The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-10-05

travc'.
When ho bade Grace goodbye he
wns struck with the fact that she
locked much older than she did at tho
limo of their engagement. Two years
of dissipation had left their mark upon
her delicate beauty.
"Be careful, Grace" he said. "Keep
some Of your roses for mo until !
claim YOU"
lie said nothing of her fidelity; no
was only afraid she might lose the
beauty hc worshippcd.
Grace was sorry to lose her lover;
she felt dcsolatc for whole day and
cried herself to sleep the first night.
But Bernard wrote her charming let
tcrs of travel and shc soon forgot her
grief. She sent him in rcturi the
briefest of notes, for the charming
Grace did not excel as II corrcspon-
dent. But one glance at tho porcc-
lain picture hc carried consoled him
for that.
"a fellow can endure weak, insipid
letters" he thought, "bctter than the
sight Of plain face across his table
three times day."
Bernard loi,ered here and there,
then made his way slowly back. llc
was in no haste to reach Chicago until
a few weeks before the time appointed
for his marriage, which was TO take
place in early autumn. Orc morning
in July he rang the bell of the Num-
son mansion aud sent up his card TO
the ladies'. There was step on the
stair, the trail Of garment and II
woman ontcrcd-a woman OF medium
height, with o beautifully rounded
figure and n facc of dazzling bril-
liancy. She approached Bernard and
cordially extended her hand.
81 came down to make your wei
como a little less inhospitable, Mr..
Norton" she said. s'AIy aunt and
cousin are unfortunately at concert;
they werc not aware of your return.
You arc quite we'll? ! do not find you
so much changed as expected"
lie looked ut tho charming speaker
in mute wonder.
al beg pardon-I-P-hc began.
Her face was a ripple of smiles as
she regarded him, waiting for him to
proceed.
"I, it possible l am so changed that
you do not know me? Have three
years aged Claricc Barton so much?
For the first time in his life Bernard
Norton lost his composure. He sank
into chair with an ejaculation of
wonder.
"Claricc Barton!" he cried. "Why,
IL dots not seem possible! When did
you return"
"Nearly two months ago," Miss
Barton replied with her well-brcl
composuro as she gracefully seated
herself. "My dear mother died in
Rome last winter; Europe was uncn-
durable after that, SO l came back to
America"
"But you arc so changcdw Bernard
murmurcd, after expressing regret al
her loss.
Miss Barton smiled sadly.
"Thc years change us all" she said |;
"they leave their mark"
"Oh, it is not that" he hastoncd to
say. "You look not day older than
when l last saw you; but--pardon
my boldness--you are wonder ully
improved"
~ am like my mothers people" "
Clarlce answered quietly. "They all
mature late; and the climate of Italy,
where remained most Of the timc,
was very beneficial to me. hope to
return in the course of fcw months" I"
They fell to talking of their travels
and 12 o'clock struck before Norton
thought they had boon chatting twenty
minutes. At that moment the hull
door changed and steps camo towards
them. He arose TO his feet
"Impossible!" he SAID, looking at
his watch. al cannot have been here
an hour. Really
What he would have said remained
unspokcn, for Mrs. Munson and Graes
appeared in the doorway. His bo-
troihed was very bocomcly dressed,
but so faded that she seemed like the
ghost Of her former self. Three years
| ~ aociafv lind lona THAR work The