Zelda Dameron~J
CIIAITKR VIII.— (Continued )
"Thru » Mr ltai> »rm over there,"
Ze I <l.i remarked, casually.
"Ilo sing»
divinely, d«xsn't be? Don't you think
he »Inga divinely
and »he looked it
Morri» suddenly, with a provoking air
of gravity
"I'm sure he was a De Ressks In
•onia former Incarnation." sold Morris,
■avagely.
That w .«a just whet I was thinking
only I hadn't the words to express II."
•aid Zeid*. with a mockery of Joy at
finding they were In accord.
"I'm glad. then, that we can agree
alwiut something, even when we're both
undoubtedly wrong "
"I don't like to think that I can be
wrong." »aid Zelda. "And II Isn’t In
the least battering for you to suggest
such a thing I shall have to »peak to
«iy Uncle Itodney about you."
"Any Interest you may lake In me
will be appreciated "
Jack had crossed the room, giving
what he called the cheering Jolly Io
several young women on the way. and
he turned quickly
"At your Service. Miss Dameron"—
•nd he bowed Impressively.
"Mr Leighton Is crasy about your
singing.
He Is Just walling for
a
chan<« to congratulate you.
Hot he's
very unhappy to-night
Words fall
him"
And »he »hook her head and
looked Into Halcomb'» grinning face ••
tlMiugh this were a great grief bet«e«n
them
"What kind of a Jolly 1» this? I »ay.
Morris, you look like first and second
gra'e-dieger done Into one. We're not
playing Hamlet naw. Hut I can tell
you. Mi»» lMovr i that when brother
Iwlghlon he In-longs Io my frat, hence
the brother did llarnlet over al dur
dear old alma mater, the gloom that
settled down on that township could
have been cut up
Into
badges
of
mourning enough to have
supplied
Mpaln through her little affair with
these Htatea
That's Walt Whitman
--'these Hla les* Do you know. I was
Ophelia to bls II imlet. and If I do say
It myself, I was a sw«xt thing in Ophe
lias.''
"I don't doubt you were. Mr. Hal
comb," said Zeids
'There was Just one thing lacking
In
your
Impersonation.''
declared
l-tlghlon: "you ought to have been
drowned In the first » ene of the first
act to have made It perfect "
"No. Violence, gentlemen. 1 beg of
you"' And Zelda hurried aero»» th’
room to where llerr Hchinldt was as*
■entitling the principals
"Hay, that girl has got the art of
stringing down tins.
Hhe seams
to
have you going all right
You look like
twenty-nine cents st a thirty-cent liar-
gnln counter. Hut you take it too hard
I wish she'd string me' They're never
so much Interested as when they throw
you on your face and give you the
merry tra la
I tell you I've had ex
perlvnce with the
all right, and I
know!”
"Yea. I remember your flirtation»
with the girl» that walled on table at
the college boarding■ house
You had
• very cheering way with them"
Halcomb's eyes were running rest
lessly over the groups of young peo-
pie
He was appraising and
fixing
them In his misd as he talked
III»
Joy In being among them—these rep
resentative young people of the city,
whose names he knew well from long
• nd diligent perusal of the personal
•nd society column of the dally pa
pers—amused l.righton; but the fel
low's self-satlafactlon Irritated
him.
too.
The chorus had been drilled apart.
• nd thl» was the first time Morris had
heard the prim l|>al» »Ing.
He
had
Joined the < horn« under protest, but
Mrs Carr hud Insisted, and when he
burned that Zelda w is to l»e the »tar
It had not t>een difficult to comply
Hhe began now one of her songs
When the last note» died away. Hal
comb stepped out at the director's nod
• nd I • »an the answering long.
Hal
comb usually amused Morris, but the
fellow struck upon him discordantly
Zelda was laughing at Halcomb's an
tics ns hr began to sing with fervor
• nd a real sense of the dramatic re-
qiiir>-nients
As he neared the end.
where Zelda and he a.mg together th <
duet that ended the first half of the
opera, Zelda put up her hands, and he
took them, gaging Into her eyes with
a line lover-llke air. Their voices soar
«rd Into the climax without a break,
while the director threw himself In’o
strange contortions as hs struck th-»
last bar» leading to the high note
which they gained and held perfectly.
The dress rehearsal was fixed for the
next night.
"It simply can't fall!” declared Mrs
Carr
to
Ixlshton.
