Highland recorder., February 12, 1909, Image 4

About Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972

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?unger
By H.OBEV.T lOA CHAMBERS,
Author of "The Fighting Chance." Etc.
*r COPYRIGHT. 1907. BY ROBERT W. CHAMBERS. J*
Ruthven'^ greeting wats pallid stare,
but as Selwyn made no motton to risc
lie lounged over to a concb and, bait
reclining among tho cushions, shot nu
Insolent glance at Selwyn, then yawned
and examined the bangle! on his wrist.
After ;i moment Selwyn said. "Mr.
Ruthven, yon tire no doubt surprised
that I am here."
'Tm not surprised ll It's my vite
yon've como to seo," drawled Ruthven.
"If I'm tho object of your visit, 1 cou
f< b to sonic surprise?aa mueb as tlie
\isit ls worth and no more."
The vulgarity of the insult under the
niall's own roof scarcely moved Sel?
wyn to any deeper contempt and cer?
tainly not to anger.
"1 did not come here to ask a favor
of you." he said coolly, "for that l> uni
of tin" question, Mr. Ruthven. But l
tame to toll yon that Mr. Erroll's fam?
ily has forbidden him to continue bis
gambling ia this hons? and in your
company anywhere or at any time/'
"Most extraordinary," murmured
Ruthven, passing his ringed Angers
over his minutely shaven face?that
strange face of a boy hardened by the
depravity of apes.
"So I must request you," continued
Selwyn, "to refuse bim the opportunity
of gambling here. Will you do it?vol?
untarily?"
?No."
"Then I shall use my Judgment in
the matter."
"And what may your judgment in
the matler be':"
"I have not yet decided. For one
thing I might enter a complaint wit!),
the police that a boy is being morally
and materially ruined in your private
gambling establishment.*1
"Is that a threat?"
"No. I will act, not threaten."
"Ah," drawled Ruthven, "I may do
the same the next time my wife spends
the evening in your apartment."
?'You lie!" said Selwyn in a voice
made low by surprise.
"Oh, no, I don't. Very chivalrous of
-quite proper for you to deny it
ft
"ft
"M-mxmler!" stammered Mr. Ruthven.
like a gentleman?but useless, quite
useless. So thc less said about Invok?
ing the law the better for?some peo?
ple. You'll agree with me, I dare say.
And now, concerning your friend (Jer?
ald Erroll?I have not the slightest de?
sire to see him play cards. Whether
or not he plays is a matter perfectly
indifferent to me, and you had better
understand it. But if you come here
demanding that I arrange my guest
lists to suit you you are losing tim.>"
Selwyn, almost stuuued at Ruthven'!
knowledge of the_opisode in his rooms!,
had risen as he gave the man thc* Me
direct.
For an Instant, now, as he stared at
him. there was mulder in bis eye.
Them the utter hopeless helplessness
of hhs position overwhelmed him as
Ruthven, with danger written all over
him, stood up, his soft, smooth thumb!
hooked In the glittering sash of his
kimono.
"Scowl if you like," he said, backing
away instinctively, but still nervously
impertinent, "and keep your distance:
If you've anything further to saj to
me. write it." Then, growing bolder
as Selwyn made no offensive move:
"Write to me," he repealed, with a
renomous smirk, "lt's safer for you
to figure as my correspondent than as
my wife's corespondent. L-let go of
me! W-what the devil are you d-d-do
iug?"
For Selwyn had him fast, one sinewy
hand twisted in his silken collar, hold?
ing him squirming at arm's leugth.
"M-murder!" stammered Mr. Ruth?
ven.
"No." said Selwyn, "not this time.
But be very, very careful after this."
And he let him go with au involun?
tary shudder and wiped his hands on
his handkerchief.
Ruthven stood quite still, and after
a moment the livid terror died out in
bis face and a rushing flush spread
over it?a strange, dreadful shade
curiously opaque?and he half turned,
dizzily, bauds outstretched for self
uupport.
Selwyn coolly watched him as he
sauk on to the couch and sat huddled
together and leaning forward, his soft,
ringed fingers covering his empurpled
face.
