The evening times., 1901-11-25

was late. but she would slip out and
post one of the letters. Which one she
| would not know till tomorrow evening
at nine. If Roy came she would keep
| her word and marry him; If not, she
would go on with her old life. Which
/ life she wanted she did not know: there
were arguments for and against both
| Yes: she would leave the decision to
| chance She took up the Letters and
| shuftled them, then she threw both into
! a table drawer, and shutting her eyes.
took up one. Three minutes later il
! was in the letter box, and Marion was
rushing back through the rain. The
die was east.
| She did not close her eyes till o'clock
| in the morning and then she slept
| heavily until ten No: she would not
work that day. She dressed to go out,
| and spent q couple of hours in a picture
gallery, Iunching alone at quiet little
! restaurant Then she walked, OF brows-
ed among old book stores. till the dark
ness fell. After her solitary dinner she
/ pretended to read for while; then she
went TO dress for 9 o'clock
There was one gown in the not very
| full wardrobe which Roy liked particu
| larIy well 1t was deep garnet color,
| trimmed with velvet of a darker shade
and set off at the throat and wrists
with bit of old lace. The dress was
| old fashioned, and almost threadbare.
| but it suited Marion. Roy once said
! that she looked like a picture in it.
| She dressed her hair in the fashion
/ he liked, and then sat down to wait.
| There was yet half an hour before the
/ clock would strike nine. She went to
| the piano and played ftfully-snatches
/ old tunes, gay waItzes, bits from the
/ operas Still ten minutes to wait! At
nine she would know which letter she
| had posted She paced the floor, she
| stood at the window. she poked the
/ logs on the hearth, she listened for the
! bell Why. she was growing nervous.
F.! she told herself Actually, Marion Har-
| court nervous! Oh, why had Roy Man
/ ming disturbed her peace OF mind? II
| began to mean SO much, his coming or
! not coming.
Three minutes more It he came he
would be on time; he would count the
moments till he could come TO her. Was
that the bell? no; the clock struck
nine. Roy was not there. Perhaps his
watch might be slow; even if it were,
ne would not be likely TO come exactly
on the stroke Of the hour. Marion went
TO the door. susan. If anyone calls,
I am in, you know"
Five. ten minutes past nine, The
clock surely must De fast. All, the bell.
She had sent the letter which said yesl
She was sorry for it She couldn't, oh,
she couldn't give up the old. free life.
a knock at the door; il was not Roy,
but Susan, saying. Miss Chariock sent
back the books she borrowed
II must have been the other letter.
after all. II was half-past nine; Roy
would not come now Marion dropped
into the nearest char. feeling that she
had suddenly grown ol+. What had
become of the brightness of the room2
Everything was old and shabby. and
she was a lonely woman who had
thrown away all that q woman should
long for. in exchange for what?
She walked the floor till she became !
tired, then sank down in an arm chair (
Her face was bowed on her folded /.
arms, and for the first time since her
childhood Marion shed tears. They ov.
erflOwed her eyes, and ran down on her /
dress There was no reasoning them
away, no explaining them; they simply 7
came yelling out She could no more /
help shedding them than she could !
n T1ora rT7.a CoIo- E,lsr or-ar
she done in her pride and haI iness?
Yes; she is in. Walk right in the /
study, if you please Susan was say
ing
How Roy crossed the room so quickly 4
Marion never knew, but she found her /
self crying again; but instead OF crying 1
on the table cloth, she was shedding
tears upon Roy's overcoat She seem (
ed to be dizzy, and she heard him say. /
between kisses, Z got your refusal. and /
1 began to pack like ad to go away.
Just before nine the second letter came,
and I rushed over here. I don't pre- 4
tend to understand it all, but the last /
letter is all I care for. You have been |
crying. poor child. Was it because I /
did not come? Do explain the mystery
Of those two letters. No, never mind /
the explanation; it does not matter |
now, and we'll have lifetime to ex-
plain in"
But want to tell you. Roy I did /
write two letters. but I meant to mail !
only one. I thought would let chance
decide which it would be, you see. and |
your coming or not at nine this even
ing would tell me which letter came to
be mailed. left it in the table drawer.
Let's see If it's there now
It was not there; but the mystery
was forgotten while they talked of 9th
er things. Perhaps Marion would not
have been so tractable If Roy had not
found her with tear stains on her face
Susan, did you mail letter for me
yesterday" Marion asked next morn
ing, when the maid brought in her
breakfast
''Yes, nam; when I went In the left
hand drawer of the study table for
court plaster-you remember telling me
to look for a piece when I hurt my
thumb saw letter. all stamped. and
says I to myself, Miss Marion has for
gotten it, and as I was going out to
see about the laundry, dropped it in
the mail box I hope 1t is all right,