The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-05

terly. Wherever she went she found
herself watching for his appearance
and when he did come she was plainly
aware of his presence, although she
would not allow her eyes to wander ir
his direction for a moment. People
thought her very inattentive, for, while
pretendig to listen to their CONVERSE
tion, she was waiting nervously for the
approach of Roland.
One morning Lady Beauchamp came
into the drawing room hurriedly hold
ing an open letter in her hand.
Lois" she said, "one of the men
has failed for my dinner party on the
10th. Would YOU mind writing a card
for Mr.. Grey?"
why trouble about it?" asked Lois
II need not dine, and then you will be
an even number"
"Oh, no! we cannot spare you" re-
piled Mary. "Do you mind writing 1t 2?
Lois was sorry she had demurred
"Of course not. I will write at once.
Thank you, dear" said Lady Beau
champ. Remember. we dine at 81
and she left the room.
An idea struck Lois. Was not this
the opportunity for which she had been
looking? She wanted Roland Grey's
friendship again (of course. nothing
more), and could she not tell him so in
letter inclosed with the card? She
would stand up for the theory that girls
can make friends of men as well as of
women, and not allow one such friend
ship to be broken by a lite fit of TEN.
per. She took up her pen eagerly, but
was then confronted with the difficulty
of putting her meaning into words. 1,
was a delicate matter Many an inno-
cent sheet of note paper was sacrificed
The final copy she finished hurriedly
and without reading it over, as she
heard Lady Beauchamp returning. Nc
sooner had it gone than Lois half re-
pented Had she not written foolishly?
What had she said? Something about
hoping he would come, as they had
seen so little of him lately; and some
thing about London being such a
mighty place, one so easily lost ones
friends: and then at the end, some
grandiloquent sentence about friend
ship being so sacred that it should not
be lightly thrown aside. She recollect-
ed it with a blush.
Next day brought a note from Roland
Grey. She opened it nervously.
"nNear Miss Lois" ("What an odd
way to address me!' she thought as
she read. 1T should be Miss Camp
bell, or plain Lois.'")
II am much obliged for your kind in
terest in me, but l fear l must beg to
be excused. The fact is, that / am for
tunate in possessing many good friends
already; and as 1 am content with their
number l should hardly feet justified
in availing myself of your proposal
Yours truly, Roland Grey"
Lois crushed the note in her hand
and turned to leave the room.
You will be ready to drive at 4
o'clock, dear" said Lady Beauchamp.
"Oh, 1 can't go this afternoon" was
stairs.
Mary looked after her inquiringly.
Poor child" she murmured. "I won
der what it is all about!"
Meanwhile, Lois was hastily pacing
up and down her room. At that mo-
ment she hated Roland Grey. She had
done nothing to deserve this. 1t was a
cool, deliberate insult. No one had ever
lnsulted her before. She shook her
head back fiercely. She would never
speak to him again. Then, suddenly,
she leaned her head on the sill in an
agony of tears.
She had discovered that she did love
Roland Grey. His ill-usage had opened
her eyes. She suffered mentally, but
she made no complaint, and resented
any remarks as to her health. She
went through her round of gayeties
with a fixed determination, more suit
cd to a course of Reimbursement than
to efforts at enjoyment.
Only once, at a big crush, did she
resume anything of her old vivacity,
and then it had a false ring. An OBJ
server might have noticed that it was
coincident with the approach of Grey,
who was making his way as if to
speak to her. She would not see him
and turned toward Mr.. Dycey, looked
up brightly and asked him for de-
tails of his last boating expedition.
Dycey, who had that moment been
telling her about it, politely repeated
himself, and then inquired:
80 you like a tale twice told?"
81 beg your pardon" said he, con-
fused, II was thinking about some
thing else"
THAT is honest. at least, Miss Camp
bell" he said, with slight sneer
and left her.
Roland Grey had left the room. He
had seemed willing to speak to her.
but since the rebuff she had received
she was unapproachable. He was to
dine with them on the 10TH but Lois
was resolved that she would not be
of the party, and she accepted a sud
den invitation to stay in the country.
Lady Beauchamp gladly assented to
her leaving town for few days. She
had guessed for some time past that
was troubling Lois, and al
so that, whatever that something was,
concerned Roland Grey. Now that
Lois was going away, and the young
man coming to dinner she would take
the opportunity of discovering what
was wrong, 1t could not be simply
that Lois had refused to marry Grey,
for ther she would not be thus anxious
to avoid him, and he so willing to meet.
He was the sort of man who would
take refusal as final; and besides, it
was only the other day that he avoid
ed Lois as studiously as she now avoid
ed him. There must be some misun-
between them. Lady
Beauchamp fully intended that this
one should be disentangled.
She noted his look of grave disap-
pointment when she told him that Miss
Campbell was away, and remarked
that he was decidedly preoccupied dur
ing dinner. Afterward, in the course
of conversation with him, she remark
ed that she was afraid London life
was too much for Lois.
Roland seemed interested and anx-
ious to know what could be done, and
she was soon returning to
town,
II can't make out what is the mat
ter With her." replied Lady Beau