The Wateree messenger. (Camden, S.C.) 1884-1942, January 10, 1934, Image 3
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CHAPTER VI? Continued
"So you joined up?" Smlf remarked,
more Interested In this fact than In
Miss Mercedes.
"In '14, M Stone nodded. MI went
over at once. The only time I ever
left Virginia for more than a week or
two. I'd been educated In England,
remember, and knew a lot of fellows. I
was useful ad a liaison officer. I was
going to transfer to our own forces
when we came In. Somehow I didn't.
Afraid they'd think I was pushing my
self forward, you know."
"You were wounded?"
Stone wriggled. "Oh, slightly, Just
a scratch. Nothing worth mention
ing."
You might as well tell me how it
happened," Smlf pressed him inexor
ably, "I'm noted for my tactless per
tinacity."
"Oh, well,? there wns a little chap
I was fond of ? we nil were. Irish,
not too young, he'd been a Jockey in
early life and we all thought he'd dyed
his hpir and lied about his age to get
taken on at all. Very sporting, whnt?
Well, some men came in after a raid.
Said they'd left him in a shell-hole,
wounded. He'd begged 'em to go on.
It (iwns useless to try to carry him in.
"Things had quieted down, there
wasn't any danger; so, being fond of
him, as I said, I Just wandered over
to see what could be done for him.
That's all there was to it."
"Except that you effected a liaison
with a German bullet or two," Sinif
said dryly. "I gee. Absolutely no dan
ger, of course." Then, with a flash of
Intuition, "I suppose he gave you the
emerald horseshoe you so often wear?"
"I always wear it," Stone corrected
her, throwing his coat back to display
It. "Dennis was killed the first day
after that that he was back at the
front. Ile'd left the pin with the
priest with orders to turn it over to
me if he went west. It had been pre
sented to him after he won a great
race by great riding, and he prized
it above e^prythlng." a silence fell
between theto, each traveling far on
trains of thought aroused by what had
transpired.
ou have friends over there," Smlf
snld at last. "Has it never occurred
to you to go back to them?"
Stone set his Jaw stubbornly. "I'm
an American. I made up my mind all
Virginia couldn't freeze me out, and
by G ? d, 1 don't mean to let them I"
There was passion in the statement
and, sensing the spirit that had car
ried him through years of ostracism.
Smlf recognized It as final. At once
she dropped the subject and reverted
to the topic of Miss Mercedes.
"Did Mercy nurse you?"
1 m alive," was Stone's laconic an
swer. Then after a minute he took the
matter up again.
She wasn't a full-fledged nurse, a
fact which doubtless saved some more
or less valuable lives, I only saw her
occasionally In the South. She had a
flirtation at every cot and wheel chair.
After the armistice In Pnrls she began
to cling a little; but her Intentions
weren't really serious until she grew
fat. ... A fat man Is the most hor
rible sight In the world, hut to my
mind a fat woman runs him pretty
close. So I'm counting on you to save
me from her, Smlf."
"And she la counting on me to save
you for her," Smlf pointed out. "May
I ask how I am to reconcile my duty
to both clients? After all, I've" taken
her money and I've not taken yours.
Perhnps the best way out of the diffi
culty would he to throw you over."
"Too lnte," Stone asserted. "It's Im
possible now to forget I'm your cousin.
In Virginia, blood counts, you know.
You can't throw over a relative. Pe
ebles, as a problem I'm much, more In
teresting than she can possibly be
She's only fat. I'm morbid and Intro
spective and obstinate nnd a lot of
other things I'll tell you about later"
"Not much later, If I'm to preserve
the Lovely name unsmlrched," said
Smlf, her eyes stealing to the clock
"but shouldn't I add a bit of a humbug
to the list you've given me? I'm not
""re you don't like Miss Mercedes
more than you'd have me think you do."
Stone made a wry face and shook
his head.
"Not while she's so fat," he said de
cisively. "Good night."
