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Show I l AMUSING HERSELF "Never explain," quoted the girl In tho organdy dress, as the wnlter set down the glnsses with tho straws and tinkling Ice. She smiled upon tho young mnn opposite, who wns slightly Mushed and wholly unhappy. "Hut unless I explain 1 nover enn mnko you understand why It wnsn't so bad ns It seemed!" he protested, eagerly. Tho )oung woman looked down tho golf course mid then up nnd down the clubhouse veranda before she remembered re-membered to ntiBwer. "Ileally," she suld negligently, "It doesn't matter nt nil There Is no reason rea-son why you should explain. It Is such a very trivial matter that I shall not think of It again. If- you wanted to cut your appointment for an auto spin with me nnd go round tho golf course with Mary White Instead, that was all right. I ndmlio a mnn who tins tho coinage to do ns hu wishes!" "I didn't wish to'" crlet the miserable misera-ble ydling man. "I" "I am sorry to hear you talk thai way," sold the young woman In a sad, "Don't Be Conceited." disappointed tone "Mary White Is a lovely girl and any mnn should ho proud to he seen with her. She " "I am," Interrupted thu young man. "I wasn't Buying a word against Mary. Shu's all right. Only I didn't want you to think for a minute "As U It niiulo any dllTeieucu what I thought! suld thu girl In organdy with resigned meekness. "I should nover bo so presumptuous ns to expect ex-pect you to keep an appointment with mu If there was anything more Interesting Inter-esting on hnnd for you to do." Tho young mnn set hlu Jaw. "You'ro Just as mad as you can bo nbout It!" he told her. "And Hint's why you uro ho particularly hateful to mo now! You wouldn't take so much pains to pretend that you didn't care If you weren't furious!" "Don't bo conceited, Archie," sho begged him. "I like you so much that It grieves mo to tl ml you nro us egotistical as most men. You really, truly don't Imagine, do you, that It makes tho slightest difference to mo whether you prefer another girl to me?'' Tho young man looked nt hor, helpless help-less and ndmlrlng. "You certainly enn grab n cliunco to hit back when you see It, can't you7" he asked. "Well, If you won't admit that you'ro mnd, nt lenst confess that you nro dying to have mo explain. The control you have of your curiosity Is reully won-derful." won-derful." The young woman regarded him with an nloor air. "You aro In a very odd and Impolite humor," sho told him. "There Is no use, I suppose, In my snylng that 1 haven't thu remotest curiosity to know why you went goir-Ing goir-Ing with Mnry and left mo wnltlng on thu other side or tho veranda!" "Not tho least," assorted tho young man. "Itecnnse I know you have." "You nre Just trying to esenpo Irom the main polntB," milled the girl In orgnndy. "Why not drop tho subject? Aru you going to the SmlthsonH' house pnrty?" "Drop nothing." persisted tho young man, "while you aro In this haughty !'.ato ot mind! I can explain " "I don't wont you to!" said the young woman, Bomewhnt tartly. "I owo It to myself," Bald tho young man, firmly. "Of course you don't care about knowing, hut I shall never he happy till you do know." "Won't you, really?" asked tho young woman. "Nevor!" said tho young man emphatically. em-phatically. "And that would bo a dreadful thing to have on your conscience. con-science. Honest. It's nleo or you to let me explain and 1 appreclato your rorheavance. When I came to tho clubhouse I was told that a telephone message had come saying that you couldn't got horo for our rldo nnd thnt It wns on. So then I wont golfing with Mnry." "Well." laughed tho young woman In the orgnndy, "I didn't know you got tint message. I Just nrrlved hero when you enmo In from making the round, so I haven't been wnltlng on the other Hide or tho veranda at all. You Bee, I was quite right when I started In by telling you not to explain!" ex-plain!" The young man looked relieved and then disgusted. "You had a good time with me, didn't you?" ho said at last. Chicago Dally News. |