The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-04

ion, laughing silently at his strange
Ignorance. Had he come from the back OF
God speedg -
"Pollio; YES. Pollie as of old. You arc
still tho same. / can swear 20 that The
sanrc brave. little Pollie, stanob, sell sac
rifioing uncomplainlng.
"Iimes have rather changed with US
Colonel.
"Softy, please.
"Sinco Halifax. " she went on, smiling
but declining the suggestion. For the
better, thank God"
"YOur father succeeded
"Oh. YES He did we'll thanks ever
lastingly, Softy, to You; lie went into
management and, and she ala not
want 10 tell him yet that she herself was
brvadwinner now. drawing princely
salary, .indced maklng.her own terms.
II may come and see your
"Why, OF course "
when may i comet? Where do you
live?"
Come next Sunday. Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park. Come at lunch time; we
are all at home then-father and all.
Ethel, she's next 10 me, you know, Keeps
house Archie's at n cramncr' at wool
rich; he wants TO be "a soldier, llke-like
you. The youngest are all at school
They are dear, good children, and do me
credit -
"Pollie, dear Polliei How good you
We're to them ~
"And now Colonel-SoftyY Yes. IL
shall no Colonel Softy. l have an engage
-an appointments. you Will forgive mef
] must take cab
He turned to hail one, but she al
ready had jumped into "A passing hansOn.
"Eor man who has only just arrived
from the shiny, you've not been long In
making nice, new friends.
He corrected me rather stif1ly.
THAT was IA very old friend-Miss
Ludovici. You remember OF the Hall
fax daysY
Gracious Heavens Seymour, as II
should forget them. But / do trust you
are not going To take up with that lot
again.
/ foresaw, knowing nothing OF the
facts, Gll sorts of complications, the in
jury, perhaps and the check TO his career.
Did the old villain ever repay you
that two hundred poundsY" / asked.
"Most certainly. The very next year.
But enough or that, If you please. think
l know my own business - lie said briefly,
and, TO put an end 90 the subject asked
What have you orderedy ones 1lrst
dinner at the club is rather an event.
Two days after seymour presented hlm-
self in Hanover Terrace and was received
like long-lost son ana brother.
With soldier-like promptitude Softy
declared himself directly he and Pollie
were alone together.
II loved you, Pollie, 1 believe, when
You were child" " he said simply.
"Who could help it, seeing you as you
were .then, and what you did. 1t all
comes back to me now "
"You were very good to us Col Sey-
mour " she faltered.
1T was for love OF you. / have
thought of you always, all these years,
as the best and sweetest OF little women
| know, now that we meet again, that 1
cannot live without you. No one else
shall be my wife. "
They sat there side by side, hand in
hand. She suffered him to.take her into
his arms TO kiss her on the lips, TO
whisper his.endearments and ne thought
she was won.
But then. quite suddenly and abruptly
she broke away from him. and stood, at
her full height, defiant with her hands
outstretched keeping him at bay.
"No, no, l must not accept you. l
must not, will not" she stammered In
hard, eXpressionless voice.
"You do not understand, Softy, and i
cannot explain-not now. III l married
you-yes-'if, indeed there is an fit
must make a great change IL would be
great wrench. IL should have to break
with"
He looked at her in utter bewilder-
ment too loyal and trustful TO misun-
derstand her as more worldly minded
man might have done.
See, darling" Once more her mood
changed, and she came To him, placed one
soft hand impressvely on his arm, while
the other sought his and held 10 tight.
"Softy L love you dearly, and L should
be proud to be your wife. There is no
reason why should not accept you now on
the spot. But something still stands be-
tween us. / am foolish. perhaps, to let
it weigh with me. But IL does, and /
cannot bring myself TO remove 1t, even
at the cost of my happiness
Loverlike he sought to silence her objec-
tions, but she held him back.
"No, no; / must have time to decide.
You shall have an answer, i promise you,
within week. but not now. i mean that;
| do, indeed All this has been far too
sudden. Why, only think three days have
not gone by since our first meeting.
Two days later he came TO me in the
morning room Of the CLUB, with an open
letter in his hand.
Il don't know what this means. Some
one has sent me box for the theater-the
Royal Sovereign. Why is it?'
Tribute TO the victorious soldier"
Rot Will you Gomez
We hunted up the papers to see what
they were doing at the Royal Sovereign.
Ii was Romeo and Juliet" and among
the short press extracts in the advertise
ment we read that Mary Meredith was
incompatible, hers was the finest imper-
sonation of Juliet in this or in any age. T"
Neither of us-l can swear for myself
and, I believe Tor Softy-connected Mary
Meredith with pollie Ludovici. Nor did
/, when we were seated IN the stage box
the very best in the house, recognize her
In the least.
1t was magnificent performance. I
was greatly struck, greatly impressed, by
it, aud | said as much coldly and criti-
caly to Softy, after the act drop fell He
did not turn at first and when presently
he did So | saw plainly that he was still
under the influence of strong overmaster-
ing emotion; his eyes were moist his
hands shook. his voice tremblCd, and he
looked at mo as one dazed when repeated
my banal remark.
Wonderfully good ehg'
Don't you know her, mani It's
Pollie"
For tho rest OF the night / got no sense
out of SOfty When the curtain was up
ho followed Juliet with rapt attention,
absolutely absorbed; between the acts he
drew back into the corner of the box,
shut up In silent self-cOmmuning.
Hard hit, oh Master SoftyY 1 said