The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-09-28

death follows in the wake Of the Odells.
Autumn is both saddened and perplexed
by the invalids trade Bruce, apologetic.
can offer no reason for his mothers attitude.
1t was ten years or more since the
Laird has opened his wide doors to
the purposes of merry-making, and
people had come from as far away
as Kelowna to welcome his daugh-
ter's Homecoming. The drawing
room and the hall Numbered with
the lusty measures of a Highland
schottische; Old Country folk
stamped resolutely on the polished
floors - middle-aged and elderly
Scots, their gnarled faces scarlet
and streaming, swung their part
ners with the earnestness of war
riors going into battle. Not the least
conspicuous and nimble-footed, and
certainly the most terrifying OF all,
was old Absolom Peek, whose fam
ing red necktie rested companion
ably on the shoulder of his partner,
Katie Macdougall.
Autumn stood near the doorway
and applauded the efforts of the old
sheep-herder, who beamed his graft
tude and pursued his course more
desperately than ever.
When the dance came to an end
and the exhausted performers scat
tered to find chairs or to 60 out into
the evening, two or three of the
younger men hurried toward Au-
tumn. One took her peremptorily
by the arm and drew her aside.
''The next dance is ours, Miss
Dean," he informed her little COM
placently. "I have asked the or
chestra to favor us with tango"
Florian Parr was reputed to be the
most dashing young man OF the
countryside. The PARIS, a wealthy
Scotch family with a ranch in the
Okanagan Valley, had left their son
In England to complete his educa-
ton and had brought him out a year
after Autumn had left to join her
Aunt Flo in the Old Country. Her
father had introduced him to Au-
tumn earlier in the evening and her
eyes had surveyed him, with a pene-
tration subtly careless, from head
to foot. He was just under thirty,
blond, tall, firmly knit, and dressed
in white fannels and impeccably
tailored blue sack coat. In that
amusing medley of rustics and bland
sophisticates who were her fathers
friends, Florian Parr stood out like
a man from another world.
His manner was an immediate
challenge to Autumn. "Our dance,
Mr.. Parr? cannot recall making
any engagements"
He stepped closer to her. "It is
not SO much matter of engage
ment, Miss Dean, as it is-a mat
ter of preference.
She laughed. "Yours-or mine,
Mr.. Parr?"
81 can only speak for myself" he
replied.
She wrinkled her nose at him.
"You seem to find little difficulty in
that"
''Are you going to make this awk-
ward?" he countered.
Autumn chuckled softly. mot at
all, Mr.. Par. Besides, I should
think man who plays polo and pi-
lots his own plane"
IA splendid ALTERATION" he put in.
Before she could reply, he had
swung her out upon the floor. The
orchestra had already begun to
play. The crystal chandeliers of the
drawing room were turned off, and
Immediately the long floor was a
dim pool of violet light from the
colored lanterns that had been
strung below the ceiling. Autumn
noted the eyes that followed herself
and Florian, shadowed eyes of envy
or Of admiration, and overheard one
or two comments that were unequiv-
ocal She permitted herself to drift
in the joy of the dance, glancing up
at her partner now and then with
that rare, long look of half-closed
eyes that is the piquant complement
of that most subtly articulate of
dances.
IN the encore that followed the
tango, Florian maneuvered so that
they became separate from the main
body of the dancers, and moved
through the open French windows,
out across the piazza and down the
steps into the. garden.
Florian leaned above her with one
elbow resting on the bough Of the
tree. She saw him smile as he lift
ed lock of her hair and pretended
to peer at the moon through its
mesh.
MIR. Parr," she said, with mock
severity, Il must remind you that
am hostess this evening-and must
be treated with the dignity due my
position.
"You might also add that we met
for the frst tG2 =; more than an