Rock Island Argus., 1896-03-02


Perfectly content.
tened with aching heart came surging
| 10 his ears, a wild denunciatiOn against
the wanton heedlessness that could so
shut out the cry of the despairing
Her heauty no longer softened him.
He felt it would not be impossible to
hate her.
"Have you no talent to cultivate?''
he asked her.
"These hands can't do anything but
play the fiddle But have not patience
enough to make myself a complete mis-
tress of it,
"You might travel" And his flexible
voice, that had so many shades of tone,
told her be was beginning to disapprove
of her.
"Travel'' she echoed lightly, bent
on provoking him and letting her lids
fall with a saucy affectation Of weari-
ness. II have travelled. When you have
done much of that, one place is as dull
| as another. The brick and mortar of cit
! les are much alike, and life beyond
the pale Of civilization is not to my
taste, which is, alas, so thoroughly arti-
ficial''
"Then why not lose yourself in life
of pleasure? Selfish, of course, but alb
zorbing. Frankly, you have made mis-
take in seeking mOnotony here. If your
mind and heart are utterly empty, they
will feed upon themselves
A little maid entered with tea and
set if out on low Turkish table beside
| the divan
'That's right, DR.. Larremore," said
Mrs. FentnOr as she held out her hand
to receive acpp from Marian. "Give it
to her soundly. Send her back
hugh was amazed at the spasm of
petulane pain that marred the soft beau.
ty Of the girls face
IF die from sheer vacuity, I'll new
er do that, !" she said in a fierce, low
tone. "You'll have some tea, won't
you:' she added formally, then sprang
up, and going to the window let in q
food of sunshine.
Mercy. my complexion! But there
You have no pity" And with a re-
signed air Mrs. Ventnor grasped hand
screen.
Hugh rose to go. AS he did SO Mari
an turned and looked appealingly at
him.
I'VE have kept you too long?" she
asked. lyon think me butterfly you
think me a useless cumberer of the
earth. don't blame you. Yet since SO.
clety does not satisfy me am not quite
hopeless. am l: Perhaps you are little
curious about us. We lived among lit
erary and artistic set in New York,
many OF them bohemians of the most
pronounced type. was one of them,
because l, too, was a dabb(er in the
arts. accomplished nothing. The loose
ends OF half dozen of my good for
nothing aims are scattered through this
house. Enough of that Regard me,
please, as an interesting failure
She looked frankly into his ewes and
held out her hand.
ike you, DIR. Larremore. You cure
diseases of the body. Cure my mental
aiiment, whatever it is. Shall dag
nose my own case for you, as under.
stand it?''
her face. now gay and slightly mutt
nous, won him again. If she was heart
less. she was at least original.
Let me hear it, by all MEANS" he
said eagerly.
1T is that have no reverence for
anything, nO love for any one. Home
ties were broken long AGO. Nobody is
necessary to me. miss nothing. prizo
nothing. Now, if you could only give
me purpose. Oh, if you only couldr'
he was q stranger, and she was ask
ing him to help her. How Hugh's heart
warmed at the thought! Then the sym-
pathy he had felt with her must be re-
ciprocal -
She. FELT his hand close more surelv
ON hers, and he spoke from his heart.
Put yourself where the humanity
that lies dormant in you may be quick
ened Spend some of your money ON
charity he said, his fine eyes light
ing. IF you only knew Whist life really
means! The old pain of earth is terri
bly, real You nre free to do Is ven
please. You are wealthy. You have run
the ganut of fashionable pleasure. Moth
ing tempts you., Try to see how it
feels TO live little for others. don't
want to preach, and I'm not advising
self immOlation, you understand. Ny
own life means too much to me to be-
lieve in that. But eince you have no
aim"-he paused, and the magnetism Of
his glance thrilled her with . new en-
thugiasm-"see, If only for new SEN
sation, how it feels to ease one life Of
pain. The days won't seem 80 long, l
promise. nor life 20 useless them
when he had reached the door be
turned suddenly, With his bcyish smile
"You hsve nct told me your name y