The morning call., 1893-10-29
THE JUNIOR PARTNER.


the train on his way uptown in the after
noon until the Fifty -eighth-StreeG station
was reached from which short walk
brought him to Gasparlna's apartment.
He trembled slightly sometimes after a
trying days strain. thinking as he went
up in the elevator how penetrating and
cold the outside air was. 1t was always
bright in Gasparina's sitting-room. even
though the sun was hidden, for she had
put bits of colored draperies about, chiffons
that she had picked up in her country,
where color counts mOrs than form;
and the soft coal fire was never allowed to
get too low. Near the fire was low tea
table. Clinton always took from her a cup
of tea-athougb he had supposed his an
tipathy to tea iDeradicable-because the
pouring of it seemed to suit the hands of
the woman opposite him. They were not
white hands, almost brown one might say,
but were small. delicatelv rounded, and
long, and had gentle, etfectual movements
when not lying quiet in her lap. He
silently compared them with his own.
whose too thin fingers were twisting with
rapid motion an Assyrian seal hanging
from his watch chain.
BlanQUita, the younger sister, sat lndo-
lenIly at the window, looking across the
treetops in the park to where the eXiled
obelisk points deriSlyely at unaccustomed
winter skies. She had not yet cared to
learn English. and all that her sister and
that rather grave man by the heart sald
was of nc interest to her.
One day Clinton brought with him an
envelope in his inner pocket. Had Brad.
ley been there be would have understood
that nervous twitching near the temples TO
mean mental perturbation. Before Ciin-
ton left be said, awkardly:
THAT stock, you know. that L bought
with the money you were kind enough 10
intruSt to me. well, they-it-here-
''You are giving it back TO mel" querled
Gasparina, holding out timidly her hand
across the teatable, and trying with KING
tact to aid him.
Not tha: exactly. This is the profit, you
see, and. with your permission. L Will still
retain the capital for further investment
He wished il were not so hard TO discuss
aud handle money in her presence.
''But you are too good to me-you Will
spoil me-" she said, looking gratefully into
his eyes, which smiled in response. She
could not smile. for his manner and his
kindness embarrassed her. Her eyellds
drooped and she sighed with little catch
in her breath.
Clinton left abruptly.
Not until the heat of the summer had
driven every one out of town and had laid
an unkindly touch upon the LEAKAGE of the
park, could Blanqul;a persuade her sister
to leave the city. They closed the little
apartment and went to hotel on the
Jersey shore, one of those big caravan
saries whore one is much less m9lested
than in smaller houses. Gasparina liked
to be alone or with Blanquita, for northern
ways did not open her heart to northern
people, and ones thoughts are not bad
company on the beach. with the noise and
motion of the waves to stimulate them.
Her slight figure. dressed simply in the
softest of thin black materials. made a
graceful silhouette against the sea and
sky as she walked slowly along the
shingle She had always about her a
languor that was not Incidence, as repose
is not weakness.
The recording angels who sit on sum-
mer hotel piaZZas disguised as women
quite past youth wondered much about
her, and were quite uncertain abOu. the
propriety of two young women being
there unchaperoned until they learned
that GaSparina was herself a matron. She
was given the title of madam, that being
an easy compromise between our northern
abbreYiatiOn and the picturesque slgnOra.
of South America. In the evening when
the Orehestra were playing in their mush-
room-like pavilion on the lawn she
always sat out on the balcony quite alone.
Her delicate face was male more pale by
il Golf of loose black hair and by her
mourning garments. which she wore with
an lndescrlbable plantlike droop. Some
one passing spoke to her, and the down.
cast lids were raised briefly, showing i'm
penetrable eyes of soft black. 1t was as
though they. too, had put on sable for her
sorrow. Out there in the summer twi-
light she WAS like some strange southern
night bloSSom-a cereus.
Sitting thus one evening she glanced IN
differently at an approaching shadow and
then saw Clinton standing before her. She
quickly rose trembling and put out both
A. TO n fla ho1 c1J,o,
her eyes and played about her smiling
mouth. She was surprised into revealing
that other self usually suppressed by con-
ventionalities. Every glance showed
flashes of sympathetic understanding,
every motion betrayed an exquisite excite
ment. Clinton was bewldered, intoxi-
Gated with this new mood Of hers. Her
soft, quiet manner came back presently.
but Clinton had seen enough to make him
smile dreamily in remembrance at odd
moments in business hours and to take
him down to the beach Saturdays, when
the exchange closed early.
One Saturday he did not come. Gas
parma watched for him until the train
from the last boat was in, and then with
sigh went hopelessly in to dinner with
Blanquita. Later in the evening she went
drearily out on the balcony, but the cleo
trio light glared rudely upon her and
showed too plainly the agitation which her
mobile features involuntarily expressed, so
she stepped lightly off the piazza and fol-
lowed path to the beach. The tide was
half in, and a dim twilight showed each
breaker as it curled and wbitened. On the
hard shinge she paced excitedIy in in
creasing misery. Apprehension seized her
and hideous fancies tortured her. lie was
in danger, she insisted, and to be reason
able was impossible. The wind blew dark
and cold and finally bOisterously, with
dashes of spray and rain, which drove her
homeward. chilled. Wet and wretched.
The next day and the next she lay In
bed, too weak with nervous exhaustion
and apprehension to dress and 90 down
among the people below. Tuesday a let
ter came from Clinton, only line. but
to Gasparina's observant eyes it showed
that it had been written with a trembling
hand. he was not well, he said, had been
kept late at the Office. too, and bad not
been able TO take his usual holiday at the
beach. Gasparina's heart bounded hur-
riedy in her alarm.
he is ILL" she exclaimed aloud. "It is
as | th0ught-he conceals his condition
from me. Here am useless to him, but
there"
lmpelied by this half-expressed thought,
she quickly dressed and, calling Blanquita,
said; Il am going 20 town by the next
train. If l should not come back tonight
You must put yourself under the care or