The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-02-24

kept 1t, and as they never heard from me
they sent that cruel telegram. l never
thought of such possibility"
Yes, yes. The telegram was what
made il hurt go bad. But only this morn
ing, dearie, / got a letter from Miranda,
telling me that she had been irving to find
out how to get letter to me, and she
and Davie were such poor hands at
writing, not having anybody to write to,
YOU see. that it was big undertaking,
especially as she would not write until she
got some black-edged paper to write on |!
Think of that, SWEET"
The old man laughed gleefully. His
heart has light, Nan-nan was back. 1t
was so easy TO laugh today.
1T was a real kind letter, Nan-nan. She
told me how fond they had all got to be of
YOU up yonder And she told me how a
gentleman boarder of hers most near went
wild when they couldn't find you, and
blamed himself for it all. And how he"
Come" said Marianne, huskily, "she
has prepared Randall for my coming by
this time"
She held his hand and dragged him
swiftly along the corridor with her. too
swiftly for him to continue mis- narration.
Mrs. Roper was standing in an attitude of
helpless despair in front of Randall
lounge. Her eyes turned wistfully
toward Marianne as she entered:
Come and do it yourself. or undo i'll
don't know which, can't"
Marianne was not Of those who still be-
lieved Randall 10 be raade of such verv
fine porcelain that he must be handled
with exceeding care. Her own theory of
his breakdown was that he had simply
worked very hard durin hot season, as
much from ennui as anything else, and
was suffering the consequences of his iIn-
prudence.
She came and leaned over him:
1T was mistake, Randall, that tele-
gram. l will tell you more when you are
stronger. Are you glad TO see me back
now-that the masterpiece is done?"
He lifted himself on his elbows. turned
his startled eyes upon her, and then fell
back among the pillows, trembling vio-
lently. From beneath his closed lids TWO
great tears rolled over his thin cheeks.
1t was an unexpected display to Mari
anne. Perhaps, after ali, there were
depths here she had never sounded.
She knelt down by his side and. smooth
ing his long black hair away from his
sunken temples, kissed him gently on the
forehead.
He turned his lips toward her ear to
whisper:
"Nau-nan, forgive lue. I never knew
what you were TO me until L thought
had lost you forever. But l knew you
would come buck to me, MA belle, If you
were alive"
He had his arms about her, and she was
smoothing his brow with soft, soothing
touches.
Mrs. Roper stole away end went home.
"The reconciliation was beautiful to see,
and. thank heaven she wouldn't have to
go to Florence"
Mr.. Grayson brushed his hand across
his brow and tiptoed out into the corridor:
The reconciliation was complete, and
man and wife were truly one once more"
When they We're alone, Marianne drew
herself out OF her husbands arms to ask
the questions which were sc'0rching her
very heart:
Randall, did you want me to come
back? Did l make a mistake In thinking
you could work better without met Have
you found out whether YOU need me or
not?"
He was looking ut her critically, as she
still knelt there before his lounge, her
hands clasped tightly, her large eyes fixed
supplicatingly on his face. Already the
glad surprise of having her back was
tempered by great dissatisfaction. She
had grown almost plain. She looked old
and haggard.
Need you, Nan-nan? 1 need you every
hour"
The words left nothing to be desired.
The tone-everything lie turned his
eyes from her face to the statute:
at is finished. Nan-nan. Gro and look
at it. want to know what you think of
it. localized, you Twill say"
Marianne got up from her knees and,
walking over to the alcOve unveiled the
statue. She stood before it long, long
time in that quaint attitude of deliberate
criticism which Randall remembered SO
well
But she was not criticising it ali that
time. She was thinking of all the strange
things that had come to pass since she
had stood Just so before. She was think
ing of all the lives that had become in
volved about that marble effigv OF herself
Jeanne LenOx, spoiled. reckless, ignorant
passed before her; and John Ailbank,
naughty, scornful. indignant-as she had
last seen him.
"Well?"
Randall was calling to her in n voice
tinctured with the old-time imperious i'm
patience.
ut is grand piece of work. It is per-
feet. / am proud OFT. But you are
right; it is idealized."
"You have lost tone, ma belle-grown a
trifle angular. But we will both come
back from Florence as good az new. Read
that"
He took q note from the stand at his
elbow and threw it into Marianne's lap
1t was note from a downtown banker,
offering HIM $1,000 for his master piece.
And you will take it?"
without question. When that idiotic
telegram came felt for little while that
there was too much of you in it, Nan-nan,
for me to convert it into hard cash; but
now that | have you back | see it in a diff
fereDt light"
"Yes-of course"
Then he entered with feverish unrest
into the details for their journey. He
thought OF Jeanne Lenox, and fancied be
should be more comfortable if the sea
were between them until ''the thing had
blown over"
He had made an awful fool of himself in
that direction. but he didn't suppose he
was the first man who had ever made a
fool of himself. On the whole it was very
comfortable to lie there and watch Mari
anne moving about the studio.
And Marianne?
She recognized more clearly than ever
that she had cross to bear.
He had not missed her; he had missed