The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-31

!, Published by Special Arrangement
BY
KATHARINE S. MACQUOID
copyright, 1901. by Katharine 8.
Macquoid.l

ing her flowers. He said: Good morning.
l fancy You will find Mr.. Philip Graham
a pleasant, quiet neighbor. Mrs. smith,
was disappointed.
rs his name Graham. sir?"
Yes; he's not very strong. but our fine
air VIII soon set him up; I'm sure a year of
1t has benefited YOU" he said genially. and
certainly Tansy Smith looked very much
better than when she first came to the COL
lege.
After the warden had passed on she stood
musing. That whistle was strangely like
his, but the name Graham. No, it cannot
be; only a simpleton would dream that
such a thing could happen.'
Tansy must have been a simpleton. for
the rest of that day and all through the
night that followed, waking and sleeping,
she dreamed constantly of her new neigh
Dor. She could not see his face; there
seemed in these dreams to be a veil over IL.
out she felt sure that if she could draw
this veil aside she should find her own dear
love. the Philip for whom she had never
ceased to mourn.
She watched next morning for more than
an hour, but there was no sign of her new
nelghbor. Then she had to leave the win
dow, for the warden conided to her the
washing of the altar linen and the sur
plices, and she prided herself on doing this
with extra care. Tansy rarely found time
to sit on the stone bench for gossip as the
others did,; she had always something TO do
either for herself or for one of her neigh
bors. She was also proud of her skill in
gardening, each of the lodgings having a
small plot for vegetables and flowers in the
grounds behind the gray college.
She came back this evening from the gar
den, her apron full of potatoes, when she
saw crossing the quad a tall man who
stopped as If he were very old. There was
little light left, and Tansy quickened her
steps, determined TO get a nearer view of
the tall mans face, for she felt sure he
was her new neighbor.
Her hurry helped her; she had nearly
overtakeh the stranger. who was moving
SLOWLY, when three potatoes fell from her
apron and rolled past him along the tagged
pathway which bordered the smooth, WELL
kept turf of the Enclosure. The tall man
stopped, put out his foot TO stay the course
of another truant potato. then, turning, ne
came face to face with Tansy. Light from
the west fell on his face, but hers was in
gloomy shadow.
Let me carry them for your
Every note of the patient, gentle voice
struck on Tansy's heart; it sounded kindly,
but so utterly weary of life and it's
troubles She looked up at him.
THANK you" She spoke as sadly as he
did; she could not recognize the withered,
bearded face, though her heart had recog-
nized the voice. She told herself this could
not be her Philip; her silly dreams had
played her a trick. She opened a corner Of
her apron and held it out to him.
Thank you again. Will you please drop
them in here?"-he had picked up all the
strayed tubers-"I was going to cook some
for supper. Would you like me to bring
you a few when they're ready
He was staring at her now. trying TO peer
through the darknes so rapidly increasing
in the encompassing barrier of those four
gray walls.
81 beg your pardon''-his voice had an
eager tone in it-'May L ask your manner"
Tansy quivered from head to foot. Who
was this man who spoke so like her lost
Philip, and who yet looked so unlike him?
MY name is Mrs. Smith, and I'm your
next-door neighbor."
He was going to put another question
but he was interrupted. + Betty Griggs had
watched the little scene from her window
which also looked on to the quadrangle
Sac hastily told herself that mink had lie;
fall her potatoes for the express purpose
of making acquaintance with the new col
leger before any other body got the
chance; she now bore down upon the pair
At s O'Clock that evening there came
modest tap at the new colleger's door.
He rose and went to open it; he knew i
must be his neighbor with the promises
potatoes. a woman who spoke so earnest
Iy would not promise anything she did no
mean to perform. This thought did no
cheer him; the great sorrow of his life ha'
been caused by a woman, who had givel
a promise. which she had never meant t
I! fulfill; she had promised to be his wife
and a mere trihe had made her faithless.
With this. he opened the door. Mrs
Smith stood outside, holding a dish GOV
cred with a cloth. The dish was hot. an,
burned her fingers; she hurried FORWARD
and set it on the table, already spread 70
: the mans bread and cheese supper. Sh
/, deity placed the dish at one end an
looked up.
A lamp hung from the ceiling; it's ligh
/, fell on TanSy ) lace, anu Oh thoN VI III
man opposite her. For a while there wa
silence.
The woman spoke first, in a hurried
' broken voice:
"You said your name was Graham; tina
can't be-
There was such anguish in her voice tina
he looked curiously at her. Then he hel
+, his head higher, and his face grew hard.
: .Can ii matter to you. Mrs. Smith, HOY
: I call myself?" he said sternly.
, At the change of tone she drew bac
from him; ~backwarder still. till she leane
against the wall. She longed to hide some
, where away from his righteous anger; t
creep under the table, or cover her FAC
: with her trembling hands, but her eye
: were fascinated. She stood staring at IN
!, man she had so longed TO meet again; eac
moment recalled more wildly the race sh
had known so we'll; known and sn
= ,hought loved. She now felt bitterly sh
:, , could never really have loved him. or sn
!, could not have flung him away in a mC
, ment of mad caprice. 1t was not possibl
he could pardon her; he had said he coul
Mt live without her, that his life woul