The Washington times., 1901-11-10

ne came TO the ScnOOl the next udN, hil'
in all their conversation he gave no ink
ling. that would assist her recollection
Manlikc. Chaplin took all this in his owl
way. ard drew his own conclusions.
ITS the same old story, of course. h
said to himself Another capitalist fail
ed. probably dead. and the proud daugh
ter goes forth to make her own living
And there is no lowering Of her colors
That is like her-that is what / should eX
pect-and she is a noble woman
Chaplin had Imagination. and wher
imagination touches admiration. the hear
and the mind join and roses bloom II
sweet clusters along the slender trelse:
OF castles in Spain. or. for that matter, oi
casles in the Philippines. which Spair
! once owned.
1t was convenient for Chaplin to make
that town the central point of his activi'
| ties. 1t happened as a matter of course
that they met frequently. that they tool
walks and spent evenings in gossip anC
| discussions Of educational topics. Life
went along in this apparently impersona
way until one evening when the rair
kept them indoors.
| Il feel rather better than usual to-
night" said Chaplin. Il have finished my
| nightmare-the report TO Manila. One is
always afraid of saying something that
viii hurt the feelings of a perfectly COM
petent and conscientious teacher
J AN apology in advance. 1 suppose" she
said with a laugh. please don't be too
hard on u.s."
| 'Oh, I didn't intend ii in that way at
| all-you mistake me entirely
| Now, of course L shall be on pins and
needles until know what you have said
l 4 I af oil
| shall all be turned out"
! Chaplin arose and left the room He re-
| turned minute later. saying, Now to
| prove you are in error, L am going to let
| you read what 1 have said about your
school,"
| She read. It was pure encomium from
start to finish: he declared without hesi-
tation' that that particular school was
the best he had known in the Philippines,
! and he held it up as a model for the
! others. Ae she read, the olor in her
cheeks flushed until it looked like the
blooming of wild roses. Thank you. I
do not deserve it" she said.
A strange silence fell just then, and
| both seemed clearly put out by nothing
| in particular. In his casting about for
| something to do or say, Chapin's hand
touched the strings Of violin. He pick
| ed up the instrument and began to play
softly; then before he knew what he was
doing, the strains had slipped into the
| waltz which she had asked 70 have repeat
ed, and the strings vibrated as if they
had a story to tell.
Now 1 know" she exclaimed-"Rox
| mond!"
Yes" he repeated, "Roxmond.'
And you knew me all the time-from
did not tell me?"
From the moment we met, or rather
from the moment ! saw you at the table"
Then why did not you mention Rox-
mond?''
How did I know that you did not
know? I thought perhaps you were spar
ing my feelings by forgetting cfrcum-
stances"
THAT is so ridiculous, so unworthy of
you," she replied.
'As long as We are In this bit of trou-
bled water" said Chaplin. with a laugh
that seemed bit forced, Il suppose we'd
better wade out TO dry land. In Roxmond
our family was very, very poor, and We
lived humbly on side street. There was
no disgrace In il, but neither was there
happiness, and as a matter of course 1
was cut of from associations which l
hungered for-the library and the school
house were my comforts and my saliva
tion. ! saw you many times at the libra
ry; l used TO go there when l thought you
would be coming in. Then the night of
the dance-I did not want TO go with my
father, although 1t was my duty to go,
and yet / have always been glad that l
went, for what 1 saw there was the first
thing that started me in the course that
brought me out here. Fate does queer
things, doesn't it?"
you played that waltz gloriously that
night" she said; almost as well as you
did this evening"
DON'T" he protested, "or l shall be
taking up the bow and teaching the
young idea how to play instead of how
to shoot-and there seems to be need Of
considerable more shooting before W. get
these islands in trim for the politicians
who viii soon be swarming over here and
showing Filipinos the blessings of cleo
ton campaigns and conventions"
Several days later they were taking On
afternoon STROLL.
What a difference It makes in a new
land" he said. "even out here among
these people. The artificial barriers are
gone and the poor player walks with the
grand lady-we forget Roxmond and re-
member we are Americans" There he
stuck and she did not pull him out Of the
quagmire of his eloquence. in which he
struggled silently until he had finally to
ask: do you not think SOP
Il think for a man who has done as well
as you have done in this work. and who
has the prospects you face, your observa-
tions are so absurd as not to call for a
reply"
well. upon my word" he gasped.
1--WE are out here to do work, and TO do
II as well and as creditably as we can"
she continued. We may have come for
different reasons. and we may have DIFF
ferent purposes In view, but we are after
the satisfaction of doing our best and the
rewards that may follow. This being the
case, do you think you are a true Ameri-
can in talking about the poor this or
the grand that of another time and
place. when they have absolutely no bear
ing upon the present? Really Mr. Cha
pin, it's uauseating-I would rather be
sea- sick
81 surrender" he exclaimed: md
henccforth and for ever and the week
afterwards. the past may attend TO its
own funerals"
Upon returning 10 the house. he re-
ceiyed a letter which had consequences.
In brief it was a summons TO higher
and more important position in the civil
administration at Manila. place outside
the school system. and one calling for
those qualities which Chaplin had shown
in his industry and efficiency. With It was
a note Of regret and congratulation from