The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-21
I | l..

please shut the front door, Edward
there is Il great drauSht." said Mad
anne. who appeared at this juncture.
And then come into the drawing
room: ! want to talk To you"
THAT is very kind of you," said Ed
ward, because in that case | shall
not have the fatigue of talking my
self"
This was rude, and Edward was very
rarely rude; but the bit of orange
blossom was still burning his fingers.
, and there was an angry light in his
grey eyes.
Il have had the tea brought in again"
said Madame. "And while ! am max
ing you Il cup, you must tell me when
you start for St. Petersburg
Il don't think | am going"
you know that | shall miss you,
Edward: but ! think 1t much the best
for your own happiness that you should
go"
win you please expound that dark
saying"
Il am afraid you are drifting into
what will only lead to disappointment
Adela and | have been talking about
you. and | know now that she will not
marry you"
ndl Ho Ultd wis S'''l All INTEREST
ing subject of conversation"
II told Ad-la it was best to be silent
on such subjects, but you know. though
she Is so sweet and charming. she is
just Il little wanting in reserve"
Edward looked at Madame for mo-
ment, as though he would like to
strange her. Then he bent his head
and said Jelly. II wish she would be IL
little more wanting in reserve with me.
Ia.
now; had you any ground for it?'
Yes. ! had Adcla's own words. 1t is
Adelas misfortune tina! she shows too
evit ntly what she feels: hers Is
very affectonate nature"
you mean that there is someone that
she loves"''
Madame bent u little lower over her
tea-cup.
Yes" She did no: think it neces-
sary to add that that person was him
self, but half unconsciously left him
to infer shat it was rival.
".
At this moment Monsieur La Crosse
came bustling in. He wondered vaguely
what Edward Arkwrght could have
| meant by muttering under his breath.
''Then that is final
Monsieur La Crosse was much
shrewder than his wife. and conse-
quently much more modest. He knew
| his own limits. and he perceived that
! 1t was not always possible To class his
| fellow-creatureS correctly. In the mig
| gardly he found sometimes sudden
| ebullition of generosity, in the modest
secret but invincible pride. in the
| gentle and yielding an unexpected
strength. He understood Edward Ark
wright much better .han his wife did.
! though he was far less ready to label
him; and when the young mans call
was over that afternoon. and he had
let him out himself through the blos-
soming garden into the narrow river
path, he came back into the drawing
room with "a certain impatience. ex
! claiming. why doesn't he marry
Adela. ma chere?
What has he said to you? DO you
/ think 1t likely" asked Madame, for
once visibly startled.
| But. my dear. have you no eyes?
| Everyone has been seeing for months
past that he has no eyes except for her.
l ina gine to myself till now he has
/, waited for defined income: but he has
an excellent ppointment-why now de-
lay"
| "You mean.' said Madame. with a
little laugh. "Adela has given him no
reason for delay?"
But. mon amie," exclaimed the doc
tor. flushing with a certain anger. "how
you permit yourself to speak of your
friend. Never have ! known a young
girl more modest. more reserved. than
Adela. and with Edward most of ali:
but even a stone would be warmed a
little with such heat as his has been.
Adela is not IA stone: she is strong,
much stronger than people think. but
she is sensitive as flower. and she is
| too childlike to be a coGuette."
"She succeeds very well with men.
said Madame. severely. But I have
had more occasion than you to discover
her faults. And besides" she added
rather inconsecuently. ''she would not
marry anyone not of her own race"
Not of her own race" exclaimed the
doctor eXcitedly. And do you mean to
tell me that she doesn't know that Ark
wright has Hebrew blood in his veins?'