".Mlns Iktmeron
could carry It alone If every one else
should break down"
"That la altogether true," said Mor
ris. Hs was glaring at Halcomb, whose
Joy In being a member of the cast was
hard to bear.
CHAPTER IX.
"Deceivers Kver"
was presented
with no more delays and slips than us
ually befall amateur performances. be
fore an audience that tested the capac
ity of the Athenaeum. It was a great
occasion for Mra. Carr, as she had un
doubtedly taken the Dramatic Club
when Its life was ebbing fast and made
a living thing of IL Hhe sat la the
wings holding the prompt-book
and
prepared for sny fate.
"Ixt us speak to Zee and then es
cape." said Merriam to his sister, as
the chairs were Ixlng pushed hack for
the dance that was to follow the play.
A few older people were there and ehev
•
Zelda came out presently from
the
dressing-room, with her arms full of
flowers that had been passed across
the footlights, snd she bore Olive Mer
riam with her.
“Don't be afraid; hot In the least
afraid," Zelda said to her cousta as
she hastened across the hall to her
.»unt and uncle
■Please don't" urged Olive. "It Isn't
kind to me."
"No danger at all; they're all per
fectly amiable when you know how to
nanags them "
"Aunt Julia, thia la a real compli
ment!
Thanks very much.
This Is
olive Merriam.
And. Uncle Itodney.
here's the star, to whom I expect you
to say something particularly nice. Mr
Merriam. Miss Merriam" and Zelda
smiled at the old gentleman lx»wed low
over the hand of his brother’s daugh
ter.
olive Merriam." said Zelda. "Is my
cousin snd my very desrest friend"
olive was not afraid. Hhe smiled at
Itodney Merriam, and there was some
thing very winning In olive Merriam's
smile.
Zelda looked demurely at her
«unt. who asemsd slat"
-t •
thing unpleasant might haptxn. I<ut
Rodney Merriam laugh.-.I. half at find
ing himself caught, and half at the
sight of olive Merriam » blue eyes, her
glowing cheeks with their furtive dim
ple« and the fair hair that Zelda was
now compelling her to wear In the pre
vailing mode.
"I am delighted; I am proud of you."
he declared, quite honestly.
"I think I may say that 1 recipro
cate." replied Olive.
"I haven't seen
you for > loe.g llm<- I'ncsle Rodney —
except at a distance."
"Altogether my fault ami my loss' I
trust that the distance may be con
siderably leasetled hereafter."
A numlxr of people were watching
this by-play with keen Interest. Home
thing had surely happened among the
Merriams
It had been many years
•Ince so many members of the family
had been seen together at any aoclxl
gathering.
There's a draft somewhere." said
Mrs Forrest, suddenly
"We must lx
going, Rodney. And now. Zelda. don't
stay out all night. Mra Carr la going
to take you home You'll lx sure to lx
•lek If you're not careful
And" —Zei
ds was looking at her aunt Intently—
"Miss Merriam. I do hope you will
come to see me. I never go snywhere,
you know
And please remember mo
to your mother."
"And pray remember me, also," said
Rodney Merriam, feeling Zelda'» eyes
upon him.
“OR. Zee," »«id her uncle. In a low
tone; "It was all fine; but how did Pol-
lock come to lx In the show?—I don't
care to have you know him."
"Of course I shall know him "
"Hut I prefer "
"Please don't prefer!
I m having s
little fun to-night, and I can’t be seri
ous at all.
Home other time— good
night!"
"What do you think of that g1rl~'
asked Mrs. Forrest, when she
was
alone with her brother In their car
riage.
“1 think she's very pretty. If you re
fer to olive M-rrlam. and has nice
manners." was his reply,
•There seems to be no way of check
ing Zelda's enthusiasms
I hope that
girl won't take advantage of Zee's
kindness." said Mrs Forrest, as h«r
brother left her at her door.
"I shouldn't worry si«>ut her If I
were you."
"I certainly shan't; but you were Al
ways down on her father“
"I was always a good deal of a fool,
loo," said Rodney Merriam; and he re
fused to lx taken home In his sister's
carriage, hut wnlke«l homeward from
her door through High street, beating
the walk reflectively with his atlck.
At the Athenaeum Zelda was enjoy
ing herself unreservedly.