"Good night," Smlf echoed, but al
ready the door was shut between them.
She resented herself to smoke a final
cigarette, turning the pnges of a maga
nine and trying to tear her mind away
from Stone Neshlt nnd the position
he had mnlntnlned so stubbornly for
yearn. It wns n useless attempt.
So far an the situation In Virginia
went, she wan sure she could clear It
np If she were on the npot. She prom
ised herself she would make short
work of It once she was at Lovelylea.
As regards Mlns Mercedes, she hnd
stated the case quite frankly to Stone
*nd, after all, wouldn't such a mar
riage be the best thing for all con
cerned? Mercy had struck her ns
tllly and sentimental, qualities which
might appeal to some men as feminine
and Affectionate. Plainly no woman
wa? fitted to Judge what a man looked
for In a wife.
Probably nil that Stone wanted was
tfcat she should bring pressure on
s . .,Uvv v, . ,
I Mercy to Induce her to reduce until
she was a more normal size. That,
much, she was pretty certain she could
manage to accomplish ; giving no guar
antee however that Mercy would con
tinue sylphllke after marriage.
"After one has won a race, plainly
there Is no Incentive to keep on run
ning," Smlf remarked to herself as she
switched off the lights and, with a
wide yawn, went hungry to bed.
Foreseeing that she would be con
tinually subject to Interruption from
Miss Mercedes unless measures were
taken to prove to her that she had not
bought all Madame Saltou's time; to
her great disgust, Smlf promptly
charged that lady for a visit she made
in the forenoon to Inquire the result
of the call at Doctor Blanton's office.
While she was lingering, Smlf an
Bwered the telephone, to hear Stone's
voice. He had, It developed, received
a message from Ix>velylea. Voltaire
was ill. It was necessary for him to
take the flrst train. No telling when
he would be back. lie had to
rush. . . . He hung up and so did
Smlf. Involuntarily her eyes sought
Miss Mercedes' face, who, being shrewd
In her own way. Interpreted the glance
rightly.
''That was Johnny talking to you.
Don't bother to fib to me, I know It
was. I could see you making up your
mind whether to tell me or not."
Smlf laughed, attempting no denial.
"I was doing exactly that," she ac
knowledged "I confess I'd like noth
ing better than to have you go home to
Virginia until I'm through with- this
banting. I fancy It's going to be very
hard on my disposition. And also,
you will be better able to estimate
what the treatment Is accomplishing
after a lapse of a couple of weeks.
Yet I confess I do not think your best
Interest will be served if you go down
to Virginia now."
Mercy lumbered to her feet.
"That means that Johnny Is goinc
back. Probably I can catch the snme
train."
"Sit down again. You can't catch
his train, because it's gone. Now
pray pay attention to what I'm telling
you. It's for your own good," Smlf
Interrupted her sternly. "I absolutely
cannot guarantee results to any client
who refuses to be guided by me. Mr.
Nesbit is distinctly Irritated by your
pursuit of him. I assure you It would
be much better policy on your part
, to stay away from Virginia for a
time. Give him a chance to miss
you ? "
"Do you think he would?" The wist
fulness In Mercy's voice was unaffect
ed and moving.
"I don't see why not. Indeed a
little show of Indifference on your
part might prove very salutary. 'Ab
sence makes the heart grow fonder,' "
she murmured. "It's an old saw and
a true one."
"I'll not deny that that Is an Idea,"
Miss Mercedes remarked thoughtfully.
"I'll think It over. What was it that
took him back to Lovelylea In such a
hurry?"
"Who Is Voltaire?" Smlf asked. She
was curious on the point, having been
given no opportunity to nsk Stone.
"Those d ? n dogs!" Miss Mercedes
exclaimed. "When I'm Mrs. Nesbit, I
declare I'll poison them."
Smlf, who was fond of dogs, began
to repent of the decision to forward
her marriage.
"French bulldogs," Miss Mercedes
went on; "with ugly crumpled-up faces.
