Needles and Pins.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14284, 27 August 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

Needles and Pins.

B un S Tf ! " sait }, Lud >- "i'loa. Bint, 1 in sure, 1 muttered a'i i «». deuvourcd to smooth the nap' 01 my wVf 1 ; " 1"><1 beuu iiurroweU "riit;y a IXI .«illy tiling, aren't thoy:-" sho BI „d thoughtfully. -I C uu-t think w "> you wear then:." . " I begun with '.i glance oi apprehension at the Binning Kteel points. *"I J IU least tiling .seem.; to .spoil them/ .she .said. "Why don't vou near a nen.siljle hat.-''' She tumid her head (juiekly. and one Ot the pins caught my eye-glasses. "•My fault entirely.' 1 i .said (juiekly ac I tne<l to replaee the glasses before She made another attack. st-iisilWo hut." .she repented. ■ Something lik< " "A diver's helmet,'' 1 .sllj_'t-"'.-,Le<J. She turned again suddenly that H onn^ed. "Of course, if y (J u nr<! to be Busty about it —hhe pouted, and there was positively a little rpjiver ia htl* Voice. J looked ;it her drooped <, y& . lushes. They were admira.hly curved. 'l.sri't there. ahuub ro.ses *nd thorns,'" ] n.skefj ■ jIIJy T viewing th(; tint oj her rounded eheek from a. distanee of three, i'w?t. ' 'Thorns 'f n ,sho (pf-ried. I looked at the dimple in her ohin. "Vrq— or—you know what T mean: "A ro i e "with ;*!1 it»s thorns i.s just as aw-i-t/ or .sotncthinn, of that sort." She moved a little elosor, and ; involuntarily. T fliwhed o/^ain. "You're afraid!" who laughed. "Afraid of a. hat-pin!" "Four hat-pins—and a brim like a circular .saw, to he exact," I said. -•They never really hurt anyone," sh«

mused, leaning slightly in my direction again. I ducked, and at this moment fate intervened. Glancing throngh the window of Lady■ Molly's electric brougham 1 saw young .Henderson. Lady Molly positively beamed at him. I cannot imagine what she tecs in the fellow! The brougham stopped. "We are going to a matiuce." said J/ad.v Molly us he approaches ihe window. "Can «e drop you anywhere?"' "Von have done it "so often." lie said, smiling. li.v the way ,on Thursday last, tliey parted lor -ever: on Friday they agree:) to be "just friends." I could guess how the course of "just friendship" had run since then. Lady Molly seemed positively to radiate welcome. Yet Henderson looked at me and seemed to hesitate. With an immoral joy I saw that his hat was undeniably quite now. "Do come in old man." I said quickly. It was the moment for strategy. Before lie could put his foot on the step I had risen fro'm my seat and had ilimcd round to Lady Molly's right side. With a smile of thanks he dropped into the vacant space. "Yes. there's room for three." said Lady 'Molly, beaming. For a. moment we were all very happy. Henderson seemed pleasat my civil welcome. I smiled at my own tactics. From my new defensive position on the right ! could view the enamelled heads of Lady Molly's hat-pins. The worst points were on Henderson's side. Subtly I whispered admiring tributes to her ta.ste. One of the pins heads represented a blue bird couehant, in the enamel of another was a. tiny clianteeler rampant. The hat was a simple if expensive, confection, but at close quai teis di c.do'y dangerous. Hcudei-•-en smirked. Mow can any woman see anything in Henderson I' Then 1 heard a little gasp. •Tr„ so sorry," said Lady Molly. "It doesnt, matter in the least," he said, holding his handkerchief to his cliff k for a moment. Her eyes shone with tender concern as she turned towards him and caused four distinct furrows on his hat. I glancrd at him from the corners of my eyes, and as 1 did so saw him green as again the points made 1 ittlo flashing darts and circles in the air.

But it was a false alarm. This time Lady Molly had merely feinted. Then, wiicu his guard was down, she mad.-a rapid assault, tierce and carte, and pinked her victim on the chin. lie sicnud dazed. "Oh, 1 can't help it.'' she almost wailed as she saw the terror 011 his face. "The road jolts so." "Can't you —can't you put corks on the points or something?" be said abjectly, dodging again as the brougham swerved and forced her to lean towards him again. "A woman was fluid for hurting someone with a hatpin the other day in Chicago—five shilling?." "I think you are very unkind," said Lady Mnlly with a downward look that almost distracted his attention from the next thrust. Nobody ever " Tho brougham shot into St. James's street. "Would you mind dropping me at the club?" siid Henderson. "With pleasure," said Ladv Molly icily, and the last glimpse I 'had of him was as ho stood oti the marble steps. He was holding his handkerchief to his face again. "Decent fellow—Henderson," I said gently, as we turnrd into Piccadilly. I always thought him bad tempered, " .said Lady Molly. "Oh! only a little'hastv." I remarked generously. "Not violent, you know except when he loses more than liis : creditors can afford at bridge." I on menu he gambles!" she said liigidlv, as much righteous indignation as if she had noyej- doubled No Tl limp?-, and borrowed from her partner to pay for her flaring. "Oh, nothing muehrvou know," I said "I think he, is hateful," she said warmly. lit l cei tainly does not seem t-o have got 011 the right side of Lady Molly," I remarked innocently. She dimpled. I 'glanced at the enamel od heads of her hatpins and fc>tiadonly sup. laughed. She was still smiling when later 'we ■at in the fourth row of .stalls, and she smiled even when a person of no manners asked if he might take the libertv to beg her to so considerate as to remove her hat. She smiled as she assented, smiled as she pulled out the four pins a bluo bird couehant. chantecler rampant, and two Others), .smiled a.s .she lifted off the majestic mass of millinery, and sniiU'd ;is sho looked at me with tensing and "You can always get on the right side of a- woman, ' said Lady Molly. J he ovoiturn had ended and the enrtmn rosp. One of the oldest comedies in the world was about to be played, and Lady Molly, sans pins, sans care eeemed willing to listen. ' 8., in Daily Mail.