The record-union., 1897-03-07

had never realized how much this
meant till now, when she was so seri-
ously inclined to cast her lot for life
IN with a foreigner. 1t could not be
the same, it could never be the same
even when all else was equal, as mar
riage with ones own countryman
Something from this fact alone must
go into the bond to make it more COM
plete.
You are looking pale she said
scrutinizing him with sympathy
born of these thoughts. Have you
been ill?" and she almost hoped he
would say yes that she might forgive
him for having neglected her so OF late
No; but I've been working like a
dog for weeks writing my thesis and
finishing up my experiment in the lab
oratory, which means of course that
my patience has been tried to the ut
most. Experimental psychology con-
sists as yet chiefly of delay. / had
just got through this afternoon when
saw you"
Cynthia decided that this excuse, too,
was a good one. When do you take
your examinations" she asked.
"As soon as my thesis is printed. 1t
is ready at last. | finished it to-day,
too, and I'd like to come and read it
to you before l send it to the printer,
If you think you could stand it.
should like to have you criticise it.
Have you written it in German"
Yes; or, rather, my German chum
has for me, as far as the language is
concerned. It's awfully convenient
having a German friend"
Yes; if he doesn't want to learn
English"
on, l looked out for that" he re-
piled, and thereupon they laughed, for
they knew it well both as subject and
object of it, that ruthless selfshness
of the learner of a language, who viii
go almost any lengths for the privilege
of practising it on a native. She re-
membered how strong a motive it had
been in bringing her into her present
portentous connection with Herr Won
Drachenfels. Even yet at times she
caught herself rating the pleasure of
an evening with him by the number of
new expressions she had learned, and
way down, so deep in her mind as to
escape her conscience, lurked the still
more baleful desire to know at first
IldlQ AON SuCn d NSIllleii NOdAd ca
press his love.
They arranged that he should come
the next evening with the thesis. and
then he told her in humorous detail Cf
his aggrayations in the laboratory
how when the mechanical part of his
experiment was in working order the
human subject would be missing, and
how when the latter was there the
former would be sure to break down.
From this they went on to other
things, their friendly intimacy 50 en-
tirely restored that when, on reaching
ConneWitZ, he proposed to debark and
take Abendbrot there, she readily as
sented. They fingered SO long over it,
talking and listening to the concert
which was going on in the Wald cafe,
that when they finally started back,
the soft summer moonlight was turn
ing the placid Pleisse into molten silver
and the nightingales We're singing in
the trees along its banks.
They paused often to listen to the
warbling notes, the young man leaning
toward her as he rested on his oars.
He was talking strangely, too, for him.
asking her opinion, getting her point Of
view on many matters they had never
touched upon before, marriage finally.
She grew very grave as she answered
him, especially on this latter question,
which seemed to her suddenly much
more serious thing than hitherto-so
final. That step once decided on with
the other and there could be no more
such pleasant variations as this moon
lit lettering, for instance in converse
She was half inclined TO seek his ad-
vice about the German of whom ne was
evidently in ignorance, but a counter
impulse led her to leave him so, ana
the next moment he was saying:
Yes: that is what L think Of mar
riage ought to be too-an association Of
equals, a copartnership. Ever since 1
was a boy l have been resolved that
the woman l marry shall be to me
something more than my lady house
keeper and head nurse. I should want
her to be my companion, my friend
and / would not expect her to sacrifice
10 me IN any way her individual ca
reer. On the contrary, l should want
her to have one, since il must make a
woman as much finer in character as
Il does a man"
With such views" said Cynthia ap-
provingly you won't have much
trouble, l should say. in getting the
sort of wife you want"
Il don't know about that There s
always the danger that the particular
woman you want may not want you;
and he shot a glance at her that would
have surprised her had she caught it.
but she was looking down into the sill
very water trying to decide whicn one
if any OF the American girls at I.eipslc
he had in mind. For so much was plain
to her, he had some particular wo-
man in mind. Who would have
thought it?-of him.
Won't you row a little faster
please" she asked presently. taking
out her watch and noting the tine
prosaically by the moons romantic
light. It's getting late and chilly
and quite unconsciously her tones
were chilly, too.
His response was a sudden swinging
stroke that made their little craft
tIemble from bow to stern, and the re-
mainder of the distance to the boat
house was swept over at a speed that
kept her nervously alert for obstacles
in their course and left him no breath
for speech. But the friendly warmth
was back in her voice and manner
when she reminded him as he was
leaving her at her door that she should
expect him the next evening.
VII.
She had not forgotten in making this
appointment that the next evening was
one of those on which the German
came. She had made it purposey. She
knew that her affair with Won Drach.