Then Selwyn went away with a
shrug of utter loathing, but after he
had gone and Ruthven's servants had
discovered him and summoned a physi?
cian their master lay heavily amid his
painted draperies and cushions, his
congested features set, his eyes partly j
open and possessing sight, but the j
whites of them had disappeared, and
the eyes themselves, save for the pu- !
pils, were like two dark silts filled I
with blood.
There was no doubt alnnit it. The j
doctors, one and all, knew their busi- j
ness when they had so often cautioned !
Mr. Ruthven to avoid suuden mid ex- j
cessive emotions.
1 That night Selwyn wrote briefly to j
Mrs. Ruthven:
I saw your husband this afternoon. Ho I
ls at liberty to inform you of what J
passed. But in ci se he does not there la |
one detail which you ought to know?your
husband believes that you once paid a
visit to my apartments. It is unlikely
that he will repeat the accusation, and I
think -ther.q hi no oscaslen. for you .to ,
worry. However, it ls o;iiy prc: r thai
you should knov this, whlcn la my only
eXOUM for Writing you a letter that re
quiros no acknowledgment. V< ry truly
PHI LIP SELWYN.
To this letter she wrote an excited
and somewhat Incoherent reply, and,
rereading it In troubled surprise, be
began to recognize in it something of
thc strange, illogical. Impulsive alti?
tude v. hioh had confronted him in the
first weeks of his wedded life.
ITer'? was the same minor undertone
of unrest sounding ominously through
every line; the same Illogical. Unhappy
attitude which Implied so much and
said so little, leaving him uneasy and
disconcerted, conscious of the vague
recklessness and veiled reproach,
dragging him buck from the present
1 brough the dead years to confront
once more t^e old pain, the old bewfl
ii ti.uni at the hopeless misunder?
standing between them.
]
-SJB
h Chapter 16
INA had run up to town
for a day from Silver
side and had telephoned
Selwyn to take her some?
where for luncheon. She
urged him to return
^?g:-?^; wjtn i,or) inseting that
a week end (it Silverside was what he
needed to avert physical disintegra?
tion.
"What is there to keep you in town?"
she demanded. "The children have
been clamoring for you day and night,
and Eileen has been expectlug a let?
ter. You promised to write her,
Phil."
"I'm going to write to her," he said
Impatiently. "Wait a moment, Nina.
Don't speak of anything pleasant or?
or intimate Jiust now, because?because
I've got to bring up another matter
something not very pleasant to me or
to yon. lt is about?Alixe. Yon knew
her in school years ago. Yen have al?
ways known her."
"Yes." ?
"You?did yoq ever visit her?stay
at tiie Yarlana' house?"
"Yes."
"Itt?fal h?r own home In Westches?
ter?"
"Yes."
There was a silence. Ills eyes shifted
to his plate; remained fixed as he paid:
"Then you knew her?father?"
"Yes. Phil," she said quietly, "I knew
Mr. Yarian."
"Was there anything?anything un?
usual?about him?in those days?"
"Have you heard that for the first
time?" asked his sister.
He looked up. "Yes. What was It,
Nina?"
She became busy with her plate for
awhile. He sat rigid, patient, one hand
resting on his claret glass. And pres?
ently she said without meeting his
eyes:
"It was even farther back?her grand?
parents?one of them"? She lifted
her head slowly. "That is why lt so
deeply concerned us, Phil, when we
beard of your marriage."
"What concerned you?"
"The chance of Inheritance?the risk
of the taint?of transmitting it. Her
father's erratic brilliancy liocame more
than eccentricity before I knew him.
I would have told you that had I
dreamed that you ever could have
thought of marrying Alixe Yarian.
But hov.- could I know you would meet
her out there In the orient? lt was?
you? cable to us was like a thunder?
bolt. Aud when she?she left you so
suddenly?Phil, dear?I feared tue true
reason?thc only possible reason that
could be responsible for such an insane
act."
"What was the truth about her fa?
ther?" he raid doggedly. "He was ec?
centric. Was he ever worse than that ?"
' "The truth was that he became men?
tally irresponsible before his death."
"You know this?"
