| Show THEY WERE interrupted the pretty girl with the fluffy pank gown rose from her chair with a bright and cordial smile so bright indeed that most persons would have been suspicious of it how do you do mr hardtack she sa with all the sweet ness a woman usually bestons bestows on her victim before she plays him you are acquainted quain ted with mr On are you not the young man who bad just ad danced through the port leres and the other young man who rose from alre close to the chair in which hail sat the pretty girl eyed each other with polite dislike i er possibly we have met admitted mr hardtack sitting down stiffly by a table with an air of its being merely a temporary seat till the first caller should go delighted to meet you said M r On with the firm attitude of one who declines to admit any previous acquaintance whatsoever why I 1 thought you both were at helens house party exclaimed abo pretty girl reprovingly mr On politely swung his chair around from the fire before be entirely banished his lowering brow so we were he confessed names blip ones mind so but I 1 do kemem her bour face now hardtack pardon me dont mention it said the young man by the table I 1 ve tried to get down here to sea you before miss jones continued mr hardtack its too bad murmured the pretty girl abstractedly you are so lar mr hardtack so many engagements oh not at all protested the young man T oui ou are looking as bloom ing as ever be added with the awk ward noss that comes from having to before an unsympathetic listener yet with the doggedness of determination more soa put in the young man by the alre victoriously impossible triumphed the young man by the table it it was so nice of you to remember me she offered as oil on the troubled waters oh I 1 always do that said the young man by the table settling back in bis chair you see 5 ou re not the sort of girl one could forget 11 one wanted to the oung man by the alra crossed one knee over the other and stared up at the picture molding as it nothing on earth interested him too bad we haven t a fourth said mr we could have a game of bridge I 1 sharply said the young man by the fire coming down from the picture molding with a thud am quite content just as we are were that Is are I 1 meant too bad you are bored hardtack oh mr hardtack did not mean that said the pretty girl hast ll it it was so nice of you to come hive you been well all winters 1 ive had a little cold explained mr hardtack be ond that my health has been lery satisfactory I 1 al ways take care of a cold in time don t ou miss jones oh dear me yes answered the pretty girl absent when I 1 was a child went on mr hardtack firmly while the young mai by the alre frowned at his clasped fingers 1 I used to have such dread tul colds that my mother was afraid id have lung fever every winter many a night has she sat up with me how sweet of her said the pretty girl have you seen bob and jessie lately 1 I dined there said mr hardtack last thursday no it was last wednesday I 1 am sure because it was the day my new dress clothes were due and I 1 remember it was S 30 before the boy brought them no it was thursday after all I 1 was at another dinner wednesday night how stupid of me to mix things BO yes I 1 saw bob and jessie last thursday night there was silence then mr hard tack with a glare at mr On rose I 1 have another call to make he said I 1 must be going As the outer door closed on mr hardtack mr On swung his chair and the pretty girl s around fac ing the alre again and deftly swung them a little nearer to each other than they had been before thank heaven he cleared out ho said cli now may be you can answer that most important of all questions which I 1 had just asked when he butted in and say yes won t lou chicago dally news |
