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Show Stage Fright To his great surprise Chnuncoy Snclllug found that ho wns sitting on tho oxtromo odgo Oof tho carved oak chnlr ho had" selected se-lected on being ushered Into tho Davis rccoptlon I room. That prob. mado his knees feel so peculiar. It was qulto com-fortnblo com-fortnblo to 11 ml this was It instead ot paralysis or something llko Ho stared fixedly nt tho water color of n sandy bench which hung nbovo would havo said months young Snclllng hnd been calling nt tho greeted his vlow many times nnd ho hnd passed It f gazed upon It with rMw a hls n,Ght' 110 w 18 1,0(1 ' Allco would hurry nnd camo down bo ho could get It VI ovor. A nolso on tho Btnlrcaso mado him Imaglno that "Were They?" Bho was coming, nnd ho hnlf Btnrt-cd Btnrt-cd up as If to oscapo. When ho found It wns nothing ho got out his handkerchief handker-chief and dabbed his forehead. Thon he chnnged to tho divan. Still, sho might think ha expected her to como and sit thoro beside him If alio found him thcro. That, whllo dollghtful, would bo too confusing; so ho hastily changed back to the oak chair and stnrted n tremulous whlstlo beforo ho remembered himself and coughed. Whon Allco did como down sho walked Into tho room so casually and naturally that It was almost a shock to him until ho recalled that of courso alio was not nwaro that this ovonlng wbb sot apart from nil others becauso of what ho had resolved to say. "Thoso roses you sont to-day wero Just beautiful, Chauncoy,'5 sho said, blltholy. "Thnnk you bo much!" "Woro they?" Snelllng nsked, gut-turally. gut-turally. Tho protty girl In tho pnlo bluo dress glanced nt him In concern. "My goodnoss!" sho cried. "You aren't go ing to hnvo pnoumonla or anything, nro you? Your voico is dreadfully hoarsol Does your head ache?" That was AlIcc-7-always instantly sympathetic! Thoro wns nn opening horo nnd Snelllng darkly gropod for it "Glvo mo your sympathy for life your sweet thoughtfulness." Thon ho coughed again nnd spoko distinctly. "I haven't a ghost of a cold," ho told hor hurriedly. "Is Is your mother qulto well?" Tho protty girl frankly stared. "Why, of courso," sho said. "Mother always Is woll. What put that Into your head?" "Oh, I don't know," Snclllng an swered mlsorably. "Shall I phono for Graco and Tom bo wo can piny bridge?" sho asked him. Snelllng turned about In alarm. "Oh, my, no!" ho exploded. "I bellovo your head does ache and you won't own up to It," sold 'tho protty prot-ty girl. "I thought you llkod Grace and Tom." "Oh, I do!" protested tho young man. "I am vory fond of thorn, very fond," ho ended emphatically. Ho wiped his forehead as he spoko. "Your voico didn't sound fond," reproved re-proved tho young womnn. "I thought it would nmuso you. You you act kind of bored to-night." Horo .wns another opening "moro Important things to consider" "mind wholly wrapped up In you" "what Is brldgo to a llfo's happiness?" Thon ho managed to say that whllo his hpad didn't ncho he did not feol very well. "How do you like my now dross7" tho young woman started In ngnln. "It's beautiful," said Snelllng deeply. deep-ly. "It looks lovely on you. I don't know that It looks bettor than your othor ono I mean nil your othor ones, of courso. In fact, tho ono beforo this ono I menn tho pink ono was Just ns pretty although of course perhaps per-haps this Is prettier. I llko you best In bluo unless It Is pink!" Tho young woman looked frankly concerned. "Chauncey," sho snld, "I Just know you feel dreadfully and are coming, down with tho grip or something. some-thing. You go light home nnd drink somothlng hot and go to bod." "I bollove you aro right," said Snoil-Ing Snoil-Ing with ghastly choorfulness. His hnnd reached toward IiIb hat, but I1I3 knocs rofiiaod to bend to allow him to rlso. Spnsmodlcully ho got to Ms feet. "I do feol queer," ho confessed. "I wondor what ailed Chauhcoy tonight?" to-night?" sho murmured. "Ho seemed to havo something on his mind." Onco settled In tho street cur, Snelllng folt- calmness and polso ramming ra-mming to him. As ho glared Into tho street lights his lips moved savngoly In ono emphatic word directed at him j self. Chicago Dally Nows |