St. Paul daily globe., 1885-06-14
AFTER MANY DAYS.
A PRIZE STORY.


Alice Crawford stops on the stair and
listens. She hears the sound of singing in
the parlOr and one of the voices thrills her
as 10 other voice has ever done-Kingsley
Dunham'S voice.
''He is singing with her," she says. and
shadow crosses her face and settles in
her eyes, making them look as if tears are
not far away. She puts out hand with a
gesture of repulsiOn, as if to put away fate
Il more than half believe she does not care
for it. But he thinks she does And she
will accept it, while [, who would value it
more than all the world, or a thousand
worlds, am left to remember and regret
that the only mans love [ ever cared for
was not for me-"
Then the Outstretched, rebelliouS hand
drops heavily at her side, and tears come.
Hot. passionate tears, fresh from the heart
that is full of the dumb ache that comes to
those who believe that their love is valued
as lightly as a. @ayside flower would be by
the man to whom it is given.
Then she listens again. She hears Mary
Grayle's voice, clear and f1ute-like in its
sweetness, but it makes no such music in
her heart as that other voice does. Years
may come and go, but the sound of that
voice will linger there forever. Her heart
will be haunted by the ghost of dead but
unforgotten love- Hers will be a haunted
heart and haunted life, she thinks, as she
hears Kingsley Dunham's voice ring out in
silver melody in the song he is singing with
Mary Grayle.
Il am a foolish creature" she says pres
emily. aren't you ashamed of yourself,
Alice Crawford? To love man who cares
nothing for you and behave in this silly
way about it! Haven't you any pride? If
you have it's time you began to make use
of it. A woman is a fool to give her heart
to any man uraSked, and yet"
And yet Alice Crawford knows, as many
others do, that many woman's heart is
given without the asking. A feeling of
shame comes over her to think it is so in
her case, but she knows it is useless to deny
the truth.
She brushes away her tears and forces
herself to be calm. She then goes down
the stairs and enters the parlor
Miss Grayle looks around from the piano
as she comes into the room and says:
kingsley has just been wondering why
you did not come. We want your help
He has brought us some new music"
Alice Crawford hardly dares trust her
self to look at the man who stands by the
piano. But she feels his eyes upon her.
and it is as if he compelled her to look at
him. In the look she gives him there is
something like defiance. Hehas made her
love him without knowing it himself, per-
haps-and she will not let him see how her
heart responds to his lightest touch if she
can help it. She has resolved to conquer
her heart. Pride shall help her to do it.
All! but it is easier to talk of conquer
ing hearts than to do it. She w ill find
it so.
Kingsley Dunham bows, with a smile
Frightening his eyes as sunshine brightens
spring that has been in shadow.
''We have missed your voice sadly in our
singing" he says. ''Shall we 90 over the
music again, now that you are here to try
it with uS?"
''If you please" she answers, and goes
to the piano and puts Miss Grayle between
the man she loves and herself. 1t is fit
ting action. Has not Miss Grayle come
between their lives?
Then they sing.
Alice Crawford has never sung more
brilliantly, but there is something in her
singing that Kingsley Dunham has never no
ticed before something that Jars like a
discord. They are out of tune. as MANY
other voices and lives have been.
Once she looks toward him and catches
him watching her with an earnest, puzzled
look in his face. He seems to be irving TO
comprehend her or her mood
A flush of color comes into her cheeks
and she turns away abruptly. Does he
guess her secret? The thought brings with
1t kind OF fierce anger. IL is hard enough
to know that she loves him; she cannot
bear to feel a mans elatiOn over her weak
ness. Anything but that
By and by they tire of singing. They sit
down together and talk of this and that.
She feels that Kingsley Dunham is watch
ing her, and she is on guard over her heart.
Her mood is changeable. One moment she
is gay and her conversation sparkles with
jest and wit. Then, suddenly she shrinks
back into a cold reserve
He has never felt that he understood her.
and less tonight than ever before. She is a
puzzle to him. 1t perplexes and fascin-
ates and battles him.
Miss Grayle gets up and goes out of the
room. An awkward silence follows her
going. He breaks it by saying:
81 missed your face at church last Sab
BATH"
lam not going any MORE" she answers:
lat least not to your church. I do not like
DR.. Canfeld's sermons
She does not tell the truth. For the
truth is she is not going there because she
has made up her mind to conquer her heart.
and the work, which will be difficult if She
sees him often. She must keep away from
him as much as possible.
L am sorry" he says. 81 have grown
accustomed to seeing your face there, and
I always find it hard to give up familiar
faceS-when / care for them.''
His voice is low almost tandar Sbo