So clever you hardly dare talk before
them for fear they'll repeat what you
sny. I certainly bate 'em. And Vol
taire Is the worst. When Johnny goes
away, he can scarcely be persuaded to
eat. Besides which, the beast can
count Johnny tells him bow mnny
days he'll be gone and If be overstays,
the creature actually seems to j?o Into
a sort of decline."
Miss Mercedes heaved her fnt torso
In what was evidently Intended to be
a shrug.
"Oh, well, he won't last long after
we're married. You don't suppose I
mean to be called down to Virginia he
cause a dog's In the dumps? And what
about Kurope? Let me tell you Johnny
knows a lot of very Important people
In England. There was a Lovely girl
married a title this past autumn and
ho let out to me accidentally that he
knew some of the men In the bridal
party. I tried to get him to Invite
them to Virginia, but he wouldn't. 7t
will be good for him to go over there
now and then Just to keep tip with
his Aid friends."
This thought had occurred to Smlf
tho night before. Coming from Mercy,
she found herself revolting against It,
whllo she mentally noted that Stone
had not mentioned either Idolater or
| his friends to her.
"I can't encourage you to go Into
this marriage, If that Is your Bplrlt,"
she said, her voice as cold as Ice. "Mr.
Nesblt Is a mature man and has a
right to make his own decisions. More
over, his home is in Virginia ? "
"Lovelylea isn't his home, honey,"
Mercy Interjected in explanatory
tones. "No, indeedy.* He only rents
it. lie can't love it the way I love
Rockmos8, for instance. His place be
longs to the old Lovely family. Didn't
you know that? And I don't think It's
reasonable to expect me to be pulled
back to Virginia as if I wore a collar
aad leash. After all, a man's wife's
happiness Is more important tlmn his
dog's, however pampered, Isn't it?"
"Certainly," Smlf conceded, "but his
own happiness deserves some consider
ation, too, doesn't It?"
"He'll be happy," Miss Mercedes was
at length ready to leave. "He ought
to be anyway. I don't think I'm flat
tering myself when I say I'll be more
to him than any dog, and won't he
have me?"
It was not an argument easy to re
fute while maintaining the customary
civilities, and Smlf was not given to
attempting the Impossible, yet before
she summoned her next client she was
forced again to remind herself of the
"All right, Beau," she said softly,
patting her knee and at once the dog
sprang Into her lap and proceeded to
make himself comfortable; as If he
had known her nil his short life. The
other dog still held aloof, and this, for
some refcson, displeased her. The dis
dainful one was undoubtedly Voltaire
and It was his favor she wished to
win. She was not a Martha Washing
ton Mercedes, to be scorned by Stone's
pet.
Of a sudden she became aware that
Voltaire was growling. She turned
and looked at him In amazement and
the low rumbling in his throat fell
lower and died out.
She devoted her attention to Beau
calre, and at once the growling iMjgan
again.
Smlf was accustcjned to and
thought she knew all their ways, but
bulldogs were a new breed In her expe
rience and all she had heard of them
was the legend of their fierceness. The
noise this beast was making was
menacing. Telling herself that Stone
would not have left her alone with a
dangerous animal, she forced herself
to sit as still as If she were deaf
to Its threats, while the sound rose
to a snarling strength. Then, before
she could attempt to defend herself,
"Something Seems Suddenly to Have Stiffened Your Backbone.'' "Some
thing Hat," Stone Averred.
fact that because Miss Mercedes did
not Btrlke her as the Ideal companion,
It did not necessarily follow that Stone
Nesbit would agree with her.
CHAPTER VII
For some time Smlf heard no more
of her new and disturbing consultant,
and her business settled back Into a
routine that, If It did not Interest her
deeply, taxed her still less; which was
as well In view of the fact that she
wftB losing weight steadily and had not
reached the point where she had
ceased to find dieting Irksome.