"Alixe told me when we were school- J
girls. And for days she was haunted
with the fear of what might oue day
be her Inheritance. That is all I know.
Phil."
He nodded and for awhile rruide some
pretense of eating, but presently lean?
ed back and looked at his sister out of
dazed eyes.
"Do you suppose," he said heavily,
"that she was not entirely responsible
when -when she went away?"
"I have wondered," said Nina simply.
"Austin believes it."
"1 can't believe it," he said, staring
at vacancy. "I refuse to." And, think?
ing of her last frightened aud excited
letter imploring an interview with him
and giving the startling reason, "What
a scoundrel that fellow Ruthven is," he
said, with a shudder.
That night he wrote to Alixe:
If Ruthven threatens you with divorce
on such a ground he himself is likely to
l?o adjudged mentally unsound. It was a
brutal, stupid threat, nothing more, and
his insult to your father's memory was
moro brutal still. Don't be stampeded by
such throats. Disprove them by your
calm self control under provocation. Dis?
prove them by your discretion and Belf
c- mfidence. Give nobody a single possi?
ble reason for gossip. And, above all.
Alixe, don't become worried and morbid
over anything you might dread as In?
heritance, for you are as sound today as
you wera when I first met you, and you
shall not c. ubt that you could ever be
anything else. Be the woman you can
be. Show the pluck and courage to make
the very host out of lifo. I have slowly
learned to attempt lt, and it is not dim
cult if you convince yourself that it can
be done.
To this she answered the next day:
I will do my best. There is danger.
treachery, everywhere, and if it becomes
unendurable I shall put an end to it in
one way or another. As for his threat?
Incident on my admitting that 1 did go to
your room and defying him to d;ire be- j
lie.ve evil of me for doing it?I can laugh j 1
at it nov., though when I wrote you I < ;
was terrified, remembering how mentally |
broken my father was when bs died.
But, bs you say, 1 am eound, body and j
mjajL 1 kricy it. .J clQn't doubt R for cae i ?
J
moment?except, at tong intervals, troon,
spropoa ol' nothing, a faint sensation of
?';. ? i <omi .< creeping.
Hut 1 cm sound! I know it bo absolute?
ly that i sometimes, wonder at my own
perfect ? anity ;*nd understanding, and no
clearly, *> faultlessly, s?> precisely does
B) mind Work that?and this I DOVer told
-.?ni i am often and often abie to detect
mental Inadequacy in many people around
i.if, the sUgbtest deviation from Um nor?
mal, Hie least degree of mental Instabil?
ity, And ll would ama::'.- you, too, If 1
should i.ii you how many, many people
you know are n some degree more or
less insane.
He's univ serenely disagreeable to me
now, and we seo almost nothing of one
anotlur except over the card tables. Ger?
ald has been Winning rather heavily, I
am glad to say-glad as long ns I cannot
prevent him from playing. And yet i
may be able to accomplish that yd in a
roundabout way. because the apple vis
aged and bawl; beaked Mr. Neergard lias
apparently become my slavish creature?
quite infatuated. And as soon as l'v-i
fastened on his collar and : tads suro that
Rosamund can't unhook i; I'll try M^
make him shut down on >.. raid's play-"'
Ins;. Thia for your sake, J hil?beean.-e
you ask me and because you must al?
ways stand for all that ls upright and
good and manly in my ey< ? Ah, Phil,
what a fool 1 was! And all, 1 my own
fault too! ALIXE.
Thia ended the sudden eruption of
correspondence, for he did not reply to
this letter, though In lt he read enough
to make him gravely uneasy, and h?
fell once more into the habit of brood
ing, from which both Roots Lansing
and Eileen had almost weaned him.
Abo he began to take long, solitary
walks In the park when not occupied
in conferences with the representatives
of the Lawn Kitto Powder works, a
company which had recently approach?
ed him in behalf of bis uhperfected ex?
plosive, ehaoslte.
Lying hack there in his desk chair
ono evening. Selwyn suddenly remem?
bered that Gerald had conic in. They
had scarcely seen one another since
that nnhapy meeting iu rho Stuyve?
sant club, and now, remembering what
he had written to Eileen, he emerged
With a start from his contented dream?
ing, sobered hy the prospect of seeking
Gerald.
