The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-07-03
CONTINUED

HALCOM ATTEMPTS TO RETURN THE MINI
AZURE.
The next day Malcom Kirk doggedly
set to work on his report. In the
evening he went over to see the presi-
dent and consulted with him as to cer-
tain details. and then for the next three
days he gave himself up to his task
of getting together the great mass of
material he had accumulated while
abroad.
1t was the fourth evening of his re-
turn that he saw the lights in the Gill
bert house across the campus as even
ing set in. The house had been shut
up and dark.
"She is home again." was his first
thought. He was unable to work well
that evening. The next day he con-
tinued, but the evident nearness Of
Dorothy made him restless to see her
Once she came out on the porch, and
he readily recognized her even at that
distance.
That evening he did not pretend to
himself that he could do anything
worth doing on his report and resolved
|
waiting any longer. He had kept it
more than year now. He was under
promise to give it back. As well now
as any time.
He rang the bell with a tremor at
heart that instantly bounded into fever
when Dorothy herself opened the door.
He stood there in the light OF the
porch, and his trepidation did not
hinder his observing that Dorothy look
ed very pale and even as if she had
been crying.
won't you come in, Mr.. Kirk? l
am verv clad to see you," said Dorothy.
She spike so easily, SO kindly, that he
recovered his self possession at once
and went into the parlor and sat down,
wondering at the commonplace de-
| tails of his meeting with the one wo-
man in all the world to him.
"You will excuse me for coming SO
soon after your return?" he said SIM
ply.
Certainly" replied Dorothy, smil-
ing. "Would you like to see father?
NO" said Malcom Kirk. Il came
to see you" 1t was SO evidently true
that Dorothy could say nothing for a
moment. There was an awkward 81
| lence. She broke it by saying:
81 have read your pamphlet describ-
ing the life Of the people on the conti-
nent in the cities. l thank you, not for
the pleasure, but for the pain it gave
me-"
He looked at her gratefully. He I'M
derstood exactly what she meant. The
opening had been made for talk along
the lines of his deepest life, and be-
fore he knew just how it had been
brought about he was telling her some
Of the experiences of his year abroad,
things he had told to no one else and
had not even been able to put into his
report. All the time he felt the minia.
ture in his pocket. But he seemed to
light against the knowledge that he
must give it up.
As for Dorothy, she experienced a
feeling of exhilaration in her talk with
this man. She was sick Of the empty
nothings she had been hearing all sum
Imer. The recent experience of hel
fathers fail1re also had excited her
There was much in everything that
!rervaded Malcom Kinks life work te
attrac. her at the present moment.
1t must nave been nearly an houl
that they had been talking, she ask
ing questions and he replyins,- and ev
cry minute grew increasingly full o.
interest to her, when he suddenly stop
ped as he had done that evening 6
year before and asked, would you
do you feel as if you could play some
thingY
He was simply battling for time, ani
he was in a condition where he could
not run the risk of speaking something
he ought not. The longer he staid thu
deeper he knew his heart longed fol
Dorothy Gilbert. He felt that while
she was playing he might measure hi
duty and his inclination better.
She was never able to tell hersel
why she played as she did. She begal
with the old German Lorelei, "Icl
weiss nicht was soil es bedeuten, das
ich so traurig bin" ('I know not how /
is that 1 am so sad'O, and then befor
she could control her fingers or he
thought she had passed on to tn
Traumerei, which Kirk had asked he
to play before.
When she finished, she hardly knew
her own feelings. When she turne'
about, he was standing, and he ha'
the miniature in his hand.
81 promised to return it when cam
back" He spoke with great simplici
ty and, as his fashion always was
looked straight in her face like a maj
who is not ashamed or afraid. IN
, one but myself has seen it. The keeI
ing Of it has not
He hardly dared to trust himself t
say what lay within his heart. L
truth he knew we'll enough that b
would be a far different man for tn
rest of his days if he could only hav
= this woman for his wife. but at tina
moment he felt as if such possibilit
was too remote for even thought.
He had walked to the mantel an
was about to put TIE miniature dow
in the place where it had been whe
a sound in the library startled theI
both. 1t was a sound as Of some on
"a falling heavily.
"Father!'' Dorothy exclaimed in tel
ror. She ran into the hall. but swift q
she was Malcom Kirk was before he
u Even as he leaped forward he was col
. iscious that he held the miniature still
t~-f L.. ia u