?. Moreover her vanity was not yet ap
pealed to, since there was no appre
ciable change In her appearance. Her
scales told a different story and Doc
tor Rlanton was entirely satisfied.
Smlf's first news from Virginia
reached her In letters from Mercy,
two In one mall, liberally underlined,
snlted with dashes ' and exclamation
marks and written In the vein of mys
tery that Is generous In "you know
who," while sedulously omitting names.
Smlf smiled and felt about fourteen
again as she replied with a short noto
In the same schoolgirl style. From
Stone she received no word, a fact
that perhaps kept him more In the
forefront of her mind than If he had
bombarded her with letters.
One afternoon, her day's engage
ments over, she had seated herself for
a moment to review the work of the
day preparatory to changing her dress
and starting for the Badminton, when
she heard the quick scamper of little
feet and two dogs burst Into the room
I and circled It with nlert curiosity,
sniffing here and sniffing there and
milking themselves entirely at home.
There was no doubt in her mind
whose dogs these were, and she
watched them with Interest while
awnlting the ndvent of their master;
which she felt certain would be uncon
ventional. Yet he did not come and at
last one of the solid, substantial little
creatures, never unconscious of her
presence, advanced to her side and put
one paw on her knee ns If to beg per
mission for some further favor. She
leaned over to make out his name on
his silver collnr: "Beaucalre." She
twisted It around. "Johnstone Nesbit.
?Park avenue. Manhnttan," she read,
and now she confessed her surprise to
herself. When had he taken up his
habitat In Park avenue?
Voltaire launched himself upon her,
licking her hands and trying to nose
Beaucalre from his place of vantage
in her lap.
"I was betting on that," Stone made
a nonchalant entry, his hands deep In
his pockets. "It was your voice that
got him. I've never known him to
make so much fuss over anyone but
me before. You ought to feel deeply
flattered, Smlf."
"Flattery may be what you call It,"
Smlf said, adding with pardonable curi
osity: "Suppose he had torn me In
shreds? I know barking dogs are sup
posed not to bite but I never heard
as much said for growling ones."
"If you wore frightened why didn't
you call me?"
"Probably I was too paralyzed with
fear to think of It. What did he mnke
those frightful noises for If he didn't
mean to ent me nllve? No wonder
Mercedes doesn't like him."
Stone's lips did not move, yet some
how Smlf received the Impression of a
snrdonlc grin.
"Your mlstnke, my child. She adores
him. She hns told me so many a time.
He's perfectly sweet with her. Watch."
He bent over the dog nnd patted him.
"Shnll I cnll Mercy, Vol?"
Voltaire lifted his lip at one side In
n snarl thnt gnve him nil absolutely
venomous expression. There remained
no uncertainty concerning his qttltude
townrd Mercy.
"That's wlint he thinks," Stone ex
plained with entire gravity, "however,
he's n French gentleman. In her pres
ence, he will conrenl any uncompli
mentary opinion he mny have formed
of a lady."
"Why did he act the way he did to
me, then?"
"He was paying you a sincere corn
pllment. Being ornotlonnlly stirred by
Jealousy, he knew you could not fall
to he flattered by a display of It. He
wished you to make a fuss over him,
not over Ilenuorilre."
"And so hfc proceeded to make him
self disagreeable about It? How like
n man ? of any nation."
Stone attempted no defense. "Poor
fish, men." he said brfefly. "Well,
how are things coining on?"