For a moment or two he hesitated.
but he had said In his letter that he
was going to do it, and now he rose,
looked around for his pipe, found lt,
filled and lighted it and, throwing on
his dressing gown, went out into the
corridor, tying the tasseled cords
around his waist as he walked.
His first knock remaining unanswer?
ed, he knocked more sharply. Then he
heard from within the muflled creak
of a bed, heavy steps across the floor.
The door opened with a jerk. Gerald
Oerahl sat r>n the ertge nf the bed.
Btoed there, eyes swollen, hair in dis?
order aud collar crushed and the white
evening tie uuknotted and dangling
over his soiled short front.
"Hello." said Selwyn simply. "May
I come in?"
The hoy passed his hand across
his eyes as though confused hy thc
light. Then he turned and walked
back toward the bed, still rubbing his
eyes, and sat down on the edge.
Selwyn closed the door and sealed
nfanself, apparently not noticing Ger?
ald's dishevelment.
"Thought I'd drop in for a good night
pipe," he said quietly. "By the way,
Gerald, I'm going down to Silvevslde
next week. Nina has asked Boots too.
Couldn't you fix it to come along with
ns?"
"I don't know," said the hoy in a
low voice. "I'd like to."
"Good business! That will bc line!
What you and 1 need ls a good stiff
tramp across the moors or a gallop if
you like, lt's great ror mental cob?
webs, and my brain is disgracefully
uuswept. liv the way, somebody said
that you'd joined the Siowitha club."
"Yes," said the boy listlessly.
"Well, you'll get some lively trout
fishing there now. It's only thirty
miles from Silverside, you know. You
can run over in the motor very easily."
Gerald nodded, sitting silent, bis
handsome head supported in both
hands, his eyes on the floor.
That something was very wrong
with him appeared plainly enough, but
Selwyn, touched to the heart and mis?
erably apprehensive, dared not ques?
tion him unasked.
And so they sat there for awhile,
Selwyn making what conversation he
could, and at length Gerald turned and
dragged himself across the bed, drop?
ping his head back on the disordered
pillows.
"Go on," he said; "I'm listening."
So Selwyn continued his pleasant,
inconsequential observations, and Ger?
ald lay with closed eyes quite motion?
less until, Ava tching him, Selwyn saw
his hand was trembling where it lay
clinched beside him. And presently
the boy turned his face to the wall.
Toward midnight Selwyn rose quiet?
ly, removed his unlighted pipe from
between his teeth, knocked the ashes
from it and pocketed if. Then he
walked to the bed and seated himself
rm the edge. r
"What's the trouble, old man?" he
I siced coolly.
There was no answer. He placed his
ham I over Gerald's. The boy's hand
lay Inert, then quivered and dosed on
Selwyn's convulsively.
"That's right," said the elder man;
'that's what I'm here for?to stand by
when yon heist sjcualc. Gi) cn**1
$i*f. tessi *t?"?a; hi* IfaMMl -Wi. lH?*W
; it diaper- lu th* pillow.
"Bad aa that?" commented Gel i i
quietly. "Well, what of ir.- I'm stand
in? by, I tell you. That's right"- j >
Gerald broke down, his. body qulvf
under the spasm of soundless gi ie:
"that*s the safetj ralve working. Good
business. Take your time."
It t.,;.!; n long time, and Sep...mi - ll
silent and motionless, his -..hole arm
numb from Its position and (braid's
crushing grasp. And at last, seelugthnt
w.;s the moment to speak, he said:
"Noa- lei's flx np this matter, Gerald.
Come on*
"Good heavens! Q-how eau it be
Mixedr
"I'll tell you when you tell me. It's
a money difficulty, I suppose, isn't it?"
"Yes."
??Carder
T-partly."
'?oh. a note? Case of honor'-' Where
ls lids i. 0. I', that you gave?"
"H's vrorse than that. The- the note
is paid. Good Cod -I can't tell you!"
"V??u must. That's why I'm here,
Geraki."
