The Net

ailed to appreciate her own good looks, for she did not, but because in order to attain the desired effects she was forced to exercise a nice d

ere always getting lost, for Myra Nell had a way of scattering other things than her affections. She had often likened her dresses to an army of Central American troops, for mere ragged abundance in wh

d as she began dressing, and Bernie, hearing her singin

ess, stupid?"

n't know he

rnie-have you seen my

world should

ed, but the other has disappeared, gone, skedaddled. Do rummage

began in mild exasperation,

open suddenly, and a very animated

e, purposely. I kicked

gh I'm not sure. I ki

most delightful, although somewhat damaging to grammar. But she was too enthusiastic to waste time

honey," she ran on. "If

! you're

g out, but

lly. He isn't co

imed in a sh

never leave you to ente

n't p

tork, either. Do be a dear, now, and find my slipper. I've worn myse

ook, but why don't you take c

m, slammed the door in his face, an

ou going to wear?

with all the c

f the chiffon?" he

n it at the dance. I-i

se you s

n't find it now. I

s at a time. From the lower hall he called up to her, "Wear

Being a prim, orderly man, he intensely disliked searching for mislaid articles, but he began a systematic hunt; for, knowing Myra Nell's peculiar irresponsibility, he was prepared to find the missing slipper anywhere between the hammock on the front gallery and the kitchen in the rear. However, a full half-hour's

press. The new dress is a duck and I'm r

, rose, and, wiping the perspiration from his b

said in a terrible tone.

ughing at his disheveled appearance. "I forgot you were looking. But co

acity and the witch-like spirit of laughter that possessed her were quite as engaging. She was a madcap, fly-away creature whose ravishing lace was framed by an

ss to his sister's housekeeping. In his eyes this girl was more than a queen, she was a sort of deity, and she could do no wrong. H

b your hair," h

the hairpins pop right out," she exc

on the piano," he sa

ray locks which were escaping, work

e accepted his aid with the fidgety impatience o

you didn't jerk

with a resounding smack, squarely upon the end of his thin n

s he abominated Myra Nell's method of saluting him upon the no

haven't told me

r him," he acknowledged. "The

cut it off, and se

e w

. Her soul never rises above fried chicken and light bread, but she did pretty well

dalized tones, "you get more sla

doesn't keep me waiting until I get all wrinkled up. Why

wouldn't lea

laughing grimace

ll to myself. It's a lovely night, and, besides, the drawing-room

wing-room, where she rattled off a part of a piano selection at breakneck speed, ending in the middle with a cras

evening. The library had long since been denuded of its valuable books, in the same way that the old frame mansion had lost its finer furniture, piece by piece, as some whim of its mistress made a sacrifice neces

l met him at the top of the steps, and her cool, fresh loveliness struck him as some

Spanish masters, so if you don't mi

I may be seen and so excite the jealousy of cert

help you. But-they don't have it in them.

whimsically injured tone. She could never be sure how much or little his speeches meant, but,

ven't seen you for a week-w

r really engaged; t

terrible misappre

ehended. Even Bernie mi

-minded, but I'm not. I

almost

t mean to deny you have a be

at a girl is a fixture. That's something I won't be. I'm beginning to feel like one of the sights of the city, such as Ber

don't care to be consi

't too

're too serious. A girl should never engage herself to a

w t

ou done to Bernie? He has talked nothing but Mafia and mu

ut meeting Donne

the foreign quarter. He tells me we have a fearful condition of affairs here. Of course I don't know what he's talkin

suppose he cared

ew you were a hero. When you returned from abroad I was simply smothered with excitement until I met you. T

identif

iting for details. "Bernie said you asked him to go, but he was afraid. I-I wish you'd take me the n

of his trip with the Chief of Police, to which she listened wi

n those what-do-you-call-'em proceedings

radi

blow you up, or do

bent on arresting him, and I owe some

told me what it might lead to, it frightened me nearly to death. He says this Ma

mary mood of intoxication with the joy of living he had occasionally caught fleeting glimpses of a really unusual depth of feeling

t. I rather feel tha

That sounds

g also to-those

hat Countess. I suppose you kno

n't kn

, with a castle, and dozens-thousands o

er

at way. Goodness

o the corner of the hammock,

u have a trai

ally beautiful Italia

i, of

iend, th

here to see me again this afternoon, by the way; it's her day off at the h

ed nurses, and I wouldn't want you t

ria, she's such a dear. Sh

only had a sp

prain. Nobody knows how I suffered. A

ou fell of

as thrown, hurled, flung, violently projected, and

he rickety old family horse very well by sight

to blame it on Be

ride horseback, so of

I s

silk one. No mother ever loved a child as he loved that hat, you know. I twisted his evening scarf around it, and the effect was really stunning-it floated beautifully. Babylon and I formed a picture, I can tell you. I call the horse Babylon because he's such an old ru

bed

nearly so old as we think. I suppose the surprise did it. Anyhow, he became a raging demon i

e Babylon

ttoria Fabrizi to wait on me. So that's how I met her. You can't linger along with your life in a person's hands for weeks at a time without getting attached to her. I was sorry for Babylon, so I had Chloe put a poultice on his back where I jabbed him. Now I'd li

red loan and had come to regard Bernie's refusal as unwarranted. To be Queen of the Carnival was an honor given to but few young women, and one that would probably never come to Miss Warren again, so even at the risk of offending her half-brother he had

in from hysterics, and all that," he began

eberg! I never get ex

you like to be Queen o

tly in the darkness,

ou're

s no a

e him, like a bird. "Honestly? You're not fooling? Norvin, you dear duck!" She clappe

r your p

een! Why I'm dream

e rapt incoherences

se, but changed her mind and went dancing around his chair like some moon-mad sprite. He seized her, barely in time to prevent her from crying the news aloud to Bernie, explaining hastily that she must breathe no

t I? And it was lovely of you to arrange it for me, too. Oh, I know you did, so you needn't d

t I am not to be King. Now I h

never breathed

d he can't

to. I'll die if he ref

wi

ter I go, and the next time I see him I'll clinch matte

carpet and I'll have to walk this way." She illustrated the royal step, bowing to him with a regal inclination of h

rren and it was conceded among those who worshiped at her shrine that he who finally received her love in return for his would be favored far above his kind. She was closer to him to-night than ever before; she seemed to reach out and take him into h

ness and the time drew near for him to leave, she fell serious in a most abrupt mann

w you would drop that Italian matter," she said. "The conseque

in his she looked up at him with eyes which were no longer spar

ich would induce you

ot a fair

ied to death-and

assured her. But there was a plaintive wrinkle upon her

f her, for she not only interested him, but, what is far rarer and quite as important, she amused him. Moreover, she was of his own people; the very music of her Southern speech soothed his ear in contrast with the harsh accents of his Northern acquaintances. The thought came to him with a profound appeal that