"I've lost thirteen pounds ? "
"They say thlrteen's an unlucky num
her." Always grave. Stone now ap
peared to he plunged In gloom. "Have
a heart, Smlf. Mercy's getting abso
lutely enthusiastic on the subject of
THE STORY FROM THE OPENING CHAPTER
Matilda Rmllh lively ("Rmlf,") youngest and physically tha weightiest of the four I<ovely sisters, And* herself In de
cidedly straitened circumstances. The family eatatA, I.?ovaly)ea, In Virginia, la owned by Rmlf* brother, Blll-I/Ce, who
live* In Chile. Rmlf'* dearest wish In to own l/ovelylea. It In rented to a Mr. Johnstone Nesblt. Under the name "Madame
Raltou" Rmlf establishes herself as * "little Rlnter of the Illch," a consultant, She ha#< a client who desires to evade
the loverlike pursuit of an extraordinarily stout lady, whom he refers to as Mercy. I>ater, the lady In question, Miss
Martha Washington Mercedes, comes. Her story Is that because of her excess weight she ha* lost her lover, "Johnny."
Rmlf advises her to diet until she has reduced. Meroy proposes that Rmlf should try the "cure," and If the results are
satisfactory Mercy will follow her example. For a generous fee, Rmlf consents. "Johnny" discovers Rmlf's Identity and
Is himself rftcognlned by flrrflf as the tenant of I.ovelylea, Johnstone Nesblt. He tells her a pathetlo story of his child
hood In Franca and Kngland. Circumstances made him the lessee of I,ovelylea. Unused to Virginia's ways, he thought
lessly violates tha convention*, and Is condemned by hi* neighbors as "not a gentleman." He has a miniature of his great
grandmother and tall* Rmlf the portrait I* that of I*orraln$ I<ovely, also an ancestress of Rmlf. According to Virginia tra
dition*. ha and Rmlf ara "cousin*."
reducing. You'll have me married to
her before I know It, If you aren't
careful."
"Have you seen much of he* since
you went back to Virginia?"
"As much, exactly, as I couldn't
avoid. Fortunately, as Voltaire can't
abide her, he always warns me of her
coming. Her Intentions are still both
earnest and honorable. If that's what
you want to know. Let's forget it.
What have you been doing since I saw
you last?"
"Banting and working, working and
banting. That's about all. What's the
meaning of the address on your dogs'
collars?"
"Oh," said Stone. "Ah," said Stone.
Angering the dog's collar and hesitat
ing perceptibly. "It happened to occur
to me that In some way I was some
thing of a d? n fool. At a hotel I was
absolutely vulnerable. It was as freo j
to Mercy as to me; while a man's
home Is his castle ? "
"News I seem to have heard before.
? Go on," Smlf Interjected.
" ? So I decided to have a castle In
town. I've taken a penthouse with a
garden and I can bring the dogs with
me instead of having* Voltaire nearly
die of melancholy whenever I am away
from Lovelylea."
"Then you plan to stay In New
York?"
"Off and on," Stone answered non
chalantly, "dodging Mercy to the best
my ability uutll you've both come
to your senses."
"Both? What do you mean ? both?"
Smlf sputtered.
"I mean exactly that. Roth." Stone
looked at her with a gleam in his eye.
"Sooner or later you're bound to real
1 ze I won't marry her. Then you'll
marry her to some one else; she will
be happy and so. I trust, shall I."
"Something seems suddenly to have
stiffened your backbone."
"Something has," Stone averred.
"I suppose you appreciate that this
makes you much more Interesting as
an object of the chase? Instead of a
cringing victim you now become game
worthy of our bow and spear."
"Well, catch me if you can. I'll give
you a run for your money. Time for
you to go home, isn't it? The dogs
and I will walk up with you."
CHAPTER VIII
?
Without further urging from Pamela.
Smlf had talked her oldest child oveL
with Susan, who Anally had becouK.*
convinced of the unwisdom of forcing
Pam to do anything repugnant to her.
"Rut what of me? My plans are all
made to Ball on the fourteenth."
"Yon are to go," Smlf decided. "Be
off with Charlie to Nauheim. He
doesn't need a cure but it flatters him
when he fancies you are anxious about
him; and. since Pam came out, you"
haven't had much time to devote to
him."
"He certainly Is much more amiable
after n stay at Nauheim. Moreover,
it will save my face. It has somehow
leaked out that Pam was to he pre
sented, and every one will understand
that a sick husband must take pre
cedence over a well daughter. But
what about Pam? What Is she to do
while we are away?"