"Well, then, I?I drew a check
knowing that I had no funds. If it?if
they return if marked"?
"I see. What are the figure:;?"
The l>oy stammered them out. Sel?
wyn's grave face grew graver still.
"Thal !?; Pad." he said slowly, "very
bad. Have you- bili of course you
couldn't have seen Austin."
"I'd Lill myself first!" said Gerald
fiercely.
"No. ymi wouldn't do that. You're
not that kind. Keep perfectly cool,
Gerald, because lt is going to be fixed.
The method only remains to be de?
cided upon."
"I ean'l take your money!" stammer?
ed the boy. "I can't take a cent from
you after what I've Raid?the beastly
thimrs I've said."
"It Isn't the things you sa> to me.
Gerald, that matter. Let me think a
hit, and don't worry. Just lie quietly
and understand that I'll do the worry?
ing. And while I'm amusing myself
with a little quiet relied Ion as to ways
and means lust take your own bearings
from tins reef and set a true course
once more, Gerald. That is all the re?
proach, ail the criticism,you an; going
to get from me. Deal With yourself
and your God in silence."
And lu silence and heavy dismay
Selwyn confronted the sacrifice he
must make to save the honor of the
house of Erroll.
It meant more than temporary InCOtt
venlence to himself. It mean!: that he
must go into the market and sell se?
curities which were partly his capital
and from which came the modest in?
come that enabled him to Ure os he
did.
There was no other way unless he
went to Austin. But he dared not do
that?dared not think what Austin's
action lu the matter might Le. And
he knew that If Gerald were ever
driven into hopeless exile, vi: li Austin';,
knowledge of his disgrace rankling, the
boy's utter ruin must result inevita?
bly.
Yet?yet?hov.' could he afford to do
this?unoccupied earning nothing, be
i reft of his profession, with only the
chance in view that his chaodte might
turn out stable enough to be market?
able? Hov/ could he dare SO strip him?
self? Yet there was no other way. It
had to be done, aud done at once?thc
very first thing in the morning, before
!t became too late.
And at first, in the bitter resentment
of the necessity, bis Impulse was to
turn on Gerald and bind him to good
conduct by every pledge the boy could
give. At least there would be comr.i n
satlon. Yet with the thought came the
clear conviction of Its futility. The
boy had brushed too close to dishonor
not to recognize lt. And if this were
not a lifelong lesson to him no prom?
ises forced from him In his dire need
ano! distress, no oaths, no pledges,
c-ould bind him. Ko blame, no admoni?
tion, no sonni, no contempt, no re?
proach, could help him to see more
clearly the pit of destruction than he
could see now.
"You need sleep, Gerald." he said
quietly. "Don't worry. I'll see that
your check i3 not dishonored. All you
have to see to is yourself. Good night,
my boy."
But Gerald could not speak, and so
Selwyn left him and walked slowly
back to his own room, where he seat?
ed himself at his desk, grave, absent
eyed, his unfilled pipe between bis
teeth.
Aud he sat there until he had bitten
clean through the amber mouthpiece,
;;o that the brier bowl fell clattering
to the floor. By that time it was full
daylight, but Gerald was still asleep.
Ile slept late into the afternoon, but
that evening, when Selwyn and Lan?
sing came in to persuade him to go
with them to Silvorside, Gerald was
gone.
They waited another day for him.
He did not Appear. And that night
they left for Silvorside without him.
L. -,
te Chapter 17
^
MJ
N
DRING that week end at
Silvers ide Boot;; behaved
like a school lad run wild.
With Drina's hand in his.
the other children and
half a dozen dogs as ad?
vanced guard and heavily Hanked by
the Gerard battalion, he secured the
moorlands from Surl' punt io tho Hith?
er woods, from Wonder bead to Sky
pond.
Nina, Eileen and Selwyn formed a
lagging and leisurely rear gmrd,
though always within signaling dis?
tance of Boots and the main body, and
when necessary the two en-army men
wigwagged to each other across the
uplands to the endless excitement and
gratification of the children.
