The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-01-22
CHAPTER X

I'm HER pocket as she spoke her
hanA rested upon the little sack
n Of tobacco, which responded ao-
cusingly to the touch Of her restless
fingers; and she found time to wonder
why she was building up this fiction for
Mr.. Arthur Russell. His discovery Of
Walters device for Willing away the
dull evening had shamed and dis
tressed her; but she would have suf-
fered no less II almost any other had
been the discoverer. In this gentleman,
= after hearing that he was Mildred's
Mr.. Arthur Russell. Alice felt not the
slightest personal interest" and
there was yet to develop I'm her life
> such a thing as an interest not per
; sonaI At % this state of affairs is
not unique.
So far as Alice was concerned Rus
sell might have worn a placard. En-
gagged" She looked upon him as din
ers entering a restaurant look upon
tables marked Reserved" the glance.
slightly discontented. passes on at
once. Or so the eye Of a prospector
wanders ENORMOUSLY over staked and
: established claims on the mountain
side. and seeks the virgin land beyond;
, unless. indeed, the prospector be dis
honest. But Alice was ~ claim Jump
er-so long as the notice Of owner
ship was plainly posted.
; Though she was Indifferent now,
P habit ruled her; and, at the very
2 time she wondered why she created
! fctitio cigars for her father, she
/ was also regretting that she had not
4 boldly carried her Nfalacca stick down
town with her. Her vivacity increased
automatically
Perhaps the clerk thought you
wanted the cigars for yourself" Rus
sell suggested. He may have taken
. you for a Spanish countess
. I'm sure he did, Alice agreed,
I gaily; and she hummed a bar or two
4: OF la Psloma," swapping her fin
gers as catanets, and swaying her
! body a little, to suggest the accepted
e stencil Of Spanish Dancer -
e Would you have taken me for one.
+ Mr.. Russell?" she asked. as she con
e Guided the impersonation.
r Il? Why. yes" he said. I'D take
GU for anything you wanted me to 80
D why, what a speechv' she cried.
D and, laughing, gave him a quick
: glance in which there glimmered
! Nsome real surprise. He was looking at
e her quizzically. but with the nveliest
5 appreciation. Her surprise increased;
and she was glad that he had joined
her.
To be seen walking with such a
; companion added to her pleasure. She
would have described him as alto
gether quite stunning-Iooking:" and
she liked his tall. dark thinness, his
gray clothes, his soft hat. and his
- clean brown shoes; she liked his easy
> swing Of the stick he carried.
Shouldn't I have said it?" he
asked. Would you rather not be
taken for a Spanish countess?"
That isn't it" she explained. you
y said"
!, Il said I'd take you for whatever
: you wanted me to. Isn't that III
e right?"
1T would all depend. wouldn't it?"
y "Of course II would depend on what
you wanted"
"Oh. nor she laughed 1T might
:, depend on a lot Of things"
Such ASP"
a well" She hesitated, having the
9 mischievous impulse to say, such as
AiildredH' But she decided TO omit
this reference. and became serious. re
Numbering Russelps service to he,
at Aiildred's house. Speaking Of what
want to be taken for" she said
I've been wondering ever since the
other night what you did take me for
You must have taken me for the sis
ter OF professional gambler. Tn
afraidr'
Russeu's look Of kindness was III,
truth about him, she was 10 discover
and he treasured her now by the
promptness OF his friendly chuckle
Then your young brother told yo,
where 1 found him. did he? ken
my face straight at the time, but
laughed afterward-to myself. 7
struck me as original, to say the least
his amusing himself with thos,
darkies."
Walter is original" Alice said: ant
having adopted this new view of he
brothers eccentrtcIties, she imoalsive
ly went on TO make 1t more plausible
He's very odd boy, and 1 wa,
., afraid you'd misunderstood. He tell,
wonderful darby Stories and he'll
- 90 anything to draw colored people
= out and make them talk; and that's
, what he was doing at AIildred's wber
you found him for me-he saws he
wins their confidence by playing dice
with them. In the family we think
he'll probably write about them some
day. He's rather literary"
(" Are you? Russell asked, smiling.
IS II Oh She paused, lifting both
If hands IN charming gesture Of help
> lessness. "Oh. I'm tust-me."
0. His glance followed the lightly
n watd hands with keN approval
y Their rose to the lyssz md colorfu
face, nth its hazel eXfTs small and