone. Can
! I be of any aSsiStancer
Thank you; no. My maid will be
here presently; she is unnecessarily
long"
She sank back and let her eyes rest
on a misty landscape framed In silver.
He followed her gaze.
81 have the twin Corot to that rare
bit in my private collection. / am
very fond of it,.
"Ohl' she murmured. "How lovely T.
"There is something compelling In
the strength of that stretch of mere
meadowland."
yes she agreed cautiously. 81
love the country
He adjusted pair of pince-nez and
regarded her as If seeing her for the