Eileen and Selwyn were standing on
one of the treeless lid's, a riotous tan?
gle of grasses and wild Howers, look?
ing out to sea across Bky pond. Ho
had a rod, and as he stood he idly
switched the gayly colored Hies back?
ward and forward. I
Standing there, fairly swimming in j
the delicious upper air currents, she
Made Quite a Difference.
Miss Watson?Bid Mr. Sark say to j
you as I entered tho drawing room
last night, vlara. "Is that the beauti?
ful Miss WatSOU?" Clara-Ye", dear, I
With the accent on thc "Unt."-Ex
cbangc.
"ci." a ibo Kjll
lug moors
"After all," she
Said, "what more
13 chere than
Ibis ?earth and
sea and sky and
sun and a friend
toshow them to?
Because, as I
wrote you, the
friend is quite
necessary in the
scheme of things
to round out the
symmetry of it
JjOOKca i Usffulhi .ii ,
,, , ?' all. I suppose
a. roCS tin: ililli,ni , . ,
moon. >"Mro ay|nI *>
(bingle those Hies
in Brier Water to see wind lier there
oro ."ny trout lhere. We!!, (here ore.
Austin stocked ir jfenrs ago, and he
never fishes, so no doubt it's full of
fish."
The Brier Water, a cold, deep, lei?
surely stream, deserved iis name. If
anybody ever haunted It with hostile
designs upon its tisby denizens, Austin
at least never did. Belted kingfisher,
heron, mink and perhaps a furtive
small boy wi'Ii pole and sinker and
barnyard worm?these were the only
foes the trout might dread. As for a
man and a dy roil, they knew him not.
nor was there much chance- for cast?
ing a line, became tlie water every?
where Mowed under weeds, arched
thickets of brier and grass and leafy
branches crisscrossed above.
"This place is Impossible," said Sel?
wyn scornfully. "What is A astin
about to let li: all grow up and run
wild"
Hc reeled In his line until only t ix
inches of the gossamer leader remained
free. From this dangled ti single sil?
ver bodied fly, glittering in the wind.
"There's a likely poo! hidden raider
those briers," be said, -fm going tu
poke the top of my rod under?this
way? Ileli!" as a heavy splash
sounded from depths unseen and the
reel screamed os he struck.
Up and down, under lian1;.; and over
shallows, rushed the Invisible fish, and
Selwyn could tb) nothing for awhile
but let bim go when he insisted and
check and recover wheu the fish per
mltted.
Eileen, a spray of green mint be?
tween her vivid lips, watched the per?
formance with growing Interest, but
when at length a big, fat, struggling
speckled trout was cautiously but suc?
cessfully lifted out into the grass she
turned her back until the gallant fight?
er had departed this lifo under a mer?
ciful whack from a stick.
"Tint," s!ie said faintly, "is the part
I don't care for. Is he out of all pain?
What? Didn't feel any? Oh, are you
quite sure?"
She walked over to bim and locked
down at thc beautiful victim of craft.
"Oh, well," she Sighed, "you aro very
clever, of course, and 1 suppose Til eat
bim, but I wish he were alive again
down there in those cool, sweet
depths!"
"Killing frog.; and insects and his
smaller brother fish?"
"Did he do that?"
"No doubt of lt. Aud if I hadn't
landed him a heron or a mink would
have done it sooner or later. That's
what a trout Is for?to kill and be
killed"
She smiled, then sighed. The taking
of life and the giving of it were mys?
teries to her. She had never wittingly
killed anything.
"Do you say that it doesn't hurt the
trout?" she asked.
'?There are no nerves lu the jaw
muscles of a trout? Hah!" as his rod
twitched and swerved under water and
his reel saug again.
And again she watched the perform?
ance and once more turned her back.
"Bet me try," she said when the
roup de grace had been administered
to a lusty, brilliant tinted bull trout.
And, roil in hand, she bent breathless
and intent over the bushes, cautiously
thrusting the tip through a thicket of
mint.
She lost two fish, then hooked a
third, a small one, but when she' lifted
it gasping into the sunlight she shiv?
ered and called to Selwyn:
"Unhook lt and throw it back! l-l
simply can't stand that!"
Splash! went the astonished trout,
aud she sighed her relief.
