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Show I t ..... . ty DAVID GRAHAM PMLURS, Author of "TBFCQSFMr CHAPTER X. Continued. Hut my vanity wns not dono with inc. Led on by It, I proceeded to have one or thoso ridiculous "genorous Impulses" Im-pulses" I persuaded myself thut thoro must be some decency tn this liberality, In addition to tlio prudence which I (lattered myself wns tlio chief -cause "I havo been unjust to Hoo-buck," Hoo-buck," 1 thought. "I have boon misjudging mis-judging his character." And Incredl-bio Incredl-bio though It seems, I said to him with a good deal of genuine emotion: "I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Koebuck, And, Instead of trying, I wnnt to apologize to you. I havo thought many hard things against you; have spoken some of them. I had better havo boon attending to my own conscience, Instead of criticising yours." "Thank you, Illacklock," said ho, In a volco that made mo feel as If I wcro a llttlo boy In tho crossroads church, S bollevlng I could almost boo tho angels an-gels floating aliovo tho heads of tho singers in the choir behind tho preachor. "Thank you. I am not surprised sur-prised that you havo misjudged mo. God has given me a great work to do, and thoso who do Ills will In this wicked world must ox pert martyrdom. I should never havo had tho courage , to do what I havo dono, what Ho hns dono through me, had lie not guided my every step." XI. ANITA. On my first day In long trousers I may have been more HI nt cauu tliali I was that Sunday evening at tho KUoralys", but I doubt It. ' When I came Into their big drawing-room drawing-room and took a look abound at tho assembled guests, 1 never felt more at homo In my life. "Yqs,""suld I to myself, as Mrs. Ellersly was greeting mo and as I noted tho friendly inter- est In tho glances of tlio women, "this '.s where I belong. I'm beginning to come Into my own." As I look back on It now, I can't ro-fraln ro-fraln from smiling at my own simplicity simpli-city and snobbishness. For, so "do-L "do-L tormined was I to bellevo what 1 wus working for was worth while, that I actually fancied thoro wore upontheso la roallty ordinary peoplo, ordinary lu looks, ordinary In Intelligence, some subtle marks of superiority, that made thorn at a glance superior to the common com-mon run. This ecstasy of snobbishness snobbish-ness deluded me as to the women only for, as I looked at the men, I at once folt myself tholr superior. Thoy were an Inconsequential, patterned pat-terned lot. I even was better dressed than any of them, except possibly Mowbray Langdon, and if ho showed ,to more advantage than I, It was be-cause be-cause of his ' mapner, which, as I bayo probably said before, Is superior to that of any human being 1'vo ever soon man or woman. "You aro to tako Anita In," said Mrs. Ellorsly. With a lauguablo senso that I was doing myself proud, I crossed tlio room easily and took my stand In front of hor. Sho shook hands with mo politely enough. Langdon mms sitting bcsldo bur; I had intorrupttd their conversation. "Hello, Illacklock!" said Langdon, with a quizzical, satirical smllo with' tho eyes only. "It seems strange to oo you at such peaceful pursuits." ji- His glanco traveled over mo critically I and that was the beginning of my trouble Presently ho rose, left mo alonn with hor. "You know Mr. I.angdon?" sho said, obviously because alio felt sho must say something. "Oh, yes," I roplled. "Wo nro old friends. What a tremendous swull ho i ' Is really a uwell." This with enthu siasm. She mado no comment. I debated with myself whether to go on talking of Langdon. I decided against It be-causo be-causo all I knew of him had to do with matters down town and Monson had lmprosscd It upon mo thnt down town was tuboo In the drawing-room. I rummaged my brain In vuln for an-othor an-othor and sultnblo topic. Sho sat, and 1 stood sho tranquil and beautiful nnd cold, I overy Instnut moro mlBcrnbly self-conscious. When tho start for tho dining-room was mado I offered her my left