The Neshoba Democrat., 1922-12-14

informal haloc on his way upstairs
She herself was n white muslin, now
much too snug, and glue ribbon. To
her greeting their guest replied in that
engaging shyness which Is not awk-
Wardness. He moved In, some pleasant
web of gentleness and friendliness.
They asked him the usual questions,
and he replied, rocking all the time
with faint undulating motion of
head and shoulders: Warbleton was
one of the prettiest little towns that
ne had ever seen. He liked the people
they seemed different He was sure
to like the place, already liked It,
Lulu came to the door in Ninian's
thin black-andwhite gown. She shook
hands with the stranger, not looking
at him, and said, "Come to supper,
ALL" Monona was already in her place,
singing under-breath. Mrs. Bett, after
lowering in the kitchen door, entered;
but they forgot to introduce her.
where's DIP" asked Ina. II declare
that daughter of mine is never any
where"
brief silence ensued as they were
seated. There being guest, grace was
to come, and Dwight said, unintelligi-
bly, and like lightning, generic ap-
peal to bless this food, forgive all our
sins and finally save u.s. And there
was something tremendous in this
ancient form whereby all stages Of
men bow in some now unrecognized
recognition of the ceremonial of TAX
ing food to nourish life-and more.
At "Amen" Di flashed In, her Of
fees at the mirror fresh upon her
perfect hair silk dress turned up at
the hem. She met Cornish, crimsoned,
duttered to her seat, Joggled the cable
and, "Oh, dear" she said audibly to
her mother, II forgot my ring"
The talk was saved alive by frank
effort. Dwight served making iests
about everybody coming back for
more. They went on with Warbleton
happenings, Improvements and open
ings; and the runaway. Cornish tried
hard to make himself agreeable, not
overwhelmingly, but good-naturedly. He
wished profoundly that before coming
he had looked up some more stories
in the back of the Musical Gazettes.
Lulu surreptitiously pinched off an
ant that was running at large upon
the cloth and thereafter kept her eyes
steadfastly on the sugar bowl to see If
it could be from that. Dwight pre-
tended that those whom he was help
ing second time were getting more
than their share and facetiouSly land
ed on Di about eating so much that
she would grow up and be married,
first thing she knew. At the word
married" Di turned scarlet laughed
heartily and lifted her glass of water.
And what instruments do you
play?" Ina asked Cornish, in an un-
related effort to lift the talk to mu-
sical levels.
well, do you know" said the mu-
sic man, Il can't play q thing. Don't
know black note from a white one"
you don't? Why Di plays very
prettily," said Dis mother. "But,
then, how can you tell what songs to
order?" Ina cried.
"Oh, by the music houses. You 20
by the sales" For the first time it oc-
Cured to Cornish that this was ridic-
ulous. "You know, I'm really study
Ing law" he said, shyly and proudly.
Law How very interesting, from Ina.
Oh, but won't he bring up some songs
some evening, for them to Try over?
Her and Di? At this Di laughed and
said that she was out of practice and
lifted her glass of water. In the
presence of adults Di made one weep,
she was, SO slender, so young, so with
out defenses, so intolerably sensitive
TO every contact, so in agony lest sne
be found wanting. 1t was amazing
how unlike was this Di to the 'Di who
had ensnared Bobby Larkin. What
was one to think?
Cornish paid very little attention to
her. To Lulu he said kindly, Don't
YOU play, Miss-?" He had not caught
her name-no stranger ever did catch
It. But Dwight now supplied it: miss
Lulu Bett," he explained, with loud
emphasis, and Lulu burned her slow
ed. This question Lulu had usually
answered by telling how felon had
Interrupted her lessons and she had
stopped "taking''-a participle sacred
70 music, in Warbeton. This vignette
had been kind of epitome of Lulu's
biography. But now Lulu was heard
to say, serenely:
mo, but Pm quite fond Of it. 1
went to lovely concert--two weeks
ago"
They all listened Strange, indeed,
TO think of Lulu as having had expert
ences of which they did not know.
Eyes" she said. "It was in Savap-
nah, Georgia" She flushed, and lifted
her eyes ih manner of faint defiance.
"Of course" she said, Il don't know
the names of all the different instru-
ments they played, but there were a
good many" She laughed pleasantly
as part Of her sentence. "They had
some lovely tunes, she said She knew
that the subject was not exhausted