The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-12-01
For two days Rennie waited for an

For two days Rennie waited for ar
answer to the letter.
On the afternoon of the third day,
her father, coming home earlier thar
usual, found her in swoon upon the
floor.
"My advice is to take her some
where" !" said Neal, who had called in
opportunely. eff you have relatives
anywhere in the country, take her
among them and remain with her
until she recovers in a measure from
lhis sad blow"
"But my house here-how can !
manage about that in the mean
time 7" Mr.. Lawrence asked, in a
state Of complete bewilderment.
"You need not shut it up. With
your permission 1 will occupy room
here, so that l can receive and for
ward what mail matter comes during
your absence, "Nealanswered readily.
The arrangement was concluded,
and the following day Mr.. Lawrence
and his daughter departed from the
city, leaving Neal in possession of
the house.
Of the letters that came, he for
warded all but two, which, after hav-
ing been carefully steamed open and
perused with evident satisfaction,
were sealed up, enclosed in other en-
velopes, and returned to the sender.
At Meals urgent suggestion, Mr..
Lawrence's absence was prolonged
from three months to FIVE, by which
time he felt they could be safely re-
called-he having learned that Farm
ham was preparing for a business trip
to Europe, expecting to be absent
two years.
"That will do" he CALCULATED.
''Long before he returns Rennie
Lawrence will be my wife.
When the heart broken girl return
ed, Neal was the first to meet her,
and became her very shadow, offering
no word of either confidence or love
but rendering the thousand little at
tentions which sooner or later win
their way.
For a while he used his influence
to keep her from society, for the pur
pose of avoiding any chance meeting
with Farnham, who was still in the
city; but at last decided upon attend
ing a concert at which some celebri-
ties were to appear, having been in
formed that the ship on which Ros-
coe had taken passage would sail ear
ly in the afternoon.
1t required considerable importun-
ing on his part to induce Rennie to
accept his escort or indulge in any
recreation of the kind but she yield
ed at last, and Neal felt that he had
scored his second move in the game
he was playing.
For awhile she sat beside him list
lessly Indifferent alike to the concert
and his occasional whispered remarks.
Neal was watching Rennie's face with
an expression of triumphant admira-
shade of anxiety, while the girl wore
an absent-minded, far-away look,
tinged with hopeless melancholy.
But after time some of the music
seemed to arouse her attention and in
terest, and she listened breathlessly
to the song, in which the singer, a
tenor of rare power and sweetness,
was throwing ali the strength of ar
tistic skill and appreciation, bringing
out its subtle sentiment with power
and pathos that stirred the tenderest
emotions of the heart.
And not less deeply concerned, but
in a widely different sense, was Will
liam Neal. He saw that the whole
tendency of the play thus far was to
lead her thoughts father away from
him and back to the past from which
he wished to draw her entirely; and
he watched her intent face with a
furtive uneasiness and perturbation,
conscious that he had made a grave
mistake in bringing her.
Finally, as the curtain fell at the
close of the first part, to be followed
by a short interval, Neal rose with
evident relief.
81 see friend in another part of
the house to whom l wish to speak,
if YOU will excuse me for moment, +"
he said. Then with forced laugh :
''I hope they will give us something
a little more cheerful in the remaining
numbers of the program. This high
strung sentiment is rather too rarihed
for actual everyday experience.
He turned away without waiting
for an answer, and Rennie was sitting
with her head bowed and her eyes
full of tears, when step sounded
near her and voice-vibrating with
earnest pathos, sincerity and grief
said:
MAY l sit here and talk with you
few moments? May 1, Miss Law
nce?" and lifting her head with a
sudden start, she looked into the
frank but troubled face of Roscoe
Farnham.
Where was doubt, inistrust, sus-
picion now? Gone, before the whis-
perings of that truer voice, whose ac-
cents no heart could mistake or dis
believe-that voice that bade him well
come to her side.
"I thought you had gone to Eu-
rope" she faltered, scarcely know
ing what she said. "Mr. Neal"
then she stopped abruptly.
"Mr. Neal told you So" supple
mented Roscoe, with involuntary bit
terness. Perhaps it may prove to
be not the first Misrepresentation for
which 1 am indebted to Mr.. Neal. /"
Then, with quick movement, draw
ing letter from his pocket: "Tell
me, Rennie, what does this mean
Did this indeed come from you? 1t
seems impossible, and yet the writing
is yours"
Mechanically Rennie took the let
+ar he Offarad o1ouce of the ad-