Her cousin
Olive had been presented to a repro;
tentative Mariana audience In a way
that had commanded attention, and
Zelda was thoroughly happy over It
Hhe did not care In the least what peo
ple might sny about the healing of old
wounds among the Merriams
It gave
her the only unalloyed Joy of he.-
home-coming to see Olive established
socially on a f«w«tlng that was, she
told herself, aa nrm aa her own.
Halcomb, who was milch
swollen
with pride by his success In the op
era. was talking In his usual breath
less fashion to a young friend from
the country whom hs had asked to
witness his triumph.
Reyon«l
Pol
lock's head Zelda could See lialcomli’S
profile, though she could not hear him
"Hhe's a regular piece. that girl. I
was scared to death for fear she’d
throw me In that duet—we'd
never
sung It together—but
1
Carrie«!
It
through all right. Hhe's that stunning
Miss Itameron’s cousin. Hhe's rather
•tuck on me. I'm afraid—I've dona lit-
tla things for her—theater and so on.
but I'll have to cut It all out. Hha’s
amusing, but I can't afford to havs her
mlsundarstand my atteotlons, When a
fellow find» that he's got s girl down
fins she erases to bs interesting. It's
ths pursuit that's amua'ng; but when
they txgln to expect somethin«— «'un
iting' well. I should ray!"
I’olloriR heard him distinctly, and hs
shut hla eyes two or three times In s
quick way that he bad when angry,
though he kept on talking to Zelda
about ths evening's performance
Tm afraid you're jealous of Mr
Halcomb. He gut more applause than
anylody "
"He deserved all he got for making
such a monkey of himself "
"ties a man of courage, he proba
bly thought bs could afford to do IL"
"AU of that?" sold Pollock.
"A rising young man."
continued
Zdda.
"A txrson, I should say. of most
egregious and monumental gall"—and
Zelda laughed at hie earnestness
Hhe
had not heard Hah omb'• remark about
her cousin, but she knew he had said
something that Irritated Pollock Ttiat
young officer left her quickly
when
l.elghton <-ame up for the dance that
had now Ixgun.
Pollock found Halcomb In a moment.
The promoter was standing st the side
of the hall, his eyes nervously search
ing for the girl with whom he had en
gaged the dance.
"Mr. Halcomb." said Pollock, at his
elbow, may I speak to you a moment."
"Certainly,1 •aid Halcomb. In his us-
ual amiable faahlon. "Only I'm engsg-
cd for this «lance and have lost my
partner."
'That's my own flx." declared Pol-
lock, "but my errand la brief, lxt us
step out here."
He led the day to a door opening up
on the main stairway of the building
and they paused there. Pollock with
his back to the door, facing Halcomb
He carried one glove In hla hand and
was very trim and erect In hla evening
clothes
"Mr Halcomb. | was so unfortunate
as to overhear your convernallon of a
moment ago with some one I didn't
know, but that
doesn't
matter—In
which you referred to a young lady—•
young lady who came here to-night
under >our eecort. In terms that a gen
tieman would not use."
"As a confessed eavesdropper I don't
Iwllrve it Is net ceaary for you to say
anything further." said Halcomb, with
heat, and he took a step toward the
d«x>r of the assembly-room.
Pollix-k touched him on the shoulder
with the lips of hla lingers, very light
ly.
Halcomb was half • head taller
and much bulkier, but the tips of Pol-
kxk'a Hngrrs seemed to carry a cer
tain Insistence, and
Halcomb
drew
back.
"I shall hold you responsible for this,
you—"
' I certainly ho|x you will. As I was
saying, you referred to a young lady,
w ho was here under your protection. In
terms which no one but a contemptible
cur would use of a woman—"
Halcomb's arm went up
and
ha
struck at Pollack with his ItsL The
officer st«x«d as he had been, but the
glove In his right hand slapped smart
ly upon Halcomb's face, and Halcomb
backward
took an Involuntary step
down the stairway.
"In tbe part of the country that I
came from. Mr. Halcomb," Pollock
con versa t tonal
continued In an easy
tone, "we do very pleasant things u
bright and captivating people of your
stripe" he t«x>k another step forward,
and Halcomb, a little white In the face,
retreated again—"but In this Instance"
— Pollock lifted hla left hand to his
shadowy moustache and gave
II
a
twist; he took another step and Bal-
comb yielded lx fore him
I shall let
you off with unwarranted leniency."
