Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-02-19


result of the depth and ardor of their
power to love.
"Mademoiselle" began, and stop
ped, for he had never called her by her
real name, and though he knew now
what it was it had no personal associs-
ton with her IN his mind. II was go
ing to find you," he continued.
81 was not lost. So you have returned,
Mr.. Bellingham"
II must speak to you, Miss Ran
dolphP'
is it necessary on this corner? A
singer must be careful of her throat,
you know"
Take my arm. I'll get hack for
you"
''Thank you; am doing very well"
She walked on and he walked beside
her. The facilities for conversation
were certainly not good, even had the
readiness been there. He was six or
seven inches taller than she, and he was
obliged to stoop and speak loud in order
to insure her hearing him, while he was
in danger of missing or misinterpretlng
the mufIied murmur of her replies. But
there was in Bellingham great deal of
constancy and concentration of purpose.
81 don't expect you to forgive me"
he said. "Only understand that 1 can
never forgive myself. Such blunder
should have been impossible to man
who felt toward you as did. If l had
been worth your caring for should not
have made it"
1T was natural: you could not have
done anything else: | do not blame
YOU" said Beatrix through her veil
Godfrey did not wholly catch her words;
he understood her to say that such a
mistake was only TO be expected of him,
and his face fell She perceived the
change il him. and faltered out, 81
mean that do forgive your But a
Fifth avenue stage, rafting by just then,
drowned this sentence altogether.
Il don't mean to prosecute you," he
remarked. speaking in a mOnotonous
tone, as they walked onward side by side.
Il didn't return from Europe for that;
merely wanted you to know. used to
think that, whatever happened, could
always think and act like a man VINO
believed in goodness and-purity. But
l failed at the important moment, and
you may be right-it was only natural in
me. For long time-nany years-be-
/ fore met you hal nothing to do with
women, and thought IS little as possible
about them. You seemed to me, when
1 first saw you, everything that l most
wanted, aI1, at the same time, every
! thing that most disliked. 1t was the
contradiction between what 1 felt you
were and what 1 thought you were.
That began with our first evening and
went on exaggerating itself until the
end. That's my story, Miss Randolph.
After all it's only long way of saying, 4
made a mistake and beg your pardon. y"
Beatrix heard all this, and the more
| she heard the more tOrmented she felt
and the faster she tried to walk; but the
sidewalks were slippery, and at last in
crossing the street her foot slipped, and
she would have fallen if Godfrey had
not caught her arm. She stopped, press
ing her hands, which were clasped in
side her muff, against her heart, and
! glancing this way aud that, like bird
that knows not which way to fly. She
was in Just such a half frantic, half
hopeless mood as often prompts women
to acts which appear-and perhaps really
are-insane. She knew that on the pass
ing moment depended probably the fail
ure or success, the happiness or misery.
of her whole future life. She knew that
everything was going topsy-turvy, alb
surdly and grdtuitously wrong. And
she felt paralyzed-wholly unable to ut
ter word to set everything right. A
word would have done it. What pre-
vented her? In part, perhaps, the very
urgency of her desire. which tripped up
its performance.
But what appeared to be the real OBJ
stacles were utterly trivial material acct
dents, such as being in the open street,
being buffeted by the wind, being OBJ
structed by her veil, being unable to see
the expression of Bellingham's face, be-
cause it was in shadow The more des-
picably small the hindrances were, and
the more out of proportion with the
thing they were hindering, the less
could Beatrix prevail against them. So
it often seems to be in this world; it is
not only that the mountain in labor
brings forth mouse, but that a mouse
prevents the bringing forth of mount
ain.
Bellingham also was wretchedly aware
that he had ruined whatever little chsncs
he may have had; that he had spoken
boldly and perfunctorily, with frozen
tongue, although his heart was on fire.
He could not help it; he could have died
for her on the spot, but he could not put
into his voice or face as much life as
would have kept a gnat in motion. It
was all over.
'Win you stop this stage for me.
pleaseY Beatrix had said as another of
those gorgeous vehicles came swinging
and numbering along.
with pleasureI" Bellingham replied,
not ironically, but mechanically. The
stage pulled up; he handed all he loved
In the world up the step; he saw her fall
into seat, and then, with jerk and a
hoof chatter, stage and all disappeared
in the gloom and snow. Bellingham re-
manned for few moments in the middle
of the road like a policeman till, recol-
lecting himself. he saw before him the
hOspitable entrance of Delmonico's, and
went n there.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE GREAT MARIANA.
The next night was the last of the