Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-08-21


her face in shame that she had let her
heart 60 where it was not wanted. She
could not blame Tracey Channon. She
would control herself whatever it cost.
In spite of her efforts to forget. the
painful yearning seized her at times
so strongly that she longed to hate the
man that she might be at peace with
herself. She reviewed his character
and conduct to find something incom-
patible. something to arouse her dis
like. A few impcrfcctions presented
themselves, but no other man that she
had ever known was so nearly blame
less.
On Tracey's return to the city Annis
tried to abate nothing of her old-time
cordially. but too often self-conscious~
ness concealed it into awkward stiff
ness. Tracey apparently saw no change
and took their friendship as II matter
Of course. as he had done all alapg.
Then Edna Stafford, fresh young
girl. came to join the little circle in
which Annis found daily intercourse,
and at first chung to the older girl for
companionship and guidance. Tracey
met Edna and apparently had at last
found his souls affinity. He was all de-
votion, tender and sweet. a love-lorn
youth of 16 could not have shown more
infatuation. When Annis and Edna
were both with Tracey he often APP
peared to forget the former. or if the
conversation became three-cornered he
would throw into it just the element
that aroused Anpis' irratibiEty and
grated on her sense of fairness. Then
her sharpest sarcasms always fell upon
the younger girls head. At such times
Tracey was so softly sympathetic with
Edna, so contrived to set her defense"
less innocence over against Annis'
hnrshness as to prompt Edna to little
impertinences and assumptions of his
championship.
Annis could school herself to the
thought that Tracey would never care
for her as she did for him; she could
take him at his word that he had no in
tention of marrying, but she suffered
keenly with disappointment and a
touch of disgust in seeing the one whose
manly, somewhat serious bearing she
had learned to admire, conducting him
self in manner so nearly silly. More
over, he evidently took it for granted
that her honest friendship and COM
radeship had turned to jealousy and
hostility, and that there was open
rivalry between her and Edna
This was too much. Saying nothing
of her plans, Annis made speedy prepa-
rations for spending the winter in the
south. She chose a resort not widely
known and confided its address only to
brother in distant city.
The new surroundings. the agree
able coterie of fellow guests diverted
Annis' mind and allayed her agita-
ton, so that she began to feel sure
that the time of her going home
would find her healthily Indifferent to
Tracey Channon's doings. One after
noon she with others was at the lit
tie railway station idly watching the
newcomers on the down train. She
saw Tracey Channon among them. Be
fore he could see her she stepped be.
hind pillar and slipped away into
the park. At the end of the winding
myrtle path she found seat. The
old love surged up, pierced through
and through by the sting of those last
experiences at home. Had he come
knowing she was there? She was
tempted to fly away on the up train
IL. Al; I, nh, bn for
est. But no, this hour must settle the
matter forever. She would not let her
love for man who had so plainly told
her not to count on him assert itself
while he was so near. She ragged
against her persistency in making
himself so part of her life. She tore
Mt the roots of her affection in wrath
and shame. Again wave of ccstatic
love rolled in upon her heart at the
thought that he was so near; then she
cliuched her hands till the tendons
strained, for she must go back to the
hotel and meet Tracey Cannon a con-
uueror of herself or able to meet him
in the old friendly way.
When the paroXysm had spent it.
self Annis felt that she had aged in
the hour. The songs of the birds
seemed to be in minor key. The
strong contrast between the patches
of sunshine and the shadows were to
her typical of life with Tracey and ex-
isteucc without him. The sounds of
voices and laughter waited up from gay
boating parties on the river brought
back memories of happier days. She
looked beyond them to the dim, gray
further bank and felt that so must
she look past happiness to a life as