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Show Points and Blue Points. He pulled out the chair, and, as her eyes wandered wan-dered down the long table, she sank into her seat, remarking: "Fancy, Blue Points in May! Fishmongers claim this species of crustacean particularly wanting want-ing in flavor during the months when the alphabet steals 'r' from the calendar." He meditated on the frivolity of her remark, then rejoined: "Nature must be niggard sometimes some-times even to the extent of mortifying a harmless bivalve." She began a cautious attack of the oysters firmly imbedded in a spiked condensed sea. "Ah," she replied lightly, "and so you accuse Nature of a 'sometimes prodigality.' " "Yes, nor do I blame her for exhaustion at the end of the season, in fact her despair like that of the caterer when supplies run short fills me with positive compassion." "Fancy," she laughed, looking up with an arch side glance, "our discussing the spice of a fleeting mollusk when" she paused significantly. "When?" he echoed, interrogatively, with a comprehensive nod at the candle shade. "When," she continued hurriedly "when we once had so much to talk about. Other things, you know, besides the friendly relatives of seaweed." sea-weed." "Yes, and the emotions once discussed are as fleeting as these." He gave the shell nearest him a vicous poke with his oyster fork. "And had," he continued, "as much foundation as well as a fish story." She looked offended and put down her weapon of attack decidedly. "Because a man's idea of happiness and of a woman's forbearance is as limited as his conception of eternity does not convince con-vince one that the state is measured by seconds." "Forbearance!" He looked positively incredulous. incredu-lous. "I think you will find it in Webster's," she said smartly. "Thank you," he responded gravely. "Had the word a gender in English I should label it masculine purely." She caught up the silver pronged affair beside i m her plate threateningly. "Indeed, did you con- i t jjjH jugate it so we would soon have a dead language.'" ! !j ' !H He smiled at her cynically. ' 1 j ' ) H "What a pretty Amazon you would inako,. r H Miss Van Wyke." j. 'M "I am surprised by the inference. I had no i j H idea that when we met again it would be war to I ' , IB the knife." ' ' H She spoke with a well applied mournfulness. , T , fl "Aptly put, but by courtesy we will call the f ' ' 'fH hostess's neglect in shape of a fork, a battle lance !' WH if you will," he murmured carelessly. jt ? 'H "Please don't," she said, her eyes wide and j I,1 j ' IH suspiciously moist. 1 I I iut !H The hand nearest him dropped from the table i j " '2H into her lap. And then something happened. j ' :H Perhaps his right hand was secretive as to its. ) I JH charities. J PH "I fear we are too analytical," he said tender- 'III 'H ly, dextrously dismembering a victim just as t ' J though the left hand was not doing extras. 'V, ' ' $, , "We make mincemeat of our lives, and then j j ' ) t expect the entrees to retain relish. Had we been , 1 1 " wise we had never tried to explain the quantities 1 i ; of discretion and its antithisis, as exemplified by ? ''M ' ? " JjjB the fascinations of that cad Brooks." "' L ' j '!f "Mr. Brooks is a friend of mine and a gentle- I til ' man," she answered warmly, suddenly removing " ' Mf yH a forgotten member. "Men never analyze, it is ''Vf ''kI incompatible with their actions, the discrepancy4 ; j . would confound logic. Their universal admlra- ) J jfl tion, particularly effective in conservatories, is, j y "J like beauty, its own excuse." C jjdB "Just as you will. Suppose we meditate on I f !) 'H politics during the next course." IfS'tr ;j He spoke vcoldly and turned to the other girl. if ' tjfH "I hate men," his companion breathed fiercely, Ijli 'ff "just as though I hadn't made my eye's and nose fi - j iSM conspicuously red for a whole week on his ac- I i ,4 Jll count." W (( She coughed perhapB from a draught and per- Hi j f JfH haps again, not from the exposure of her shoul- ' j L ifl ders as much as the exposure of her feelings. How- , ' ij jH ever, the signal was effectual and he turned just i j . jl in time to catch a glance which she discreetly j , -j) 'v M lowered for an oyster's edification. 1 "'' l jH "Suppose we forgive and forget," he suggested j ' 1 gently, "commence anew and just live last sum- I h 'I mer all over again." ' ' ' v t fH She smiled demurely and slowly put a frozen I I t I morsel into her mouth. V itflEl "Suppose we do," she said thoughtfully. "Love I " rj"$fi and May are good after all, though V isn't in 1 ' ' p '' jH either." , : j! M Then she looked down, adding shyly, "I never j j J jjJH knew these things had hearts before." P iM "Hearts and pearls," he corrected softly. ';M!-;'1B John Roberts in San Francisco Town Talk. I fir I SH |