"There's no doubt about lt," she said,
"you and I certainly do belong to dif?
ferent species of the same genus. Men
and women are separate species. Do
you deny lt?"
"I should hate to lose you that way."
he returned teasingly.
-Wc!!, you can't avoid lt. I gladly ad?
mit that woman is not too closely re?
lated to man. We don't like to kill
things. It's an Ingrained distaste, not
merely a matter of ethical philosophy.
You like to kill, and it's a trait common
also to children and other predatory
animate, which fact," she added airily,
"convinces me of woman's higher civ?
ilization."
?lt would convince me. too." he said,
"if woman didn't eat the things that
man kids for her."
"I know. Isn't it horrid? Oh, dear,
we're neither of us very high in the
scale yet- particularly you."
'?Wed. I've advanced some since the
good oM days when a man went woo?
ing with a club." he suggested.
?You may Ieee. But. anyway, you
dont go wooing. As for mau collec?
tively, he has not progressed so very
far." sh" added demurely. "As an ex?
ample that dreadfnl Draymore man ac?
tually hurt my wrist"
Selwyn lo >ked up quickly, a shade of
frank annoyance on his face and a
vision of the fat sybarite before his
eyes. He turned ag-'.hi to his fishing,
but his shrug wm; more of a shudder
tb.au appeared to be complimentary to
Percy Draymore.
She had divined somehow that It an?
noyed Selwyn to know that men had
Importuned her. (she had told him of
her experience as Innocently as she
had told Nina, and with even less em?
barrassment. But that had been long
ago, oad now, without any specific rea?
son, she was not certain that she had
acted wisely, although it always
amused her lo see Selwyn's undisguised
impatience whenever mention was
made of such Incidents.
So. ti) torment him, she fail, "Of
course it is somewhat exciting to bey
asked to marry people?rather agree?
able than otherwise."
"Whatl"
Wai! deep in bay bushes he turned
toward her where she sat on the tn uk j
of an oak which bad fallen acrpss the i
I
Wt 'I'fSP'V?*?i'SWvm?~"
BUvittti [ter : ft* .??:.;:??'. 1 UP9 b
bui Rubles were Interlocked. Bbs
swung '<???? slim, ni set s'10.1 r<?. t nt >ve
Hw brook on I i< Led ai Ulm with a
:.,...:. ot v ? ?'/ ueu i) ber and to
bim.
"Of course it' amusing to lie i i-'<
voa ore the only woman io iii.- worl I,"
she said, "par:! ularly when a girl baa
a seerel fear thal ineu don't i-onsif.er
her oiuie grown un."
. "You once said.'' li,- began Impatient?
ly, -that the Idiotic Lwportuuitlea of
those men annoyed you."
"Why do v<ni call them idiotic?" with
pretense of buri surprise "A girl te
honored"
"Ob, bosh!"
"Captain Selwyn!"
"1 beg your pardon," he said sulkily
and fumbled with his reel.
SI e surveyed him, bead a trifle on
one side, nie \ cry im umatton of youth?
ful malice in process <-f satisfying a
desi!-" for tormenting.
??When I pretended I was annoyed
by V.'hal men saki to me I was only a
yearling." she observed. "Now I'm a
^<\ -r.
Sj -"< B
reeled fn hil line.
two-year, Captain Selwyn. Who can
tell what may happen in my second
season?"
"You said that you were not lbe?
the marrying Bort," be insisted.
"Nonsense. All girls are. There are
men," she said dreamily, "who might
hope for a kinder reception next win?
ter."
"Oh, no," he Bald coolly, "there are
no such gentlemen. If lhere were you
wouldn't say so."
"Yes, I would. And there are:''
"How many?" jeeringly and now
quite reassured.
"One!"
"Von can't frighten me," with a
shade less confidence. "You wouldn't
tell if there was."
"I'd tell you."
"Me?" with a sudden slump in bis
remaining stock of reassurance.
"Certainly. 1 tell you and Nina
things of that sort. And when I have i
fully decided to morry 1 shall, of j
course, tell you both before 1 inform
ether people."
