The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-24
"For not firing"


80, indeed! Perhaps, under the same
circumstances, you would have fred
why, certainly"
"That's curious" broke in two or
three. For they say that you youself
were molested this evening, and that
you didn't fire."
~ was molested, as you say, but it
wasn't necessary To fire, fortunately
! for me, as | had not got gun"
"We won't haggle over the word gun
II is certain you had pistol
80 dear, no." said Warrington, knock
ing the ash from his cigar. Il had only
a pipecasc."
The subject was dropped, and with
! il the private secretary. When Miss
! Howard received the report of the COM
mttee she laughed immoderately. So
| they had had their trouble for nothing.
! At the same time the girl did not forgive
the secretary certain sins Of omission.
! He had treated her from the first with
marked indifference. Still she was glad
| OF the overthrow of the committee. She
wanted To be her own executive.
Next morning Miss Howard received
written application from the secre-
/ tGry. lie required his meals served in
/ the room where he worked; otherwise
he would havS them provided in the viii
lage. This was terrible dilemma.
To give way to private and contu.
macious secretary was not pleasant.
But TO allow stranger within tho
gates to seek In the village what it
must be presumed had been denied IN
the castle was unthinkable. Miss
Marion did not forget this TO the man
who had set the traditions of thou
4 sand years at defiance. Warrington
had his meals in the room given over
10 him. They were splendid feasts.
lie ate what he required of the simpler
foods and ignored the mystic deli
cacies. He made good progress with
Mr.. Markham's book on bimetallism.
Miss Howard told her best girl friend
that she began to hate the secretary
heartily on his own merits. She often
met him as he was entering or leaving
the castle for his daily walk. When
she was wearing new or particularly
attractive gown she was certain 10
meet him. This coincidence was with
out exception. The secretary's tired
face began TO brighten as she passed.
Her antipathy was really less violent
than she had described to her friend.
Eut he was still contumacious. lie had
not yet bent the knee and did not seem
! likely to do so.
The mistress of the castle was going
on IA round of visits. She was beau
tifully dressed. 1t was the secretarys
hour for knocking Off" But he did
not knock off at all that day. Conse-
quently Miss Howard found him in his
working-room at the time when he
should have been out of it. She only
waited moment, just long enough to
leave the breath of a delicate perfume
and the recollection Of a charming face
figure and costume with the secretary
He looked up as she was going out with
n short apology for her presence. He
had been working hard that day.
THANK you," he said, quietly.
"For what?" she asked, surprised.
"For letting me see you in that dress.
II helps me with this" he indicated
the mass OF manuscript on the table.
ut is kind of you. l hope you will
have pleasant day"
"Do you dare TO say" she cried,
"that | came here to exhibit myself?
n change came over his face--a
change so sudden and so ugly that she
stopped sharply.
II beg your pardon" he said, coldly.
at is altogether my fault. / thought
II would have given you pleasure TO
know that you had done kindly act,
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