The Ravalli Republican., 1898-09-28

as he stood bowing away dreanliiy
beside her until: I grew SO sick with
the jealousy" that I left the place and
went home alone, and yet he never
seemed to understand. Truth to
tell, as the weeks went by no one
could have said that either Of us had
come within winning distance of
| her. Sometimes it was who would
80 home in q state of mental intoNi-
cation, while Chris would seem
pa]er and quieter than usual; then,
next time, Chris would come in with
the telltale flush to find me sitting
moody and savage Never once did
we speak directly Of it, but the
shadow was there, thickening every
day, and somehow from tho first
it seemed to me that Chris, taken
on his merits alone, would be the
winner in this silent, desperate
struggle
Desperate? Yes. One night in a
fit Of pique l had absented myself
from the practice and for hours sat
planning how I could make him set
a match to tho powder. About Il
o'clock he burst in, his face all
aglow. ".5. ....+x
"Will, I've just heard the sweet
est bit Of music ever written-her
own oomposition-Lottie's I mean !!
7 can hear it now! I caught her
playing it unawares, and what do
you think2 I've made her promise
to cmbody it i'll violin duet to be
played by you and me at the next
concert. She can do it. She has
written more than one pretty song.
Will Will! What is the matter?
| What have l done2"
I had tried to sneer, but it was no
use. When he put his hand on my
shoulder and softly asked that, I
could only get up and walk from
the room. The lump in my throat
was too great for words. I knew
loved him, but I did not know that
I: hated him too.
Then for a month Of suspense
we saw nothing. Of Lottie Arnold.
She was as much an. enthusiast as
Chris himself. Having set herself
to the work, her one fear was, I
suppose, that the, duo would not be
finished in time. But at last camo
lctter. It had nearly driven her
mad, she said, but we could judge
OF her success if we. called at her
house to try our parts on the fol-
lowing Wednesday evening"
Tho noto was addressed to Chris.
Fora moment my jealousy famed
up SO that T. had almost snatched it
out Of his hands as he. read it. I
mastered that impulse, but I knew
that the crisis was at hand now.
My brain was in whirl all that
week. Scarcely a word passed be
tween us And Chris, as ho walked
beside me that Wednesday evening,
seemed to have grown haggard, and
lie shifted his violin case from hand
to hand constantly. I,think he had
begun to understand.
Reaclling the house, we were
shownat once into the sitting room,
and there sat Lottiesat q piano, SUI
rounded by q litter of papers: Per
haps she, too, realized something at
shat 1nomcnty for she rose with IS
start and Il heightened color.
ITS it really 2 o'clock? I seem to
be left behind the world lately. This
staccato finale has kept me in a
nervous trenble for days oh, and
-and''= She hesitated, plucking
at tho' velvet band at her ;throat,
quite childishly for her. Tin
dreadfully sorry, but it isn't to be a
duet at all found I hadn't posi-
bly, time to- arrange the second part
as we'll as the accompaniment, SO
IL abandoned it, and really think
it goes better as o solo, A strain
eQ, mover forgotten pause! Then, be-
coming herself again, she ran for
ward and touched my arm appeal
ing1y. you don mind very much,
do you2" she asked in her sweet
voice.
All over in q breath! I know /
stood stupidity still for a time, un-
ablo to get syllable past tho swell
ing i'll my throat, while the floor
seemed to be rocking. So she had
written the solo-for Chris-and
with it ended all my dreams.
wanted air. 7 murmured some
thing; caught up my violin anG
went mechanically out and down
the stairs At the door I stopped
Some one had called me. It was
Chris, his face white and implorine
as a frightened won1an's.
"WillW That was all he sai(
huskily as he gripped my arm.
knew vaguely that it meant "Soone1
than that, you can have the solo. )
But that only maddened me thu
more: I shook off his hand anl
walked away home.
Three hours later he walked in
I,think he had been wandering thu
streets, fighting a battle with him
self. He came straight across t
where sat, witha palpable attemp