The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-07-20

preston which became her much less than
her usual society air. Her eyes half closed
/ and grew moist, and her features, being a
triAe relaxed, looked larger than usual,
She kissed the Photograph soft, hot
kiss, and at the moment a tap at her door
brought her up with start. With one
swift movement she thrust the letters and
photograph under pile of papers beside
her, and was reading Mr.. Whistler's "Ten
O'clock, when the door opened and Miss
Emden came in. She looked up.
"Well, dear? Have you had pleasant
evening? Who was there ?"
Miss Emdeu mentioned few names.
"And Mr.. Dobbs was there, and he
walked home with me.
ooh Why, what pity Why ever
didn't you bring him in, dear27
Because he told me he loved the author
of that book, and can't bear il any long
err
She caught up a copy Of shat book -
there was one in every room in the house
and flung it across the room.
The Countess sat bolt upright; her skirt
stretched ungraeefully tight aeross her
knees. Her eyes shone.
~Do you mean to say he told you he
loves me
You ?'-thc eontemPtuous intonation
stung the Countess ike lash--'no, not
You, but the woman who wrote that book
The other leaned back.
II suppose you re caught yourself since
YOU make such fuss about II.
@well, if am, haven't Shawn ii to
him and everybody else =
The Countess jumped up and walked
aeross the room and picked up tbs book,
which lay face downward On the carpet
"You seem very much excited. must
say your Socialism doesn't seem to agree
with you
Look here. the other came quite
close TO her-''this man has been FOR the
last ten years doing his best to lose his own
soul and strife everything that's good in
him. He can be saved, Il IN certain Of thar.
Do you think ycu can save him
The Countess turned away.
@Oh bother = She tossed her head.
AYou know / don't understand an this
highfalutin talk Of losing souls and saving
men, and all the rest il. Tell me straight
out what you want. You can be business
like enough when you ike.
Il want you to give up trying % catch
this man, he's not your kind Of man al all,
and It's not much Of sacrifice. Youn
never catch him on your merits, and though
you maynt understand j, You'll just Kin
the little good there is in him, and in you
too.
"Wellg"
@well, want you to tell him the truth
about the book"
TEL him yourself"
mo, that | never will. DO YOU remem.
Der when we agreed to publish the book
under your own name yon said hundred
times that if it succeeded you would tell the
whole world2 Well, l don't ask that, and
1 never viii ask it, but do ask YOU to tel
him.
agreed Wasn't it your own pro-
posal?'
aYes, and wicked one it was. a lie
always ends ike this.
"You shouldn't have proposed it.
..Didn', you wish me to? Don't You
understand that felt 50 grateful to you
that | would have cut off my hands if
you'd wanted it p
"Your feelings have changed pretty |
much now | believe you hate me.
"No, | don't hate you; but | hate to see
you playing these stupid tricks and trying /
to entangle men you don't care about
Some men aren't worth anything better,
but think this one is.
The Countess had suddenly grown calm.
"Eyen worth your trying to catch, Ell p |
"Oh how can you say such things
Have ever"
''There, there, eoIdly, don't let's have
any heroics there's no need. | haven't /
the slightest objection to telling your friend |
that you wrote the book, and you can
devote yourselfto saving his valuable soul.
Good night"
She smiled as Miss Emden left her.
When she was alone she flung her hands
above her head, and then threw herself
face downward on the sofa She had lost
the man she loyed-but she had kept her
secret. She could not have refused to tell
Everard Dobbs; and she was glad she had
in such an off-hand way as to put
herself completely in the right and Miss
Emden in the wrong.
sits always the way" she said to her
self; ''the more you do for people the less
grateful they are. She'll go away now-of
course So much the better. hate these
np-in-the-clouds people, perpetually criti-
sising you. She can have the money, that's
come in from 'May-blossoms. Shed not
axe anything else, but she has right to
hat. Nobody would ever have published
Ter book without my name-she ought to
'emember that"
An hour later Jean Emden came down !