The Delta independent., 1897-03-24

ne WINS wearing OUT inc eecOuI Periou
of inaction on the porch Of the tavern
where he had eaten supper, Philip was
able, for the first time since the finding
of the deed, to go back to the events
which had Immediately preceded that
piece of good fortune He had Helen's
letter in his pocket, and he read it again
in the thickening twilight. 1t was
good letter, after all, he admitted; SEN
sible and practical, ard showing forth
in every line the nobility and true
beartedness of the writer. None the
less. she should have knewn-she would
have known, had she really loved him
that her proposal could be accepted
only on the condition he had imposed
that single sentence of warm affection
from her Mt such time would have out
weighed all the acts OF self-abnegation
that could be crowded into lifetime.
And yet he could not help wishing that
he had not been so prompt to return
cold formnlity for kind-hearted COM
q mon sense. She would doubtless be
glad enough to be free-oh, that, of
course; but he might have been as
frank and informal with her as she
had = right to expect him to be-as
their long friendship and engagement
demanded. And just here brush from
the nettle of shame stung him. How
: cosid he ever hope that she would ut
fFsbase any but the basest motive to his
A<4Aer when she learned the truth about
Elsie? Would she not always accuse
him in her heart of having been glad of
. the prctext afforded by his loss for
breaking openly an engagement which
had been long ignored in secret? lie
was sure she would, and he checked
himself impaticntly when he found
that he was setting the contempt of
the woman he had asked to release him
above the love Of the woman who had
saved his life.
That thought brought back to him
Elsie and the present. Had she really
saved his life? Was it quite beyond
doubt that she WINS the one woman in
the world who could lead him out of
himself into . sphere Of usefulness and
accomplishment? 1t was by no means
ns clear and wcll-dcfined as it had np-
peared to be on that day when he had
/, sat up among the pillows and fancied
himself inspired. Nevertheless. ~ he
had accepted the help, he must abide by
ths choice Of that day-and he would,
se0s what might.
Nc matter which way Il turned, the
tsain sf rsAscttaa led quiekly 70 dis-
0Qw1ug1e1I QQuelunannaI -an4 2hese--
dy1S - I'D VIXEN The soanA of dis
sone. whistle aasured him that he could
presently pass from the depressing At
mosphere Of introspection into tempo
rary oblivion Of action. 1t was but .
step across to the railway, and he was
tired enough to postpone taking IL un-
I'll Il became . necessity. The whistle
sounded again. and he sat lazily watch
ing the eye Of yellow light staring
southward from the signal lamp over
the station, while the rumble of the sp-
preaching train hoeted up the valley
on the evening breese. Had he known
that Glenco Wa . nag station for the
nigAt train, and that he was the only
passenger,he would have bestirred him
self when the lamp flashed rcd and then
hack 10 yellow again in answer 10 the
engineer's call for siguals- After that
IL was too late; there was = rush and .
roar, . discordant changing Of the en-
zine bell mingled with the kissing of
steam, and before he could cross the
street the train had thundered past
without stopping.
Cireumstances, and the power TO
piek and choose among the possibili-
ties, have much to do with ones peace
Of mind. Half an hour earlier Philip
had debated with himself the neces-
sity for hurrying back 70 Allacoochee
that night. The small hotel was clean;
the supper had been Of the kind which
prophecies . wholesome breakfast;
and he was weary enough 70 call Il .
day's work and 60 70 bed. None the
les, when he realized that his last
chance for reaching Allacoochee had
faded into . distant roar and two red
eyes staring back at him down the
long stretch Of straight track
north Of Glenco, he was Inn
,nediately possessed with an i'm
Fortunate devil Of impatience. A .
matter Of fact, since there was an early
tie difference whether he slept at Glen
Gu or at his room at the Johannisberg;
bot 10 WAS . part of his plan that he
should reach Ailacoochee st once, and
70 be muaA, II he had to walk. 30
much he said 70 the hotelkeeper. who
we a . los 70 understand the impa-
tiescc Of his guest. A man might
walk, he said; II was only ten miles.
And then, sgain. nsn might ride. II 20
be be were willing TO pay for horse.
Philip caught at the alternative and Of
fered 70 psy literally. The horse wss
Sound, ssd after many minute direc-
tioas about The soad, which were quali-
6ed, REPEATED and amended until they
wsrs hsPssesssay oesesse. Thospdyke
so1s away h the aAsksea- 80
usviag ~ ost h hssse, he he'd sa-
re siDe 70 repeat in Ie;ssre. The rod,
liss1s ssPa at any time. asd practically
stnshssed sisee she opening d The