"When school Is out. Charles Junior
and Jane will go to the Manor, I sup
pose?"
"Yes. Carola Phelps, who Is Charlie's
second cousin, she married Ouy Mnson
frtjm Philadelphia. Is to stay with the
yodngsters at the Manor. Having no
children of her own. she tells me she
has had time to study the genus and
knows all about them."
"Would you consider a tr'p to
Wyoming for Jane and Pam?" Smlf
Inquired, tactfully trying to hide Pam
behind her younger sister.
"I would not." Susan put up her
glnsses and peered at Smlf susplclona
ly. "I do not propose to encourage my
children's taste for wild life."
(Cxpectlng nothing else, Smlf was
| not disappointed by thin decision. Rhe
had advanced the Riiggestlon ?o1ely
with a view to assuring Pam thrt her
mother would not consent.
"Then why not let Mrs. Manon
chaperon Pam at the Manor with the
others? It will be very quiet for her
thorn, yet Rhe doubtless will have In
vltatlons to visit ? "
(TO UK OONTINT/ET>.)
R?T R?y'? Arithmetic
Joseph Ray, educator, was born in
Virginia in 180?. His early ediuatlon
was self obtained, and ho began to
tench school at sixteen. Subsequently
he studied at Washington college, In
Pennsylvania, and At the school which
Is now the Ohio University, Athens.
His degree of M. I>. was obtained at
the Ohio Medical college, and he was
for a time a surgeon In the Cincinnati
hospital. From 1834 to 18T) 1 Doctor
Ray taught mathematics at Woodward
college, Cincinnati, and when It wan
converted into a public high school
he became Its principal. During this
time ho published Ms series of school
hooks on arithmetic and nlgebra.
From about 1849 he was president of
the board of directors of the Cincin
nati House of Refuge. He died la
Cincinnati In 180T?.
No Need for Parents
to Respond to Whys?
It has recently become n truism
among modern j^opularlzers of knowl
edge and extoflors of children that
the same urge prompts the scientist
to peer Into his test tube, the meta
physician to enquire Into the In
finite, and the child to ask Its par
ent^ "why?"
Conscientious parents, fortltled by
tho most newly approved "outlines"
and a prodigious patience, have
striven valluntly to satisfy this crav
ing.
Jean Plaget, Geneva psychologist,
after analyzing 1,125 spontaneous
questions aSked of the same adult
by a boy front the time he was six
years and three months old until ho
was seven years and one month, has
decided that It makes little differ
ence how we answer a child's ques
tions ? or whether we answer them
at all.
In the first place, Just because a
child lets drop a "why" when ad
dressing an adult does not Invari
ably mean that he expects an an
swer. Often he Is only making a
simple assertion or, and more fre
quently still, contradicting his elder
with cunning tact.
"The child," says Plaget, "Is appar
ently asking 'Why do you say this?'
or 'Why do you want this?' etc. As
a matter of fact, the question sim
ply nmounts to saying 'That's not
true' or 'I don't want to.' " So an
adult who values his peace of mind
will leave these "whys of motivation"
strictly unattended to. ? Gracc Adams
In the American Mercury.
Dr. Pierce's Pleasant Pellets are the orig
inal little liver pills put up 60 years bko.
They regulate liver and bowels.? Aav.
Incentive
Love of money has 'been said to
be "the root of all prosperity."
for
BILIOUSNESS
Sour stomach
?a? and headache
thie j to
CONSTIPATION
TRADE MARW RIO.
COUGHS
Don't let them get a strangle
hold. Fight germs quickly. Creo
mulslon combines 7 major helps In
one. Powerful but harmless. Pleas
ant to tnke. No narcotics. Your own
druggist Is authorized to refund
your money on the spot If your
cough or cold is not relieved by
Creomulslon. (adr.)
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