The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1898-07-28

idly several times. It was their anni-
versary. He had remembered and kept
1t so rlgldly. 1t was barely possible it
had come over her as strongly-the hap
plness they were missing from their
lives, the lncompleteness of their vapid
present-and perhaps she had come to
him. He was almost running down the
stairs in his eagerness. He held back
the portieres, and there she stood before
the tiTe-straight, tense, her slimness
accumulated by her velvet coat, the
whiteness and delicacy of her face
starting out exquisitely from the laoes
at her throat and from under the big
black hat. AS he approached her he no.
tlced the nervous tapping of her foot in
the fur of the rug, the tense pressure
of her clasped hands. Was it dream
Alice in her home again, years mis-
cry Cancelled in a moment? He held out
both nands and noticed her eyes in the
mirror they were facing as he said:
And have you come to me again,
Alioe?''
She started visibly and then slowly
turned.
Yes" I" she answered quietly. "I've
come to you. And you mustn't fail
me, " she added beseechingly.
'tWon't you sit down?'' Witherspoon
asked. She was trembling.
Thank you, she said, and she sat
on ia low stool, and the man noticed
with sinking of the heart how she
drew her little cloak about her, the
thumbs Of the olasped hands turned up
and back. How he remembered
= must come to the root of the mat
ter at once, - the girl began, and grad
ually her voice grew fierce and she look
ed him full in the face with her wide,
cad eyes. He noticed, with almost a
feeling of exultation, that her face was
now the face of the woman who had
lived and suffered.
You haven't heard from my father
for some time, have you?' she began.
"No," Witherspoon answered SIT
must be some weeks now.
II received a telegram this after
noon, the woman went on quietly.
"He arrived in New York this morning
and will be in Cincinnati tomorrow.
He is bound for California, and he
will, on his way, stop in town with
-, his son and daughter. -
Her voice had broken. Witherspoon
rose TO his feet and walked to the win
dow. The silence was painful.
"And what will you do?'' he said, at
last, turning to her.
There's only one thing to do, :" and
the girls voice was determined. "My
father has very little longer to live.
He's not had much but disappointment
in his life, and, cost what it may. can
not bring more sorrow to him. You
know how the CHASTITY thing would
shock his old time conventionality. !"
She hesitated and seemed to look to the
man for his help in thought or deed,
but his fear of her scorn kept him
silent. At last, taking a deep breath,
she went on
Tomorrow morning must send here
Ch5 few things l took away. The por-
traits, my piano, my work-they re cas-
lily put in place and will be as easily mov-
ed away again. m sorry to SO inconven-
ience you, but you must see it is un-
avoidable. . She stopped again and
looked into the fire. "My room," she
asked, sis it much changed?''
The man was kneeIing beside her
AOW3 LIS dElllS dUOuG u0r. SW00GQ0arG.
sweetheart, he almost moaned, "stay
with me, beg of you to stay with me-
My life's been misery since you we
not been-everything is fiat and with
out flavor. We've taken year out of
the radiance that is given to man but
sparingly. Don't let's throw away an
other moment of it. love you-oh,
God, how love you''
His head was buried in her lap, and |
slowly she took off her long glove and
stroked the hair she remembered SO
we'll.
Are you perfectly sure you want
me?'' she asked softly.
And SO it happened that on the second
Of their wedding Mr.. and
Mrs. George Witherspoon were seen
by party of gay young friends taking
dinner at the ST. Nicholas. "GadP' as
one of the men said later ''They were
like two children off on a lark, and |
aren't they quite the best looking couple
in Cincinnati?''-Cinc Post.