arm, though I had carofully planned bo-forehand bo-forehand just what I would do. Sho without hesltutlon and, as I know now, out of sympathy for mo in my suffering suffer-ing wus taking my wrong arm, whon It Hashed on mo llko n blinding blow M "" In the faco that I ought to bo on tho 1 ' othor sldo of hor. I got red, tripped k In tho far-sprawling tra:i of Mrs. m Langdon, toro It slightly, tried to got to tho other sldo of Miss Kllorsly by walking In front of her, rocovorod myself somehow, stumbled round bo-hind bo-hind hor, walked on hor train and finally nrrlvod, at her left sldo, con-scious con-scious lu overy rod. hot atom of mo that I "was making a spectacle of mysolf (and that tho whole company was enjoying It. I must hnvo scorned I to them mi Ignorant boor; In fact, I bad been about a grout deal among people 'vho knew how to behave, nnd Lad I novur given the matter of how to conduct mysolf on thnt particular occasion nn Instant's thought, I should havo got on without tho least trouble It wasvwlth n sigh of profound relief re-lief that' I Bank upon tho chair between be-tween Miss Ellersly nnd Mrs. Lang, don, safo from dnnger of mnklng "breaks,"' so I hoped, for tho rest or tho evening. Hut within a vory few minutes I realized thnt my llttlo misadventure mis-adventure had unnerved mo. My hnnds wero trembling so thnt I could scarcely lift tho soup spoon to my Hps, nnd my throat had got so far boyond control that I had dlfllculty In swallowing. Miss Ellersly nnd Mrs. Langdon wero each busy with iho man on tho other sldo of her; 1 was left to my own reflections, and I wns not sure whether this made mo moro or less uncomfortable. To add to my torment, I grow angry, with myself. I looked up nnd down and cross tho big table, noted all thoso solf-sntlsflcd peoplo porfectly at tholr ease; and I said to myself: "What's tho mntter with you, Matt? Thoy'ro only men nnd womon, nnd by no means tho best specimens of tho breed. You've got moro brains than all of 'cm put together, to-gether, probably; Is thoro ono of tho lot that could get a job at good wages If thrown on tho world? What do you .are what they think of you? It's a damn sight moro Important what you vhluk of thorn, ns It won't bo many j'cars before you'll hold everything j hoy value, everything that makes 'hem of consequence, In tlio hollow of j'our hund." When tho ladles wlthdrow, tho othor non drew togothor, talking of peoplo r did not know nnd of things I did not enro about I thought thon that thoy wero avoiding mo deliberately as a flock of Uimo ducks avoids a wild ono that somo wind has accidentally blown down umong them. I know now that my forGlddliig nspect must huvo boon rosponslblo for my Isolation. However, How-ever, I sut nlono, HUllonly resisting old Ellersly's constrained efforts to got me Into tho conversation, and angrily suspicions that Langdon was enjoying my discomfiture more than tho cigarette cigar-ette ho wns apparently ubsorbed lu. Old Ellorsly, growing moro and moro nervous before my dark and Billion Bill-ion look, finally seated himself bcsldo mo. "I hopo you'll stay after tho others havo gone," said ho. "They'll leave early, and wo can havo a quiet amoko and talk." All unstrung .though I vas, I yot had the desporuto courage to resolve that I'd not lonvo, defeated In tho eyes of tho ono porsou whose opinion I really cared atout. "Vory well," said I, In reply to him. Ho and I did not follow tho others to tho drawlag-room, but turned Into tho library adjoining. Prom whero I seated mysolf I could seo part of tho drawing-room saw tho others leaving, leav-ing, b&w UliumIou lingering, Ignoring th Impatient glances ., of his rife, whllo ho talked on and on with Misa Ellersly. At last Langdon arose. It Irritated mo to seo her color under thnt Indifferent In-different fascinating smllo of his. It irritated me to note that ho hold her hand all tho time ho wns saying good-by, good-by, and tho fact that he held It as If ho'd as lief not bo holding It hardly lessened my longing to rush In nnd knock