Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-08-12
AFTER MANY DAYS.

(Eben E. Rexford n Chicago 1ribune-l
Alice CfaWford stops On tie stair and
Hstsoa Shs hears ths sound Of singing IN
IL parlor, and oos Of tbs voices thrills her
- no othsr voics has ever do0s-kinEsiey
Dunham's voics.
He is singing with her," she .ays. su.i
shadow crosses bsr fass and settles IN hse
ewes, making them look - il tsars ere 0ot
far away She puts out . hand nth
gesture Of rspuldon, q il TO pat away fatA
she doe not nssd his love ~ 3o." abe
Cries, with bittsr, rsbsliious feeling at hsr
heart Il moro than half believe he DOES
not care for it But b thinks che does
And she will accspt Il. while !. who souli
vsius IL more than al ths world. or . thou
sand worlds, An lsft to rsmsmber and re-
ret that tbs only mans love .vor ra.sd
for was not for me-"
Tneu the outstrstchsd, r~bsllious aspd
drops heavily At her side, and tears come.
Hot, passionate tears, fresh from the heart
those who belisvs that their love is valued
- lightly os . waysids flower World 'e by
the man to whom It was given.
Thsn she listens again. She hsars Mary
Grsyle's voice. clear and flute like in its
swestussa, but il makes no such music ia her
heart a. that other voice dosa Years may
come and 20, but the sound Of that voics
viii linser there forever. Her hart viii b
haunted by il as life Is haunted b thu
ghost OF dead but unforgottsn love. Hers
viii be . haunted heart and . haunted life.
he thinks. Is she hsan Kingsley Dunhams
voice ring out in silver melody in ths song
be Is singing with Mary Grayle.
Il am foolish creature" she says pres
sntiy -Arsn't you ashamsd of yourself,
Alice Crawfordi To love . man Who cares
nothing for you and behave In this silly way
about il. Haven't you any pridsi II you
have it's time you began TO make uss OF it
A woman is . fool to give ber heart to eny
man unasksd. and yet"
And yst Alics Crawford knows. as many
,thsr women do, that many . woman's
heart b given without the asking feeling
II shame comes over her 20 think it Is 80 in
Dor case, but she knows il Is useless to deny
the truth.
She brushes away hsr team and forces her,
self 70 be calm. She than GOES down the
stairs and enters the parlor.
Miss Grayle looks around from the piano
Is she comes into the room, and says:
@Kingsley has just bssn wondering WY
you did not coma. We want your help. He
has brought Us some music"
Alice CraWfoFd hardly dares trust hsrssf
TO look at the man who stands by the piano
Bot she feels his eyes upon her, and Il Il Is
4 be compelled her 70 look at him In The
look she gives him there Is something like
defiance He has made her love him-with-
out knowing it himself. peehaps-snd shs
viii not let him sec how her hsart responds
10 his highest touch IL she can help il She
has resolved to conquer hsr heart Pride
shall hslp her to do it
All! hut il Is easier to talk Of conqusring
hearts than to do it She will find it 50.
Kinguley Durham bow1 With . smile
brightsning his eyes - sunshine brightsns =
spring that has besn In shadow.
I'VE have missed your voics sadly in our
singing,' 10 nya -Shan we 60 over the
music again, now that you ass here to try it
with usi'
III you please" she answsrs, and goes to
the piano and puts Miss Gssyis between he
man she loves and hsrselI It Is fitting
action Has not Mis Grayis como between
their lives,
Thep they sing
Alice Crawford has nsvsr sung moro brill
isntly. but thsre is something in her singing
that Kingsley Durham has never noticed
hsfors-somsthing that jars like discord
They are out Of tune, Is many other voices
and lives havs been-
Oncs she looks toward him end catches
him watching her with on earnest, puzzled
look in his facs He seems to b trying TO
comprehend her or her mood 4 nnsh Of
color comes into hsr cheeks and she turns
away abruptly Does be guess her sscrets
The thought brings with il q kind q force
anger. 1t IL hard enough to know that she
loved him; she can not bear TO feel q mans
station over her weakness. Anything but
that
By-and-by they tire Of ainging They sit
DOWN together and talk of this and that
She feels that Kingslsy Durham is watch
ing her, and she is on guard over her heart.
Her mood Is changsable. One moment she
o gay and her Conversation sparklss with
wit and Jest Then, suddsuly. she sssms to
shrink back into . cold reserve He has
1evsr felt that b. UNDERWOOD her. and less
tonight than ever before Shs Is . puzzle
10 him. 1t perplexss. end fsscinatO. and
baflss him.
Miss GrayIs gsts up and goss out Of the
rom. An awkward silence follows her
soing. He breaks it BY saying:
Il missed your face at church last Sab
bath
II am not going any more" she answered:
AZ least, not 10 your chufch. 90 not Ike
DR.. Can6sld's sermons
She does not tell the truth. For the truth
d she is not going there because she has
made up her mind 10 conquer her heart. an
The work, which will be difficult At best,
viii Be more difficult il she sees him often.
Shs must keep away from him az much Is
possible.
Il am sorry" he says Il have grown &C.
Hano tkSro ND II
always find it hard to give up familiar faces
when l caro- for them"
His voise is low, almost tender. She feels
bis eyes upon her face, though she doss not
look at him.
II must 60 back TO my work soon," she
says trying to make her words sound quiet
md commonplace. Il have bad . long . d
pleasant rest and begin TO tire Of doing
oothing. l."
Then Miss 0rayls comes back and she gstD
up suddenly, leaves her sentence unfinished.
and goes 70 the piano and begins playing .
dashing little fantasia that hasn't particle
Of soul in It
He does not stay long. He excuses himself
b. aging that b hes work TO do and be
tssls in the mood for doing IL He says good
evening TO Miss 0rayls and then stops by
The piano
Il havs something want 70 say 10 you
come time" Be says. and then pausss - II at
loss
Il suppose you want to tell ne how
thoughtlsss you think me, and that il Is my
duty TO come into the church, and all that
sost OF thing" she says looking up with
laugh that has defiant ring in il that
crates harshly on even hsr own cara
THANK you We will consider that il hes
bssn said il you p,sass never like 70 b
TALKED 70 in that way"
She gets up from tbs piano and walks
away Is IL to put Ansnd to the convsrsation
The light words have cost her great effort
But, II she would accomplish her purpose,
she must keep him ss distance He looks
Altar her with the puzzled, psrplsxed look
in his eyes again, and then turns and gOss
out without another word
-Kingslsy tells me that D.. Canfsld thinks
e would b . good thing flor him % take
charge Of . church somswhsrs." Ais
Grsyl says BY and by. He could
20 on with his studies, you know,
and the Discipline would b good Tor
him IshAn hate to have hin goavay. bvt
Il may BE- for the best
Very likely answer Miss Crawfori
carsisssly as il the matter holds but sligh;
interest for her
That niSht . telegram CONES TO Miss
Grsyls from her sister in Trenton She i.
sick viii Mary come 70 her for . few
days.
In the morning Mis- Grayle GOES away.
That afternoon Kingslsy Durham calls
Miss Crawford knows hat she cannot help
-s>ing him. for ths ssrvsnts would suspect
her Of untruthfulnes If shs ssnt down IN