Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-12-20

have watched it work destruction for
eleven years You are not the pref
tiest woman | know, Ma'moiselle, nor
yet the most intellectual, but you are
the most fascinating, and"
THANK you" she interrupted drily.
sit was fitting that you should admin
lister that sugar pill after being SO
brutally frank"
81 am afraid that feel like being
still more frank" he continued
"and perhaps 1 do not choose my
words happily. But I felt sick at
heart when l saw that boy at the door,
and knew so well what had happened.
Where is he now, and what do you
suppose he will do to-night?"
''It is not as serious as you think it
is" she said gently. "He will get
over it,"
eyes, he agreed; che will get over
it. They all do, in time. But the
getting over it, ma'moiselle; you
don't know what that means. lire
proachable women never do"
"Go on, she said, coldly. "The
end, Josiah, is what have been hop
ing for ever since you began"
''The end is" he said, that this
woman is generally caught in her own
snares. She at last finds out that at
ter all she, too, has poor thing
called heart that is not as lifeless as
she thought it, She learns what it is
to love and to suffer"
"You mean-?" Ma'moiselle said,
leaning forward in her chair, her
hand tightly clasped, the color and
brightness gone from her face
81 mean that she at last meets some
one to whom she does not in the least
appeal; some one on whom all of her
wiles are lost; some one who does
not care for her. She inspires polite
Indifference, the most maddening
thing in the world-that is all. "
If he had brought lash down on
her shoulders he could not have stung
her more. She rose quickly and went
to the window, standing with her
hands still closely clasped in front of
her, looking out at the placid passers
by. 1t was some time before she
spoke.
81 am trying to think whether
shall take the trouble to answer you
or not, -" she said at last. "You have
gone farther than you have ever gone
before, and have let you. [ had a
morbid curiosity to be present at my
own dissection. / am glad to know
what you really think of me. But
hate such conversations / hate such
scenes | am not given to making
long speeches., and as you told me, |
am not clever. But whatever nv
faults are, saying unpleasant things is
not among them. Flattery may be
part of my wiles, but at least it never
hurts. feel, she said, turning to-
ward him and passing her hand
wearily over her forehead-'T feel
at least ten years older than 1 did
when you first began.
She leaned little on table near
her, and his heart smote him, she
looked SO frail and childish. "Per-
haps it Is all true, what you have said.
Perhaps am what you think. But
what do you know of womans $ heart?
What do you know of her inner
life and motives? Simply what you
observe, and what she is pleased
to tell you. Because she does
not wear her heart on her sleeve, or
surrender it to some man, are you
justified in thinking that she is with.
out one? How do you know that she
is without one? How do YOU know
that she has not suffered? How do
you know that her frivolous life is not
an effort to hid it? What right have
| you to predict pain for her, when"
She turned away, unable to finish
Dalrympie gazed at her, aghast. Her
slender frame was trem moling, and for
the first time he saw that her ewes
looked panied and earnest. He hardly
supposed her capable of expressing
any emotion save almost childish iov
or pleasure; yet now, as he looked at
her, he felt rs if he had laid bare her
qulverlng soul He took one step
toward Eer and held out his hand.
"Ma'molsolle," he said softly, "for-
give me.
The front door opened, and in an
instant the portieres leading from the
hall were parted, as Mrs. Coudert
entered the room. Dalrymple dropped
his hand and turned to greet her. He
did not see Ma'moiselle alone after
that, and soon took his departure.
AS he stepped into the open air he
drew long deep breath, and almost
doubted the reality of the scene he
had had with Ma'moiselle. He was
glad that Mrs. Coudert had come in
just when she did, before he had had
time to take back those cruel, truth
full things. 1t had been the hardest
task Of his life, but he was glad that
he had had the strength to say them.
1t had settled one thing in his mind.
She cared for some one else. She had
sutfered-she, who never seemed to
have care OF IL serious thought. Ii
was some one whom perhaps she had
known in her early youth-some one
when she had sent away and regretted
some one whom she had found out
too late that she loved.
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