Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-06-07


60 home TO slcepless night which
would leave me pale and haggard TO
lament to myself all the morning that
what little | possessed was leaving me
now, just when I most needed it; and
when Max came, as he always did in the
afternoon, between headache and heart
ache was either so dull or so irritably
reproachful that we seldom parted pleas
|antly. OF course there were times when
everything went we'll, and ] would tell
myself that ! could never be miserable
again; but as soon as he had left me
the doubts would return like legion
Of devils. Oddly enough, /, who had
hitherto been only too frank about my
iealousies, could not bring myself to
utter Mrs. Wharton's name TO him, for
dreaded with dread worse than any
suspense TO read the truth of my sus'
picions in his eyes.
Such state of mind, however, could
not endure long with a girl of my dispo-
sition without a crisis, and one day In
February my self-control came 90 an end.
Max had, for the first time, missed COM
ing the afternoon before, and my aunt
being ill, had been obliged to remain
at home In the evening, SO that | had
not seen him for two days 1t was a
brilliant afternoon, and | can see when
shut my eyes just how the sun shone
through the muslin curtains on the hya-
cinths which filled the jardinieres in our
windows, and / never hear the shrill,
sweet singing of a canary that /
do not remember how the voice of
Aunt KAte's bird rang in my ears all
through those miserable hours. / was
walking up and down the little salon, for
sitting still would have been impossible
in my suspense, when heard his CHEEKY
voice in the hall speaking to the servant
who took his overcoat. He entered,
drawing off his gloves, and looking-oh,
so handsome and SO good Surely,
surely, if he were false, no traitor had
ever looked SO true since Lucifer was an
angel!
"Are you not glad to see me2 feel
as if had been away weekl'' he said,
gayly Then, as made no answer, but
stood with my back to him, looking at
the fire, he came close to me and drew
me to him.
lis my foolish child angry with me
again2" he said, softly, bending his head
to look in my averted face.
loved him so dearly that at the caress
of his touch, the tender tone in his voice,
felt my anger going, my suspicious
fading, just as they had so many times
before. -
"Why didn't you come Yesterdays I
have been so miserable!" ! murmured !;
but my head rested on his shoulder, and
the happy tears rushed to my eyes wi11
a blessed sense of peace and safety.
did not you get my note2 Poor1ittle
thing that was too bad, can,F Think
why you did not get it, Tie fart is,
Mrs. Wharton was obligad tolasK me to
help her about some A6sIhesB matters.
meant to have SseQpH you Epr few
minutes before diner, but slsex kept me
until it was tooAa@ and expected you
at the baroness'S1 sst night.
Aunt Katelwas i'll, y | answered, me-
chanically; .bats4 had withdrawn from
his arm, abd Was looking at the fire
again. 4
''Neurggia, was it, IRIS. Wharton
.sYes,Twe had better 0alk of Mrs.
WhaftQh, " said, my voicskrembling in
spitefH myself, for could feel that he
was boxing keenly at me. Aough did
not meet ms eyes.
'Evelyn,p he said at last, very coldlv,
'itis timerthis folly of ypnrs ceased.
These perpetual explanationSl ower me in
my own
II But SoA feel no degradation in fore
ing me to dsk them2" 1 interrupted him,
passionatel1, "You care. FAthing for
VIII. what t | suffer before | can brig myself to
sswhst d you mean byAyibg that we
had betterfalk of Mrs. WIErtdna" he de-
manded, without noticing any, outburst.
81 mean that for the last tEo months
my life has been.niade missrsko me by
seeing you so constantly With h&r. Ask
any one who Knows us if it is Surprising
that i should demand of you What you
mean Ng such devoion?n - -
esTbisis NONSENSE he said, AID there
was mutually ring of anusemenk in his
voice. Mrs. Wharton and l ore old
friends, and l like her heartily. kShe is
by all odds the most entertaining woman
insParis. +" - -
"And you can tell netthat, you, who
lk-n My voice failed me for tears.
81, who ought toNthink you wittier and
more brilliant thansa woman ten years
your elder and accustomed to hold her.
own in society Before you had your first
governess2 Love is blind, but not quite
so blind as that, you baby" and Max
laughed teasingly, and tried to pull my
hands down from my face, but had
been too wildly miserable these two last
days to be pacifed like spoiled cbssd,