Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-07

VI you with my confounded affairs," ho ex- clGimcd. Ut was too bad!
 Kendall was inclined to agree inwardiy, for h., was in a sea1e of irritable reaction; but he had the justice to atill aloud: ''It was I who was the fool to undertake it. And think, indeed, it could have been done, but that cir cuinstances, which neither you nor I had weighed sufficiently, were against it. She is ia q nervous, shaken state, mentally and physically, and before had had time to dis cuss tie point at all sho had carried it on to the personal ground. and tho thing u:.s up.n ''She is deeply offended, then?"
 Not ct all, in the ordinary sense; she is too fine a creature; but she talked of the con tempt that you and I feel for Ler!"
 Good heavens!" cried Wallace, feeling most UnjGstly persuaded that his friend had bungled the matter horribly.
 'Yes," sad Kendall deliberately; "'con- tempt that was it. 1 don't know low 1t came about. All I knew is, that what said. which seemed to me very harmless, was like a match to mine. But sne told me to tell you that she made no further claim on 'Elvira.' So tine play is safe"
 "D- the play!" cried Wallace vigorously, Q sentiment to which perhaps Kendal's silence gave consent But l cannot let it rest there. 1 must write to her."
 
 Kendall. ''I should let it alone. She looks upon the matter as finished. She told me particularly to tell you that she was not vexed, and you may be quite sure that she isn't, ill any vulgar sense Perhaps that makes it all the worse. However. you've right to know what happened, so I'll tell you as far as I remember"
 He gave an abridged account of the con- verSation which made matters little cledrer, though by no means less uncomforta- blc, to Wallace. When it was over they were nearing Vigo street, the point at which their routes diverged, Wallace having rooms in the eAlbany, and Kendall hailed a hanson. If l were you," he said as it came up, Il should, as said before let the thing alone as much as possible. Shc will probably speak to you about it, and you will, of course, say whasyou like, but I'm pretty sure she won't ta!ic up the play again, and if she feels n coolness towards any body it won't be toward you"
 There's small consolation in thatr' ex- claimed Wallace.
 Anyhow, make the best of it, my dear fel- low," said Kendall, as though determined to strike q lighter key. Don't be so dismal, things will look differently tomorrow morn mg-they generally do-there's TO tremend- ous harm done. I'm sorry didn't do your
 
 think over it, l don't sec now 1 could have done otherwise. But I don't expect you to think so."
 Wallace laughed, protested and they parted.
 A few moments later Kendall let himself into his rooms, where lights were burning, and threw himself into his reading chair, be- side which his books and papers stood ready to his hand. Generally nothing gave him a greater sense of bien-etre than this nightly re- turn, after n day spent i'll society, to these silent and faithful companions of his life He was accustomed to feel the atmosphere of his room when he camc back to it charged with welcome It was as though the thoughts and schemes he had left warm and safe i'll shelter there started to life again after q days torpor, and thronged to meet him. His books smiled at him with friendly faces, the open page called to him to resume the work of the morning he was ill every sense at home. Tonight, however, the familiar spell seemed to have lost it's force. After a nasty supper be took up some proofs, pen in hand. But the first page was hardly turned before they had dropped on to his knee. It seemed to him as if he still felt on his arm the folds of green, fur edged cloak, as if the touch of q soft, cold hand were still lingering ill his Pre-
 
 afternoon scene-the arching beech trees, the rich red and brown of the earth beneath, tingcd with the winter sheddings of the trees, the little raised bank, her eyes as she looked up ct him, the soft wispS of her golden brown hair under her hat. What superb, unap- proachable beauty it was! How living, how rich ill content and expression!
 Am 1 in love with Isab l B-cthertonr' he asked himself at last, lying back on his chair with his eyes on the portrait of his sister "Perhaps Mario could tell mel don't un- derstand myself. don't think so And if were, am not q youngster, and my life is a tolerably full one. I could hold myself in and trample it down if it were best to do so, can hardly imagine myself absorbed in great passion. My bachelor life is a good many years old-my habits won't break up easily. And, supposing felt the beginnings of it, could stop it if reason were against it He left his chair and began to pace up and down the room, thinking And there is eb- colutely no sort of reason in my letting my self fall i'll love with Isabel Bretherton! She has never given me the smallest right to thin! that she takes any more interest ill me than sine does ill hundreds of people whom sho meets on friendly terms, unless it may be an intellectual interest, as Wallace imagines, and that's q poor sort of stepping stone to loNS! tauC II lG were cVeIs pOSSlDlo that Slo should, this afternoon has taken away the possibility. For, however magnanimous a woman may be, a thing like that rankles; it can't help it. She will feel the sting of 1t worse tomorrow than today, and though she will tell herself that she bears no grudge, it will leave gulf between us. For, of course, she must go on acting, and whatever depres- sions she may have, she must believe in her self; no one can go on working without it, and shall always recall to her something harsh and humiliating!
 'Supposing, by any chance, it were not so -supposing were able to gather up my re- lation with her again and make it . really friendly one-I should take, think, very definite line; should make up my mind to be Of use to her. After all, it is true what she says-there are many things in me that might be helpful to her, and everything there was she should have the benefit of l would make serious purpose of it. She should find me friend worth having"
 His thoughts wandered on 6 while in this direction. It was pleasant to sec himself in the future Miss Bretherton's philosopher f-s--