Hahomb, forved another step down
ward. had grown red with fury, and
again struck at Pollock, but with th«»
result that Halcomb stumbled and re
treated two steps Instead of one. reach
ing a landing
With this more secure
tooting he gained courage.
You little cur. you little " he blua-
t«-red, drawing his face down so that
he could glare Into Pollock’s eyes
"Yes." said Pollock, calmly; "I have
been called little before; so that your
statement lacks novelty. As I was say
ing"—anil he l«-ane«1 against the stale
rail with the tips of the fingers of his
glove.) hand thrust Into his trouse-s
pocket, and holding the other glove In
his right han«l "I haven't time now to
go Into the matter further, but I am
always at your service. It will give me
great pleasure to make your excuse» to
Mias Merriam, or to any other friends
>ou may lx leaving behind you—owing
tn an Ilin* ss that made It neo-ssury
for you to leave—suddenly. Now you
will oblige me by continuing on down
to the coat room—unatten«led. There
• re prolxbl) son««- gentlemen Ixlow
there that I should very much dislike
to explain matters to"
Thdcomb leaped lightly forward ss
though to make a rush for the d«>or of
the assembly-room.
'Try that again." said Pollock, seis
ing him by the collar, anil throwing
him back, "and I’ll drop you over the
txnlstrr."
Some men had entered the lower hall
from the smoking-room, and ltalcnm’1
greeted them cheerily aa he turned amt
went Ixlow .«» though to Join them
Pollock stood above waiting for Hal
comb to reappear, and as he waited he
resumed hla glove anil
buttoned
It
with rare. The walls was nearly over,
bus he stood there leaning against tha
stalr-rall and beating time to the mn-
slc with hla fool, until he saw Halcomb
come out of the coat room clad for the
streeL When Halcomb looked up. Pol
lock waved his hand to him gracious
ly, and turned and went back Into ths
hall.
".Miss Merriam." he said, bowing be
fore Olive. "I very much regret to pre
sent Mr. Halcomb's «ompllments and to
•ay that he hae been
unexpectedly
called away—pressing business—and
he asked me to do myself the honor to
see that you don't get lo»L
This IS
our fiance.''
(Te bs continued.)
REPARTEE ENDS IN DISASTER
Free* Yau eg Man In Quick Lanah
Room Is Unaspectsdly IM»
• rsg With Oatmeal.
Ths young man with the Iron sbseb
entered the quick luack root« and
•ested himself at the third table
’ lisllnda." be called familiarly, "yea
look frrak this mornlag "
"Not half as fresh as soots others."
retorted tbe pretty waitress with as
elevation of her noee
"Well' Well! Have you calf brains?"
"If I did you wouldn't order them,
for you bars an oversupply now "
"My, but you are gottlr.g good for
’be matinee
With the high price ot
meats eggs corns la handy these days
don't thsyV
"No. they come la crates"
"Wow! fdd you ever bear tbe story
>f tbe Incubator chick? It's not out
ret?"
"That will do, sonny
I >14 you »ver
hear ths story of (be cold porridge ’
Well, It's oa you!"
There was an unexpected IIMIng of
a dish and the young man with tbs
Iron cheek was showered with oat
meal
Aa Hepreeantad.
“Rea boro." growled the Irate man
aa ha sntsrsd th» Jewelry •tore.
"1
bought tbta watch of you last week
and paid you SI In cash for IL
You
said II would work Ilka a chartn—and
It dixsn't keep (line at all "
That's all right, my friend," replied
th a jeweler calmly
"Neither does a
chartu."
___________________
Thxlr Desperat Ion.
Worthlagton Do the subscribers tr
Turgler'S Weekly e<-etn to appréciais
the paper’
Slappere Well, they
a meet
Ing • few days ago and unanimously
agreed to offer Turgler 1500 If bs
would stop send'ng lbs publication U
them.
Ssr-dld Philosophy.
Maud» Poor Jeannette' Her mat
rtage was s great disappointment to
her friends
Clara Married beneath bar socially,
I suppoee?
Maud»—-Oh. no; but her friends all
predicted ths alliance would turn out
unhappily, and It dldn'L
Lack c* Courage.
Rashfull Browne -I'll give you ‘ 150
If you tell Miau Holtners I • want to
marry her
liraasy Henson -Not on your life!
She might try to work the John Alden
racket oa me
Let set Role.
“Why do you ears those old rubba.
ahora?"