him down. What ho did was all in tho way of perfect good man-nors, man-nors, and would havo jarred no ono not supersensitive, llko mo and llko his wife. 1 saw that she, too, was frowning. In nn aimless sort of way Miss Ellorsly, after the Lnngdons had disappeared, dis-appeared, left tho drawing-room by the same door. Still nhnlessly wandering, wan-dering, sho drifted Into tlio library by tho hall door. As I rose, sho lifted her eyes, saw me, and drovo nwny tho frown of annoyance which camo over her faco like the faintest haze. In fact, it may havo existed only in my Imagination. Sho opened n large, squaro silver box on tho table, took out a cigarette, lighted It nnd holding It, with tho smoke lazily curling up from It, between tho long slender llrst and second lingers of her whlto hnnd, stood Idly turning tho lenves of n mng-azlno. mng-azlno. I threw my cigar Into tho fireplace. Tho slight sound as It struck mado hor Jump, nnd I saw that, underneath under-neath bur surface of perfect calm, sho wns In n norvoun atnto fiill aa tenso as my own. "You smoko?" said I. ''.Sometimes," sho replied. "It is soothing and detracting. I don't know how It Is with others, but whon I smoke my mind is quito empty." "It's a nasty habit smoking," said I. "Do you think so?" said sho, with the slightest lift to her tono and her oyobrows. "Especlnlly for a woman," I went on, because I could think of nothing olso to say, nnd would not, at any cost, ' - ; . . "SUB LOOKED AT ME-JUST LOOKKD." lot this conversation, so hard to bogln, dlo out. "Your aro ono of thoso mon who havo ono codo for themselves nnd another an-other for women," sho roplled. "I'm a man," said I. "All mon havo tho two codes." "Not all," said sho after a pauso. "All mon of decent Ideas," said I with omphnsls. "Ileally?" said she, In a tono that Irritated mo by suggesting that what I said was both absurd and unimportant. unimpor-tant. "It Is tho llrst time I've over seen a respoctablo woman smoko," I went on, poworloss to chango tho subject, though conscious I was getting tedious. tedi-ous. "I'vo read of such things, but 1 didn't bo'llovo." "That Is Interesting," said sho, hor tono suggesting tho rovorso. "I'vo offended you by saying frankly frank-ly what I think," snld I. "Of course, It's nana of my business." "Oh, no," roplled sho carolossly. "I'm not In tho least offended. Prejudices Preju-dices ulways Interest mo," I snw Ellorsly and his wlfo sitting in tho drawing-room, protending to talk to each other. I understood that thoy wero leaving, mo alono with her deliberately, and I began to suspect .slip wns In tho plott J smiled, and my courage and Bolf-poisesslon returned us summarily as thoy had fled. "I'm glad of this chance to got hotter hot-ter acquainted with you," said I. "I'vo wauted It ever slnco I first saw you." Ab I tl this to hor directly, sho dropped bur tes and murmured some thing snu probably wished mo to hlni vaguely pleasant. "You aro the first woman I over know," I went on, "with whom It wns hnrd for mo to got on nny aort of terms, I supposo It's my fault. I don't know this gnmo yot. Hut I'll learn It, if you'll bo n little patlont; and when 1 do, I think I'll bo nblo to koop up my end." Sho looked at mo Just looked. I couldn't begin to guess what was going on In that gracufiilly-polsod.head of hers. "Will you try to bo friends with mo?" said I with directness. Sho continued to look at mo In that samo steady, puzzling way. "Will you?" I ropeated. "I havo no choice," snld sho alowly. I flushed. "What docs thnt moan?" I demanded, 8ho throw n hurried and, It scorned to me, frightened glanco toward tho drawing-room. "I didn't Intend to offend of-fend you," sho said In n low volco. "You havo been such n good friend to papa I'vo no right to feel nnythlng but friendship for you." "I'm glad to henr you say that," said I. And I wns; for thoso words of hors wero tho llrst expression of appreciation ap-preciation and gratltudo I had ovor got from nny member rf that family which I was holding up from ruin. I put out