He had not, and she
showed him a sofa pillow.
"Your tie quite attracted me," she said; "it would make just the dash of
color I need in my new pillow."
"You may have it and welcome. I'll send--"
"Oh, no! A bird in the hand, you know. I'll trade with you now for
another I have."
"Done!"
The exchange was soon made, Miss Wynn tying the new one herself and
sticking a small carved pin in it. Bles slowly sat down again, and after
a pause said, "Thank you."
She looked up quickly, but he seemed quite serious and good-natured.
"You see," he explained, "in the country we don't know much about ties."
The well-balanced Miss Wynn for a moment lost her aplomb, but only for a
moment.
"We must all learn," she replied with penetration, and so their
friendship was established.
The company now began to gather, and soon the double parlor held an
assemblage of twenty-five or thirty persons. They formed a picturesque
group: conventional but graceful in dress; animated in movement; full of
good-natured laughter, but quite un-American in the beautiful modulation
of their speaking tones; chiefly noticeable, however, to a stranger, in
the vast variety of color in skin, which imparted to the throng a
piquant and unusual interest. Every color was here; from the dark brown
of Alwyn, who was customarily accounted black, to the pale pink-white of
Miss Jones, who could "pass for white" when she would, and found her
greatest difficulties when she was trying to "pass" for black.
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