The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-09-13
CHAPTER v.
NALcoX ATTEMPTS TO RETURN THE MINI

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 Ger.
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 Gil.
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 ut that
distance.
That evening he did not pretend to
himself that he could do anything
worth doing on his report and resolved
W S' ltlul tllt W Nliuput
waiting any longer. He had kept it
more than year now. He was under
promise to give 1t back. AS well now
rs any time.
He rang the bell with n trcmor al
heart that instantly bounded into fever
when Dorothy herself opened I'll" 600"
He stood there in the light of liz.
porch, and his trepidaton did ro'
hinder his observing that Dorothy hook
ed very pale and even as II she la'.
been crying.
"WOn't you come in. NJ
am very glad to see you" sail l''r'.
She spoke SO easily, so kindly. that he
recovered his self possession at once
and went into the parlor and sat down,
wondering ut 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 sinh
ply.
Certainly" replied Dorothy, smil-
ing. "Wouh you like to see fatherT
NO." said Malcom Kirk. II came
to see you" 1t was 50 evidently true
that Dorothy could say nothing for q
moment. There was an awkward 81.
lence. She broke 1t by saying:
Il have read your pamphlet describ-
ing the life Of the people on the CONT.
nent in the cities. thank you, not for
the pleasure. but for the pain 1t gave
me-"
He looked at her gratefully. He un-
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 1t 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
fight against the knowledge that he
must give It up.
AS for Dorothy, she experienced
feeling of exhilaration in her talk with
this man. She was sick Of the empty
nothings she had been hearing all sum-
mer. The recent experience Of her
fathers failure also had excited her.
There was much in everything that
pervaded Malcom Kinks life work to
attract her at the present moment
1t must have been nearly an hour
that they had been talking. she ask.
ing questions and he replying, and ev-
cry minute grew increasingly full Of
interest to her. when he suddenly stop
ped as he had done that evening
year before and asked. "Would you
do you feel as IL you could play some
thingw
He was simply battling for time, and
he was in a condition where he could
not run the risk Of speaking something
he ought not. The longer he staid the
deeper he knew his heart longed for
Dorothy Gilbert. He felt that while
she was playing he might measure his
duty and his inclination better.
She was never able to tell herself
why she played rs she did. She began
with the old German Lorelei. "Ich
weiss nicht was soil es bedeuten, dass
ich SO traurig bin" cI know not how It
is that am so sad'o, and then before
she could control her fingers or her
thought she had passed on to the
Traumerei. which Kirk had asked her
to play before.
When she finished, she hardly knew
her own feelings. When she turned
about, he was standing, and he had
the miniature In his hand.
II promised to return 1t when came
back" He spoke with great simplici-
ty and, as his fashion always was,
looked straight in her face like man
who is not ashamed or afraid. mo
one but myself has seen It The keep
ing Of It has not
He hardly dared to trust himself to
say what lay within his heart. In
truth he knew well enough that he
would be a far different man for the
rest Of his days II he could only have
this woman for his wife. but at that
moment he felt as II such possibility
was too remote for even thought
He had walked to the mantel and