The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-04-06

delight IN her, now, without fear ana
| dread-and be proud Of her distinc-
| ton and even enjoy this weird re-
semblance TO the girl for whom his
senses hungered.
Nov appease my 'satiabIe curl
| osity'!" she insisted. 'How-4did-
you discover that farm girls little
mole?''s
"Well you'll find It in your heart to
| forgive me, / know, that her beauty,
SO very much like yours, proved so
Irresistible that sometimes-I kissed
her when got a good chance.
And 1t was while engaged in kiss
Ling her that you discovered the little
mole?'
You see if she hadn't been beauti-
full, like you, shouldn't have wanted
| to kiss her--being bit fastidious I'm
| my taste.v
your fastidious TASTE" said Lady;
| Sylvia redectively, didn't find her too
| vulgar to be kissed, though she's too
vulgar to be asked to call on mel"
She shook her head hopelessly TITS
| too much for my logic. don't get 1t.
Kissing doesn't seem to me less init
mate than calling! But one thing I
do GET am to play the role of the
rival Of this ignorant, vulgar farm
girl in your affections! 1t isn't a
role that appeals to me-"
/ 'T'll show her to you and you'll I'M
derstandw
but how will she like that--your
bringing me to inspect her? She
might not like it at all! 4 shouldn't
think she'd like it! She might fall
upon me and scratch mer'
but. my dear cousin, you don't
suppose that girl of that class takes
the Acaresses of men Of our class seri-
ously?"
you're sure that girl didn't take
you seriously?'
"She wouldn't presume tor he an
swered, faint tinge Of uneasiness, In
his voice.
I've never been able to under
stand" she said almost plaintively,
show it is that while men Of the most
civilized background will seek the
most intimate relations with low girls.
1t would be worse than death to wom-
en- Of the same background to be so
much as touched by common, coarse
man. Why is that. st. Croix?'
st. Croix looked rather shocked, as
though he felt her choice Of theme
to be in very poor taste. to say the
least.
swell, you know" he answered
lightly, "when the gods made man
and woman they used great deal
less clay and much more. divine fire
for the woman than for the man; SO
that woman is of course less earthly,
finer, more celestial! viii you," he
asked as they now rose to leave the
diner, "come to the smoking corridor
for cigarette?"
She thought she would not; but
when he had taken her back to their
chairs, she urged him to go for a
smoke without her. That he refused
to do; he had no desire to tear him.
self from the delectable sight Of her
for even the few minutes 1t took to
smoke cigarette. But when, she in
sisted that he must go SO that she
could take a little nap. as she was
lawfully sleepy" he reluctantly
yielded
His reflections as he smoked were
increasingly measuring. The agitat-
ing sense Of the girls dual personality /
was somewhat duIled by the soothing
effect Of several cigarettes. Even the
recollection Of certain vagueS doubts
he had always felt about Nicely, GER
tain inexplicable things like her fine
hands, her being, able to get away so
often from the hard work of the farm,
the touch of foreignness in her speech,
her very stupidities that sometimes
had seemed more like keen thrusts at
him--none of these things were con-
vincing enough to counteract the evil
denee of the mole. Nicely had mole
and Lady Sylvia had none.
He had to go through several day
coaches to reach his parlor car. and it
was when he was hurrying down the
aisle of the last Of these. scarcely see
ing anyone as he progressed. for the
backs of the passengers were toward
him. that suddenly the back of head
just a few feet ahead of them brought
him to a petrified standstill- -froze his
very hlood-and made his heart sink
like lead; for there. under his very
eyes, SO close that he could have put
out his. hand and. touched her, sat
Nicely Schwenekton-her heavy. fair
hair arranged in the vulgarly exag-
gerated ppmpadour she always af-
fected; wearing a grotesque lowered
blouse that looked. like a kimono or
dressing-sack tucked / into her skirt /
(Which no doubt it was y no rings on
her hands; sitting in the slovenly,
slouching way that had so often Of
Tended his sense Of "decency.'
The seat behind her was empty.
Noiselessly he slipped into 1t. Her
head was bowed over a copy Of Snap
py Stories; curly tendrils Of hair on
her white neck.