HowTbe blood In her young veins '
was racing ami singing with laughter!
How thoroughly she was enjoying
something to walch she could give
neither reason nor name! Bul how
satisfying it all was?whatever it was i
that amused her lu this mon's inner- |
minty and in the faint traces of an ir- j
rltatlou as unreasoning as the source |
i>f it!
[to be continckd.]
Exclusive.
"Now that your son's lu college, I
suppose he'll be getting exclusive; he'll
be getting into the Four Hundred."
"Oh, he's more exclusive than that!
He's on the nine already."?Exchange.
I GET A
\ PHONE
Wc help wi
Write tor offer ot complete I
outli: and LigbtninK guaroit- \
tec. I
ll
No agents, buy direct from
1 argest fae lory makin >.>; speci?
alty of heavy duty Phon?s in
the world.
Semi \<>v hookier.
Write To-Day
THE
Sumter Tel. IBTgCo.
Slimier, tt. C.
Box 60
*irrviwi i mu t tm ni r rwrmssn?iaim-'
_i,>as?ifjaiiirf*i"v'x.wasBa3
I KILLAH* COUCH
Saimd CURE the LUNGS
?? ir. Kau
law um
I i-JlH ^^O'iSHS soc &"koa
? ? **" ^*?OLD6 Tfl?l Qotila Free
IjllPALt THROAT AND LUMP TROUBLES.
|GraZE5rz50 3ATXSFAGT0B1
I OR MONS Y BEi?<Jlir>2D.
SjsjeMS*?K4?sssMW?
HENRY A ELAVlH
Practical Land Surveyor and no?
tary Public
Monterey, Highland Co., Va
Maps aral Blue Prints s specialty. All
virrV In this line solicited.
DB. 0. K, BURTON,
I- Y B, FA R.Nl ttl A NT) THROAT SI'EOIA UT
lexington, Va.
Two trips lo Highland county? in May
and October ,?str pplng st Monterey,
McDowell and Doe Hill. Glasse* titted
by prescription.
^oTzVchu^iiAT':?
. -
Fnltz's Horse and Cattle,
Powdcr-A Hlandai cl
for 50 yon rs
Its reliability and purity eve everywhere
:!"::iiv"ii:..-...".'_ known and ita <ffieiency for cenditirning
and curing animals cf disease has noe r 1 ecu
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tion, constipation, and all stomach troubles. Restores lost appetite,
and increases the assimilation. It assists in fattening and increases Ina
quantity of milk and cream.
Foutz's Superior Poultry Food - 25c per package
Foutz's Certain Wei rn Powder - - 50c "
Foutz's Healing Powder for collar rails, etc. 25c "
Foutz's Certain Kolik Cure - 50c "
Foutz's Liniment - - 2oc. "
Every article cf our manufacturer is guaranteed and bears V. S.
Serial No. 217. Sold everywhere. At Monterey, K. II. Trimble, drug?
gist. At McDowell. McNulty Bros.
The David K. Foutz Co., Baltimore. Md.
YOU can save money
and get better material,
better workmanship,
and a more artistic de?
sign, by buying- a mon
umeut o r headstoi e
irom me
Ii you nee ci an iron
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for :!ie money.
W, E. HNYDfiB, liontown Va., Agent
For The Hinton Marble Work*.
Eat What
You want of the food you need
Kodol will digest it
You need a sufficient amount of
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this you need to fully digest it.
Else you can't, gain strength, nor
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You must not diet, because the
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But this food must be digested,
and it must be digested thoroughly.
"When the stomach can't do it,
you must take something that will
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sfne proper way to do ls to eat
/hat you want, and let Kodol dlr
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Nothing else can do this. When
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you must help it by giving it rest,
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Our Guarantee
Go to your druggist today, and
purchase a dollar bottle, and if you
can honestly say, that you did not
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using the entire bottle, the drug?
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We will pay the druggist tho price
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This offer applies to the large
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We could not afford to make such
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It would bankrupt us.
Thedo!larbottlecontains2^ times
as much as the fifty cent bottle.
Kodol is made at the laboratories
of B. C. DeWitt & Co., Chicago,