Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-09

me, but had drawn herself back from me
as from some wild beast. and was regard
ing me in a palld horror which struck me
to the heart.
why, don't you know me?' l cried, in
pity and reproach, at which her face turned
crimson, then went down upon the arm Of
her chair, and she burst into tears with
such an abandonment Of grief that l was
beside myself
oh forgive me, forgive me- I cried,
though | was not conscious of having
s!nned against her. But she only shook her
head. and babe me leave her, and, as L
could not do that, | dropped into hopeless
silence, regarding the crown of fluffy hair,
which was all could see, in helpless misery
Until, gradually, about an inch of her white
forehead began to show itself above the
handkerchief she was clutching. and des-
perate voice said: How could you be SO
ycung-so awfully young and all that? It s
jUst-just too dreadful for anything.
Il know it, l said meekly, though did
all this is just for little while. only
stayed to make you understand that. l
will leave you now. if you prefer it,.
There was silence, then she reached
her hand cautiously toward me. still with
her face concealed behind the handker-
chief
II am not angry with YOU, she said,
tmidly. And II you had been old you
know, come to think about 1t, you couldn't
have got about so; perhaps It's best this
way. after all
Perhaps it is" 1 murmured gravely,
barely touching the dainty fingers then
laying them discreetly down again. while
my traitor heart leaped high and mad fan
cies possessed my brain. And then, to re-
assure her, for | cared little enough about
II myself, l began to talk to her of her
business complications. artfully rousing in
her the resentment against her uncle of
which l had caught glimpse; and So lit
tie by little, winning her to look at me
and trust me as sat down back from her
not trusting myself in the least, and very
much tearing that some hasty word or
action might drop again the veil which
seemed lifting from between her soul and
mine.
"Oh. how can l ever thank you enoughr'
she cried at length. And to think that
you are about the first honest man | ever
talked to, though, L suppose she added
hastily, that the priests must be all right
being in the church, and all that but then
you know they have to be so queer that
1t doesn't seem to matter whether they are
or not; one doesn't care much, you know"
Well, they would not let US alone, so
We had some breakfast-the usual thing,
suppose, for l remember being asked
whether l would take cream in my coffee
and declining 1t, then wondering why the
STUN tasted wrong and wasn't the right
color. and something about being asked if
the steak suited me, and that l answered
dreamily that II did not, at which people
looked offended. Little could be expected
OF one sitting down In family fashion with
hlushlng girl, who kept her eyes fasten-
90 questlonlnsly upon him whenever she
thouSht herself unobserved, and who fall
tered out little womanly proffers of delica-
cies that led him TO pile his untouched
plate with 1ncongruous eatables
"A carriage was got for us by some one
ana PAID out more money, almost my last
men we were directed to a downtown law
ONCE; arrived indecently early and were
IeceiVed by Janttor much out of temner
from an encounter with the furnace and r
was snubbed by him and frowned mo-
ana when the lawyer came L left my COM
panion in the reception room and went int
the inner office with him. wishing deyoutIv
tEat L might have sought my brother-in.
law $ advice as to the kind of help to en-
pioy in my delicate business, yet not dar-
ing to venture near him, as / valued NV
liberty.
Too utterly jaded to use my ordinary
tact, 1 did not decently prepare the poor
man. While l pelted him with my wild
statements he sat far forward upon the
edge OF his office chair, with one eye upon
the window beside him, making ready L
Ieit' Tor that moment when my lunacy
should break loose and he must leap for
MS life. But, though clumsy to the verge
OF brutality. l was firm with him, and
nothing he could say shook my confidence
In my reason, or the reality Of what had
happened. So. gradually. he left off his
ieVerlsh attention to the window and began
TO really heed me. But when 1 reached
that strange morning wedding he sprap1
to his feet and snatched the papers per
tanning to the ceremony from me- much as
one would seize a loaded revolver from the
hands of child.
Our names he took down, and then nv
TONED. and when he had cross-eAamined
her until The toe of my boot fairly tinpled
he bundled US both out of the office. teIIinp
us wneh 70 can again. all the time mutter-
ing 10 himself as though his nervous sys-
TEN had sustained severe shock
once more In the carriage, what was I