my hand, and alio laid hors In It. "Thoro Isn't anything I wouldn't do to earn your friendship, Miss Anita," I said, holding hor hand tightly, feeling feel-ing how lifeless It wns, yet feeling, too, as if n flaming torch wcro bolng homo through mo, wcro lighting a flro in every vein. Tho scarlet poured Into her faco nnd nock, wavo on wave until I thought It would nover censo to come. Sho snatched her hand away and from her faco streamed proud resentment. Qod, how I loved her at that moment! "Anita! Mr. Illacklock!" came from tho othor room, In her mother's volco. "Como In hero nnd savo us old peoplo from boring each other to sleep." Sho turned swiftly nnd went Into tho othor room, I following. Thoro wcro a few minutes of conversation a monologue mon-ologue by hor mother. Then I censed to disregard Ellcrsly's less nnd less covert ynwns, nnd rose to tnko lenve. I could not look directly at Anita, but 1 was scolng that her oyes wero fixed on mo, as If by somo compulsion, somo sinister compulsion. I left In high spirits. "No matter why or how sho looks at you," said I to myself. "All that Is necessary is to get yourself noticed. no-ticed. After that tho rest Is easy. You must keep cool enough always to rcmombor that under this glamour that Intoxicated you, she's a woman, Just a woman, waiting for a man." XII. "UNTIL TO MORROW." A week passed and, just as I was within sight of my limit of patience, Bromwell Ellersly appeared at my office of-fice "I can't put my hand on tho necessary cash, Mr. Blacklock at least, not for a few days. Can I count on your further Indulgence?" This tn his best exhibit of old-fashioned courtliness court-liness the "gontloman" through and through, Ignorant of anything useful. "Don't let that matter worry you, Ellorsly," said I, friendly, for I wanted to be pn a somewhat less business-like basts with that family. "The market's steady, and will go up before It goes down." . "Good said h. '.'Byjhoway. yon havepVtikfpt'iirotuv promise to call." "I'm a busy man," said I. "Yon must make my excuses to your wife. But In tho evenings. Couldn't we get up a little theater party Mrs. Ellorsly and your daughter and you and I Sam, too, If he cares to come?" "Delightful!" cried ho. "Whichever ono of tho next Ave evenings you say," I said. "Let me know by to-morrow morning, will you?" And we talked no moro of tho neglected margins; we understood each othor. When ho loft ho had negotiated ne-gotiated a three months' loan of twenty thousand dollars. Thoy woro so surprised that thoy couldn't conceal It, when thoy were ushered Into my apartment on tho Wednesday evening thoy had fixed upon. If my taBte In dress was somewhat some-what too pronounced, my tasto In my surroundings wus not. I suppose tho sumo Instinct that mado mo llko tho music and tho pictures nnd tho books that woro tho products of superior minds had guided mo right In 'architecture, 'archi-tecture, decoration and furniture I was pleased out of all proportion to Its valuo by what Ellorsly nnd his wtfo looked nnd said. But, though I watched Miss Ellersly closoly, though 1 trlod to draw from hor soma com-mont com-mont on my bolonglngs on my pictures, pic-tures, on my superb tapestries, on tho boautlful carving of my furniture I got nothing, from hor beyond that llrst look of surpriso and pleasure Her faco resumed Its statucllko calm, ho? eyes did not wander, hor Hps, llko a crimson bow painted upon hor clear, whlto skin, remained closed. Sho spoke only when sho wns spoken to, nnd thon ns briefly ns possible. Tho dlnnor and a mighty good dlnnor II wns would havo beon momorablo foi strain and sllencn had not Mrs. Idlers ly kept up her Incessant chatter. 1 can't recall a word sho aald, but I ad mired her for being ablo to talk nt all, I knew sho wns In tho samo stato at the rest of us, yot she nctod perfectl) at her ease, and not until I thought' II over afterward did I rcnllzo that sh had dono all the talking except an sworn to her occasional and clover) sprinkled direct questions. (To be continued,) |