The record-union., 1897-11-07

| ing up by the reservoir. Good by. Jack
and good luck to you." And she smiled
and nodded encouragingly at him as
they shook hands in parting.
| Kendall walked rapidly southward
his head up and his shoulders well back
He had not noticed before how perfect
| his surroundings We're. The exquisite
! coloringS of the wintry sunset sky
| brought out to full advantage the grace
of the tree forms silhouetted against it;
the stretchers of dull green grass, the
| little sheets of ice-covered water, the
rustic bridges, the lichen-g rocks, al
seemed to smile good cheer at him; the
| tall apartment buildings below wore q
| face OF kindliness and substantial COM
| fort; the twin spires of the cathedral
| farther down seemed like encouraging
! friends, beckoning him on.
| All through the park his feeling OF
| hope and confidence amounted almost
| to conviction that he was walking
straight upon success. 1t was not until
after emerging upon the avenue. he was
nearing the fatal cross street that the
| fever of his haste began slightly to
|
| his footsteps followed each other in
| less rapid succession upon the broad
! f1agstones which seemed in some sub
| tie way to suggest the conventional ele-
gance and impressiveness of their sur
roundings. Afterward he remembered
| that great piano across the way had
| been playing familiar Italian air;
that lady had been engaged IN an
ignominious alteration with her rib
/ bon-led pug dog regarding the direc-
ton of their promenade; that an awk-
ward and unwieldy horseless carriage
with its usual self conscious occupants
had met and passed him; and that he
had noticed and been diverted by all
these things-such is mans obligation
to perceive the least in the presence of
the greatest. Truth to tell, however,
| it was not until he stood face to face
with the familiar doors, and had me-
chanically touched the unassuming but
portentious black rubber button that
the full realization of his act took pos
session of him. Then, nothing but his
! sturdy Revolutionary blood kept him
from precipitate fight; his Revolution
ary blood was aided and abetted by the
! fact that the door was almost instantly
opened; and he entered the house like
one walking up to q cannon's mouth, in
a nightmare.
| The butler, too we'll trained TO evince
surprise at his return. ushered Ken
| dali into the reception room and de-
parted with his card. Left to himself
the young man listened intently to the
receding footsteps as they passed up
the stairs and through the hall above,
and then, informing himself grimly that
he was now certainly Sin for it," he
began pacing restlessly up and down
the room, stopping now and then to ex-
anime carefully one or another of the
we'll hung paintings, all Of which he
had long known by heart.
| He was conscious of a singular lack
of equilibrium, both physical and men
| tai, to which his nervousness of the
earlier part of the afternoon was trif-
| ling matter; he was annoyed to find
that he had an unusual sensation in
| the region of the bronchial tubes, and
| to rid himself of it, cleared his throat
once or twice in a careless, matter-of-
! fact way; he tried not to let himself
get out of that proper attitude of mind
which Hope had said was so impor-
tant, and kept assuring himself encour-
agingly that if he could only begin all
right re should sail through surpris-
| ingly well, as he had done in the park
| to which end he repeated several times
! the first sentence he had used in his re-
cent rehearsal. Then he began to Won
der why she did not come down, and,
| convinced that he had been waiting
an inordinate length of time, a sudden
/ wild CLEAN of hope shot across his sky
perhaps she was not at home! He
was Just pulling himself together at
this thought, when the heavy curtains
| at the door We're pushed aside, and
| she entered.
/ Kendall went forward to meet her,
looking exceedingly dignified and intel
ligent. and possessed of but one per-
fectly clear and distinct idea-that he
must now begin right
| Excuse me for coming again, Miss
Arnold" he repeated with punctilious
preciseness, gazing haughtily at the op-
posite wall, 'but I found on getting
away that I had forgotten something
"Oh, did you leave something here?"
| inquired the young lady in a voice,
which, not altogether steady, seemed
|
preston in her eyes. Kendall, for the
first time in all their intercourse not
noticing her, owing to his sudden alb
sorbing interest in a beautiful etching
near him, realized that this was the
moment to take the citadel by storm
and answered with all the eloquence
| he could at the moment command:
"Yes-when I got away, I began to
h tr,ly fhrf -
was here-that two hours ago-to feel
| sure that after all-if you would give
me the opportunity and not be too
hard on me-in short" with desperate
spurD =" to determine that would come
back and tell you that - his eyes
having left the etching had fallen upon
a, small table across the room; heaven
is said to help those who help them
| selves, and Kendalrs mettle had been
proved, that 1 had left my note book
here!" he finished, in triumph, walking
to the table and possessing himself of
the little leather-bound article of such
strategic Importance lying upon it.
| OH! said Miss Arnold in strange
tone. drawing a quick, deep breath
Did you come back for that? 1 should
| nave sent 1t to you when it was dis
covered; but perhaps you needed it at
once?"
Yes: I needed it this afternoon" +"
replied Kendall. feeling a great load
off his mind and speaking almost cas-
| lily. 1T contains some figures 1 wish
ed to use at the club. and, of course.
that reminded me of it,
I am sorry you have been so in
! cho Il