They are for hungry arctie sx
plorara,"
replied
Mra
Houaakeep
"Been a g<xal tna.iy ot 'em along this
route."
Hopeless Quest.
Oldham (In bird store)—I'd
get a parrot that Isn't tricky
Horry I can't
obligo you.
I don't handle stuffed birds
Literary Inepiratien.
Tear nore4 1« evideatly the result
of inspiration *
"Yes; 1 didn't start It until after
reading ths advertising notice my pub
Ushers got up "- Washington Herald
II» to the Business.
Mrs N»w< d I'd Ilka • couple of
yards of steak, please
Butcher 1‘srd n me. madam, but
•Ince the first of the month ws have
been selling It only by the found.
What kind of »task would you like?
Mra Newed Rare steak, please My
husband d<xsn t Ilka It well done.
Wrg. Vteek. Weary. VA atery Kyse.
RvUeie.! II» Muni,- > v» II-' -
Try
Murin« y-or Your Ers l'rout- • Y-«u Will
Your
Uks Murin»
Il K ■•th»»
SA al
Frsc
|«ru«ist»
« rit. Ff>r Kys Hxli»
Murins Eys Ke -Ij «'<>. Cl.o ago.
Works Both Ways.
The rlsriseL” remarked the aniw-
tour as be paused to get bls second
wind, "Is the hardest Instrument to
play "
"Anyway." rejoined his one-man au
dience. It ran t be any harder to play
than It la to listen to."
la tbe bread Staad.
Rooter They ought to take that
duft-r out nt the box' Hr s got a glass
• rm'
His Fair Companion Olaaa srm" Is
that why they call hltn the pitcher.
Harry?
Meths» Wtn find Mrs Winslow’» Soothing
•yroi lu- Vst t.msd. ■<> use fus «hair ckiklraa
lutlag iks teeiaiug psrwd
Hs Got Anothsr Job.
"Ws make It a nils hers." said the
rirden io ths new prisoner, “to ae
with
sign prisoners to ths trades
which they are next familiar and will
make no exception In your case What
Is your occupation?"
"I'm an aeroplane chauffeur," rw
piled the new Um rd er, as bs grinned
a gruesome grin
CASTOR IA
For Infants snd Children.
Thl Kind You Have Always Bought
Bears the
Signature of
Amsnging me usms uswe.
A wild stab of sound ins-Is ths help
less air waves shudder
“Great guns, what’s that!" cried tbe
man across the way.
"That," replied hts wits, "la our
neighbor. Miss Screech, singing at the
open window “
Ths man scowled darkly.
'There should be no open season
for windows In ths Schreech family."
bs grimly dec'sr-a
Thought Quickly.
"What la • totsm pols?" hts wife
asked.
"A totem pole," be said, thinking
fast. "Is ths rail—or pole—on which
tn objertb net.;« i tllxen is rblden—or
•oted—out of ths community."
Mensteny.
Abt Vogler (to choir boys)—Why
are you stuffing ths organ plpea with
cotton, my sons’
Choir Hoys (uno voce) —Oh. Just to
relieve ths awful Ta Deuna.—Yale Rec
ord.
Insomnia
"I have been Bstng Caacareta for !n-
•oointa, with which I have bees affix ted
Prefftabis Psakg.
for twenty years, led I css say that Cas-
Tbe Hwl»s ought to ba very prooa corets have tftven me more relief than any
other remedy I havs ever tried. I shall
of tbe Alps, ae nature*« handiwork."
"No doubt, but they ought to ba a certainly re. omtnead them to my frxwis
great deal prouder of Uta way they •• bsiag oil that they are represented.”
Thue. Gillard. Elgin. 111.
make the Alps pay.*
Khwssnt. fslalabto Potent
Ts»ta Osod
l«o (kwg He>x vieksn Ws»k»n <e Cnee
MW a». MW Nsssr sokf In Sulk Th» re
sin« «»l.l’l »«»meet C C C Uu.rv.-xM la
eur« or T« h rr»<xv«y bark
1 «-Hay
If you ma le mlsiakea yesDr :«». for
No strength was ever built
get them
Today I» the
upon continued regret
result of yesterday, but It Is more Im
portant to remsmher that to-morrow is
the result of todsv
daisy n.Y killer
Pruning Trees.
Mor» trees are harmed than helped
by pruning
No man should attempt
to prune a tree until he has learned
what Is to be accomplished by pru
ning. and how to do It properly
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question about that.
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