Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-04-13
Arnold Bennett

pied sea and colored boats therein, the
whole warmed and vitalized by the ire
mendous downpouring of the sun-this
superb spectacle made 40 appeal what
ever to MIR. Oswald Purfll.
".
The next morning all was changed for
Mr.. Purhll by the arrival of a letter from
the Grand Hotel. addressed in a hand
writing with which he was not entirely
unfamiliar.
Dear Mr.. Purhll. I wonder whether
you could bear to din here on Friday
at 3? Yours sincerely. Caroline Otway."
No more than that. 1t might have
been considered curt by the fussy. 1t
was certainly quite unlike her usual in
vitations.
Oswald got out Of bed and weighed
himself. Two and a half pounds more
gonel And it suddenly struck him, as he
gazed %anxiously at the mirror, that his
cheeks were noticeably thinner. The old
cherubic look was going-or gone.
"Of course" thought Oswald. as If he
had made a sudden and startling dis
covery. She's a woman. They're always
changeable. l used to imagine that she
was an exception. but she isn't. Yester-
day she was stiff because she wanted to
AAohO OuI llidI olc iidQ u BlltFdllCt
against me so that I shouldn't suspect
that she really only came to Rustingor
to see me. Then, after 1 left her. she was
afraid she'd been too stiff. Three days to
Friday. Why didn't she ask me for to-
night? What about the next three days?
Well, now she wants to demonstrate that
she isn't in the least hurry to see me"
His mind returned to the singular
brevity, even Consequences of the invita-
ton.
Dash the grill" he exclaimed aloud,
and sat down at n in the parlor adj
Joining the bedroom, and wrote. Dear
Mrs. Otway. So many thanks for Friday
at 8. I could. Yours sincerely, o. Pur-
fill"
o"That1l teach her" he said to himself
With all this he was intensely uplifted
and happy. 1t is a fact that he sang
aloud, and ate less and less, and did more
and more physical exercises. n made a
rule against weighing himself more than
twice a day.
In the three days he had no sight of
either Alec or Alec's mother. His state
of happiness fell somewhat. Still, there
were two advantages; his leg was getting
stronger and his weight was diminishing
On the evening of the third day, which
came at last, though Oswald had feared
that it never would come, he arrayed
himself with special care and walked out
to his carriage unaided. He was early
despite a determination not to be early
> and therefore he instructed the coach
man to go slowly. The coachman went
very slowly. 1t was just his luck, he
thought, that he should encounter Nurse
! Eileen, who was taking a night of. Ell
Il Ham nnn1innnt1u cinfNa1nd IN fbn nnnnh-
man to stop.
j She noticed Oswald's attire, smiled Pc
culiarly, and said. $50 it's yourself that's
: going to meet her this evening in the
r halflight."
a Unparalleled effrontly! But nurses al
! ways knew you too we'll. They moved
: down your dignified reserves as with
: scythe. This was the last time he ever
e saw Nurse Eileen. In three months ht
: could scarcely recall what she looked like
l Caroline Otway stood in the foyer o
the hotel when Oswald entered. She wa
2 looking at a poster. Others were there
5 but they were candles to a dazzling head
light. Tall Sliml Dark smooth hair
large and very melancholy, dreaming
7 eyes. and a wonderful olive, complexion
Some powder, but no rouge. A dark, dis
! Greet frock. Long fngersl And the posC
Of her body! Thrilling! And she knew
1T. They shook hands without a word
She blushed.
, And Alec9" Oswald questioned, after
? a few ceremonious p~olitenesses.
' "Oh, Alec's in bed. He doesn't stay
I up to dinner. We shall be alone. DC
? you mind?"
She had secured a table in a corner
! mo SOUP" said Oswald to the waiter
Caroline offered no comment.
, NOW as regards drink" the hostess
3 asked.
5 Thanks. I don't drink anything a
meals" said Oswald, and continued upor
h subject, which she had introduced
of nursing homes.
/ mo, thanks said Oswald, when tn,
waiter presented an omelette. (Naturall,
? at the seaside fish was unobtainable.
) Flour in It," he added, to Caroline. VIII,
said nothing.
mo potatoes, thanks said Oswald tt
the waiter, at the meat course. mo, n,
! sauce"
mo, thanks" said Oswald, when tn
! waiter presented trife, at the swee
course.
, mo sugar. No milk" said Oswald
l faced with a coffee cup.
: I'm afraid you've had q very poor din
ner." said the hostess.
o the contrary, I've had an excellen
e dinner"
Have you lost your bic appetite O
e only mislaid 1t for tonight2" she quizzed
: 1--WE thrown it away. I'm dieting. In
getting my weight down. Nearly a ston
already. Don't you notice my face?"
Il thought it looked pinched. Worry
: 1 thought"
E Not at all. Hard work and iron re
! solve"
5 The music began, and they went to ST
in the lounge.
But why all this dieting?" Carolin
: demanded suddenly.
g Because George the Fourth was s.
! fat" said Oswald.
: II don't quite follow" she murmurec
Eyes, you do Oswald firmly contradict
ed.
. She would not meet his glance.
\ Surely" she murmured, "one ca
state a fact about a historical characte
without being Misunderstood
mo, one can't" said Oswald.
K She looked up timidly at him, and he
melted into a smile.
tits all very romantic, / think" sh
= murmured.
q That's just what 1t isl" said OSWALD
9 And I'm glad you think So"
And he was overcome with the 70
: nance of 1t, and she too. Oswald wa
! overwhelmed with the romance of hi
u own resolve to continue in the mo-