Evening star., 1898-12-03

did not lie in him to achieve such for
s1veness as his faults and virtues COM
o'ned to put haGondf the power of his ma
l1re. she looked at him, and Il smiled"
sue Sald, not seeming herself to know why
She had smiled but conscious that, in the
MIDST of her Woe. some subtiy amusing
thought about him had come into her mind.
she mad never been amused at him before;
SO she, too. was getting some glimmer of
revelation out of the days experience
not the awful bfaze 81 light that had flashed
on Harold's eyes. hut a dim ray Just en-ugh
t. to T give cause to that puzzled smile for
So they parted, and for persons who have
followed the affair af ali closely it is hardly
necessary to add that they never came to-
gather again. This issue was obvious and
Winifred seems to, have made up her mind
TO II that very same evening. for she called
her mother into her room (as the good lady
passed on her way to bed) and looked up
from the task of brushing the gray frock
which she had spread out on the sofa.
II don't think 1 shall marry Mr.. Jackson
now, mother" she said.
MIS-. Petheram looked at her daughter and
at her daughters gown.
YOU'D better tell me more about 1t to-
morrow. You look tired tonight, dear" she
replied
But Winifred never told her any more
In the first place. because the family
TOO delighted with the fact to care one
straw about how it had come to pass, and
IN the second place, on the ground that the
too absurd to bear teliing-at least, to the
family. To me- for some reason or other.
Wtnifred did tell 1T, some of it, enough.
anyhow, to enable me with the help of u
rev touches of imagination to conjecture
how 1t occurred.
Don't you think 1t was very absurd?'' she
asked at the end Of her story. We were sit
ting by the yew hedge, near the library
windows. looking across the flower beds to
the meadow. 1t was a beautiful day, and
the Old place was charming. Because"
she added, Il did love him. you know: and
II seems small thing 10 separate about
doesn't it?'
IF he had behaved differently I be-
gan.
"I-don't see how he could be expected to-,
she murmured.
You expected him to- said firmly She
turned to me with an appearance of inter
est: as though might be able to interpret
TO her something that had been causing her
puzzle Or you wouldn't have looked at
him as You say you did-Or smiled at him.
as you admit you did. But you We're wrong
of man.
What kind of MANI"
fhe Kind Of man to catch you in his
arms smother you in kisses fallow me the
old phrase). tell you that he understood all
you felt: knew all you were giving up: real
him. IVA
Winifred was listening. I went on with
my imaginary scene of romantic fervor
That when he contrasted that mean lit
tie place with the beauties you were ac-
cnstomed TO with the beauties which were
r'ght and proper for you. when he saw your
daintiness sOiled by that dust that gown
whose hem he would willlngly-'
He needn't say quite as much as that"
interrupted Wintfred smiling little
ven or words to that effect" said I.
That when he did all this and saw all
fhfS. You know. he loved you more and
knew that you loved him more than he had
dared to dream. with a deeper love- love
that gave up for him all that you loved
next best and second only to him: that
after seeing your tears he would never
doubt again that you would face all trials
ana all troubles with him at your side
Don't You think If he'd said something of
that kind. acconpa nying his words with the
appropriate actions" l paused
'Well?" asked Winifred
Don't you think you might have been
living in that herrid little house now in
stead of being about to contract an alH-
ance with Sir Barton Amesbury
How do you kuoweI shall do that" she
1T needs" observed modestly, little
skill to discernnthee approach of the in
ev1tabie.' l looked -zpt her thoughtful face
and at her eyes, they had their old look of
wondering in them. Don't you think that,
II he'd treated thf sitliation in that way
Perhaps" sh& said softly. But he
Suo wouldn't think Of lfthat He was such an
reaIly DO not knoY, why she applied that
term to him at that moment except that
he used to apply Ii to himself at many
moments, But since it seemed to her to ex-
plain his conduct there is no need TO quar-
rel with the epithet
And l hope said J. THAT the gray
frock wasn't irretiievahly ruined?"
I've never worn it again" she muir
INJURED.
SO l suppose it was ruined-unless she
has some other reason. But she would be
right to treat 1t differently from other
frocks: 1t must mean a good deal to her,
it failed to mean anything except |
Its own pretty self to Mr.. Jackson.