Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-03-04
CHAPTER XXI.
The Reconciliation.

II was wondering" she said, tap
ping it lightly with her pencil, "if the
name of the young lady to whom Mr..
Fielding has been devoted for years
is on this list,
Her assumption Of simple curiosity
was admirable, not overdone by a
shade. HEDGES looked at her in gem
uine surprise. What could such a
trifle possibly mean to her?"
why, yes-I take it for granted it
is. Miss" He had leaned across
the little table to glance at the list
spread upon it. Harriet touched him
lightly on the lips with the pencil in
her hand: "Oh, you are not to give
me her name"
He drew back to stare at her again;
Don't you know it? Have you never
heard the story?"
only partially. And l have an idle
fancy to test my own astuteness in
this matter. One does not grow wise
in heart-lore on a cattle ranch in the
west. All that / know l heard from
his sister when they stopped at my
place. And she never mentioned the
young lady's name. / want to see if
I can place her that night, by his
manner to her, or hers to him."
1T ought to be easy" Hedges laugh
ed, absently; he was rummaging in
his pocket for the picture dealers cat
alogue. Gle has been idiotically in
love with her for several years now"
With a soft swapping sound the PEN
Gil in Mrs. Monettes hand broke. She
had brought her fingers about it with
a sudden tight contraction. She flung
the two pieces into a pen tray on the
table, and leaned back among the So
ia cushions piled up behind her. A
tired look came into her eyes, the cor
ners of her mouth lost their upward
smiling curves. She looked older by
years at that moment! After all, what
was she contending for?
Hedges had found the catalogue by
this time and was turning over its
pages.
by the way, on what day does
your at home fall?" he asked.
"Tuesday/the 18th"
A-Sha-el4slced at the long list on the
table unsmilingly. What bore it
was all going to be! What did she
care for those people? What did they
care for her?
I'm awfully sorry" Hedges was
saying.
Sorry? About what?"
"The date. Now, if you had only
happened to select Thursday, the
10Th"
What difference would that make?'
"All the difference in the world,
perhaps, to one person-to two, l
may say"
Explain The date is not inexor-
ably fixed"
mo? GOOD.
Little Hedges drew the sacred list
toward him and traveld rapidly down
it, dog-erring it's corners with irrev-
client fingers, Eyes, I see him name is
here
"Whose?"
"My boy Teddy's. It's this way.
On Wednesday, the 18th, the exhibit
ton for American artists opens at the
academy. My pupil will have two,
if not more, pictures there that will
insure him an artistic triumph. l was
selfish enough to wish that your af-
fair should have been set for the day
after the academy opening. You see
the making of reputation is a cur
ious and complicated business. To
have his pictures talked about one
day, as they must be, and himself
guest Of the beautiful Mrs. Monette's
the next day would be a great thing
for my poor boy. He would have met
none but the right sort of people here,
and his artistic triumph might have
eliminated in social recognition
which would be balm to him. He has
had something to live down, as per-
haps you know"
Harriet leaned upon the little table
between them, clasping her hands ov-
er the list. Her sweet face was aglow
with deep feeling.
Il know-I know. And you have
helped him to live it down, loyal
friend that you are"
Il have simply stood shoulder to
shoulder with him, as one comrade
with another, when the roar of the
conflict was in his ears. There is
good stuff in him. He was smirched
from the outside. A purely accidental
smudge gave him a bad turn. His
soul is as clean and strong and pure
dear lady, as your own.
Harriet shrank back from him in
pain. Why should he have selected
her as an illustration?
After all" she said, drearily, 'how
many men and women are there
walking about under their gay social
masks who have not \ something to
live down? And how lmany of them