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A CHICAGO SURPRISE.
(The story of an incompatibility ad
justed.) "Well, Jim, how are you? said she,
holding out both hands and then draw
ing the right one back on second
thought.
"What's that for?" demanded Jim,
holding the left one a perceptable in
stant longer than necessary, and re
garding her with suspicion.
"Oh, I thought it was a shade to
eviprexsee, and the summer is over."
"Yes, thank heaven you are back."
"Really, Jim, have you missed me
honestly, now?"
"Yes, I have, upon my word, badly;
but I am rewarded for the weary wait
ing by the joyous leaping of my heart.
Can you not see the agitation swelling
in my manly bosom?"
"You are stouter than ever," she Baid
disdainfully; "I can see that." slipping
into her favorite chair, and indicating
one for him sufficiently near to be com
fortable, but not so near as to be incon
venient. "No, you don't really think so!" he
said, anxiously, "after all my banting
to say nothing of the lonely hours
fraught with pain thiuking of you dis
porting yourself at the Pier, and being
driven almost to madness by the mental
pictures my agony conjured up "
"And I'll venture to say not one of
thsm exaggerated," she said, mischiev
ously. "Where havs you been, Jim?
Tell me as much as you will."
"Well, not being as affluent as my
mates, I've been in town a good bit, at
work, during the week, running away to
some near-at-hand place for over Sunday
occasionally, always, of course, where I
could get a little golting, for it's the
best Sunday game I know. You have
such opportunities to find sermons in
bunkers and hazards, although the
'good in everything' I won't swear to.
But I was on Blog Blair's yacht forfour
-weeks, and that was not so bad."
"No," she said, sitting straight up and
looking at him, but bis return glance
never wavered. Blog has good taste in
girls."
"I thought of running down to see
you over Sunday in fact, had my grip
all packed, when somebody wanted me
to go somewhere."
"Ah, thanks," she said. "So kind of
you in the midst of such pre-occupation
to cast a thought toward me. However,
I will not pretend to feel hurt, as doubt
less the burden of your entertainment
would have weighed me down heavily.
That, do you know, tries me exces
sively," she went on, adjusting the
accordeon plaits of her white crepe
tea gown, where they had broken across
the knee, "haying men come to a place
where you are having a beautiful time
and spend Sundry, as it interferes with
the natural and simple flow of your life,
and, in fact, kicks up trouble all
around."
Jim laughed. "In other words, the
men you met down there objected to an
irruption of old friends.',
"Precisely."
"I should think it might prove annoy
ing. I am glad, now that I see it, that
I did not go, for you might have found
making excuses for mo even harder than
the others."
She glanced at him quickly after the
speech and saw about his mouth a
slight sarcastic line that she had learned
by experience it was just as well not to
keep there. So, rising, Bhe touched him
on the shoulder and said: "You have
not asked me to play to you, but I am
to do so now." Then trailing her cling
ing white skirts to the harp that stood
in the corner, she seated herself and
struck some low chords. "You dear
thing," she apostrophized in a low tone,
"how I have missed you these long
months."
Jim threw himself into the cornel of a
high backed settle and prepared to en-
joy himself. It was a sight to fill one's
artistic soul with pleasure to see her,
with the sunset's reflection touching
her gold brown hair, with a rapt expres
sion on her lovely face usually so
careless an expression thoroughly gen
uine, for she adored the instrument, in
the playing of which she was past mis
tress. Presently she began in a sweet
soft voice, to sing a little Spanish love
song, a voice that had in it now and
then a passionate chord that thrilled the
most impassive. She had a little trick
of almost whispering in places where
the words were most intense, that was
alluring to the last degree. Ho halt
closed his eyes as ho watched her,
watched her perfect arm, wrist and
hand, from which the loose sleeve of
her gown had fallen back, and wondered
if she realized to the full her infinite
power. Ihen he laugheJ at his folly for
such a thought. She raised her head
and looked at him, then rose abruptly
and went away from the harp, Eaying:
"Enough of that. Do you know, Jim,
that song was most effective this sum
mer? It werked to a charm, unaccom
panied even, for you know I never sing
with the piano; but I used to sit in the
Casino o' moonlighted nights and sing,
oh, so successfully, I assure you. How
ever, summer and sentimentality are
over. It's quite November, isn't it? And
I am sternly practical from now on.
Honestly, it worries me, Jim, but I
think I am growing to care less for that
sort of thing than I did."
"What sort of thing?" asked Jim.
She went on without noticing the in
terruption . "Two girls at the Pier were
talking over their winter plans before
me one day. They were awfully sensi
ble nice girls, and somehow they made
me feel my uselessness. You should
have heard them enumerate the differ
ent things they intend to do between
now and February, when they are going
to Cairo. Their schemes included
studying no end of things and charity
wc-k. besides society; they are very
gay, too."
"Autumn remorse, I see," remarked
Jim, rising. "It's all right, Marcia.
Don't worry. You'll be all right again
by December "
"You are abominable," said she, "and
to pay you for that I'm going to give
you a mauvais quart d'heure. Sit
down again."
He followed her over to the harp,
wherev.he seated herself once more.
"No more, Marcia. I must go up
stairs and dress, as I am dining out to
night abominably early, in order to en
able the rabble I am to be with to go to
two vaudevilles, at opposite ends of the
town.
"Jim, you outdo me," she said, smil
ing, but with a queer look on her face
not exactly of pleasure. "I thought
after the summer's separation your wife
might possess sufficient attraction to
keep you at home the first evening at
dinner, I meant."
So you would, Marcia, surely, had it
not been for this engagement and for
the certain knowledge that there would
be otherB here. I know by experience
that you work down to a tete-a-tete with
me by degrees."
He spoke lightly, but with evident
meaning. She turned away from him
with a little bored expression.
"You are right, Jim, I should have
hated it, although for a moment I
thought perhaps it would have been
nice. Go ahead and get dressed, but
er by the way, it happens there is to
be no one with me tonight. I was tired
and did not ask any one. I daresay I
shall go straight to bed after dinner, so
1 will say good night."
She held out her hand with a smile
tinctured with the proper amount of
ennui to prevent any weakening on his
part.
"Believe me," ho said earnestly, "I
would have dared the tete-a-tete had I
known."
"Bun along and get ready," she said.
heed the signal
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