Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1896-11-03

of lovely, wistful, girlish face, with
shiest pansy purple eyes
Three years afterward James Thorne's
palace home is a blaze of light and
beauty The massive doors are flung
open; the perfume of the flowers floats
out On the night air.
The soft, brilliant light from the
chandeliers, through curtains of amber
satin and creamy lace. streams forth ON
the street below.
She has received them all with a
sweet, imperious grace, wholly her own,
and is glancing away, ON a partners
arm, when she looks up and sees be-
fore her late arrival-Edgar Reynolds.
The dark iebonair face is handsome
as of yore, and it brightens as if with
new life when he sees her.
'Florence-Miss Thorner' He has
sprung forward eagerly, and, regardless
of the presence of others, held out both
hands.
Florence Thorne looks up at him in
calm surprise She does not smile; she
does not cry out. No tinge of the rose
pie eyes do not droop; the lily hands do
not tremble.
So she lays her hand moment in
his, coldly, courteously.
Have you come back at last-at
last?''
eyes, we returned a fortnight ago, ,"
rings out the clear, silvery voice. Gap
tain Arthurs, will you take me to the
ballroom?''
She bows trife haughtily to Edgar
l.. !,
ON her partners arm.
The night goes by with the ripple Of
laughter, the crash of music, the tread
of dancing feet.
Everywhere admiring eyes follow
Florence Thorne, and her uncle looks
fondly on and smiles to see the world
bow down before his darling. ''Such
wit, such repartee, such matchless
gracer' they say. "she is the beauty of
the season.
Zone dance, only one, 4" pleads Edgar
Reynolds, "for the sake of old times "
She laughs, that clear, happy laugh
of hers, and leaves him.
He stands where she has left him and
looks after her with hot, angry eyes
He has staid single and let Agatha
Vere's bank account slip through his
James Thorne's wealth.
Oh, now-now for ono hour of the
old dominion.
He sees a servant approach her in the
crowd, sees her bend her naughty head
and follow him.
ST must have it out with her now"
he says, clutching his hands fieroely. 81
must awake the old love tonight if ever. !"
He follows her through the long, gas
lit room till, parting the velvet cur
tains at the end, she enters a cool, dim,
shadowy alcove.
He is Just behind her, but draws back
quickly in the shade of tall, flower
crowned pillar as he sees a man turn
from the marble mantel at the farther
end of the room, against which he had
been leaning "a man bearded and
bronzed and travel stained.
"Oh, Philipl"
The girl sprang forward, a streaming
light In her eyes, vivid color in her
cheeks
Little Flor' he says softly.
1t was the old pet name for her when
she was n little child When she grew
up ''fair girl graduate. with golden
hair" she was "Miss Florence" Now
Both her slender white hands rest in
his own-not reluctantly now. The
man in the shadow of the velvet portiere
looks ON with compressed lips. Ah, he
recognizes him now-his rustic rival of
three years ago
Little FIo,'' he says again, and this
time his eyes are suspiciously moist.
With woman's quick perception she
raoo xrifh1raxua bnr handg
For q moment she is a shy girl again,
for she knows how, in spite of wealthy
suitors and a countess coronet, she has
faithfully guarded the love awakened
three years ago-the true love that
fourished when the false love died.
"Have you no better welcome, Flor
ence-no gift of love? Have 1 hoped
and waited in vain? oh, my darliDgl"
''SilenceI This lady is my promised
wife,
1t is Edgar Reynolds, white with
rage, who speaks, but Florence turns to
him with her calmest, sweetest smile.
"You are mistaken, Mr.. Reynolds
A pretty girl with whom you fiirted
three years ago helped to pass the time,
but she was only shy, wild rose. and
you couldn't afford to ruin your pros
poets for her, you know"
AS she speaks she draws from her
breast and hands him a sheet of crum-
pied paper.
Then she turns to the lover Of her
childhood, girlhood, womanhood, and
lays her hands in his, and he clasps the
figure in its trailing satin robes close in
his strong arms till ''little Flo" cries
out in alarm, "oh, Philip, you have
crushed my fowersr'
And Edgar Reynolds goes forth from
the room and forth from their lives,
and for once true love has its royal re-
ward.-Exchange
Then He was Hot.
A northern man travelling through