The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-06-14
| AT CROSS
I PURPOSES.
! A Love Story That Ended ut Sea
I on q Moonlight Night.

Observation-Disclosures
"Goodby. Mabel"
"Goodby. SIR"
And the voice was cold and hard, ant
the face stern and immovable.
Haughtily the young beauty turnet
aside when she said 1t. never noticing tn
outstretched hand and imploring eye
that pleaded so powerfully In their silence
Ronald Norton stood q moment. thei
opened the door and went out, carrying
with him a wounded heart and leaving
behind one too proud to acknowledge 1t
pain.
But Mabel Leigh found out her mis-
take. She did not extract the sam,
sweetness from life that she had sine,
knowing Ronald Norton. Its hours drag
ged YEARLY along. uncheered BY the hop
OF his presence to tighten them. And
worse than all. It was for NO real caus,
that they were separated.
A word-a 'trifle light as air"-hal
6oated between them at time when the!
both took It up and were too proud t.
own repentance.
Ronald had never said the words tha
would have bound them together. but IL
hundred different ways love had spoken
They knew each held the others happi
ness and were content.
Ronald felt that the time had com,
when he must tell Mabel of his hopes ant
desires and secure the prize his heart GOV
ted. For Mabel was prize. Her beau
ty and accomplishments won many a love-
to her side. and Norton was greatly en-
We'd.
No one would have envied him now a!
with q heavy heart he paced back ant
forth In his room. through the ivelonl
night, thinking only Of the happines.
which had been within his grasp and ther
suddenly failed him.
"He knew Mabel to be slow to anger
but strong In her wrath when aroused
and he, on this night Of all nights, hac
unwittingly offended her by the stroni
side he had taken in a discussion.
Love of argument had always been 9
trait Of Ronald's character, and he de
Tended solely for this reason. Mabel sup
posed he was uttering his own sentiments
and her eyes flashed and her heart beat
angrily as she listened.
Could this be the man who was mort
than q friend to her? Could she honor q
man who cherished such sentiments q.
she heard him speak?
Shaded from the light, she leaned hel
head against the cushions of her chail
and thought while the gentlemen contin
ued their discussion.
1t ended by her sudden rising ant
laughing command to dismiss the subject
The gentlemen apologized and obeyed
and after a short time of general CONVEX
sation one by one took their leave.
Ronald fingered among the last eager t.
secure a few moments TO himself. Nerv
ously he walked around the drawins
room, looking at the pictures he lad seer
a hundred times before. picking up ant
laying down the elegant volumes and feel
ing about as cool and collected as mos
men would under the circumstances.
How brilliant Mabel looked. leaning
against the door. as she chatted with
young Styles! How she could endure sucl
a popinjay was more than Ronald eoulf
tell. and here she was laughing and talk
ing with him as il Ronald was thousand
miles away.
1t certainly wasn't polite to stand Will
her back to him, and 1t must have beer
for half an hour. Here Ronald pulled out
his watch. No. 1t was only eight min
utes What in the world was Styles stay
ing so late for? 1t was very absurd In
Mabel to make herself 30 fascinating t.
everybody.
Poor Ronald. In his excitement. stood
glaring at them in utter disregard OF
courtesy. Well was It for him that Ma
bel did not see him.
At last Styles bowed himself out. The
expectant moment had come.
Mabel turned. but her brilllancy had
vanished. Instead Of the smile with
which she was wont to meet Ronald hel
face was cold. Instead of sinking on d
chair for their usual parting chat shs
stood still and looked at her watch.
Il had no idea 1t was so late" she re
marked.
Ronald stood transixed. The change II
her was so sudden, so marked. he coulL
not understand.
But what could he say? To speak o!
love at such a moment was impossible
But be could not go silently.
"Mabel-Miss Leigh" he began desper
ately.
swell. STRIP was the cool answer iron
"May that is. win yoo allow mo tt
speak of MYSELF"
"No, sir" came clear and short.
"Not now" said Norton hurriedly, ITO
morrow-another timer
Neither now nor ever~ was the reply
as she made motion to leave him.
Ronald felt q chill Like Ice through hls
NFaohonfoo'I- 10 @oll hor
took his hat In the hall and held out hi
hand. -''
All. II she had but taken It. It neve:
would have let her go till she had heard
his hearts message. But Mabel turned
with her formal "Goodby" and left him.
As he passed the night hours In grle!
he thought of her quietly slumbering
careless of the wound she had made, In
different to his fate.
But Mabel Leigh was paying dearly TO.
her words. On her knees In the room
where she had 80 cruelty dismissed him
she wrung her hands and wept bitter
tears, The flush of anger was gone and
in its stead O sense of the wrong she had
done and the sorrow she must endure
for Mabel knew that Ronald Morton
loved her and that she loved him. AND
now all was at end.
Her pride would not suffer her to recall
him; his would not allow him to ask 1t
They had suddenly drifted apart. Would
the wave of time ever bring them to
gether againf
Mabel bore her burden for q few days
until it began to tell upon her health ant
spirits. Her cheeks and heavy eyes re
vealed that something was wrong.
"What Is the matter with you, MabelT
asked Eta Styles, dropping in one day
"You are but the ghost Of your former
self"
"Oh, I don't know" answered Mabe
az carelessly as she could. 81 only neet
q change. suppose"
"Change? Well, suppose you 90 will