The citizen., 1901-02-22
FGnEon'5 Di6iffu5iion.

Fenton was not exactly a sentimental
ist else in two months he would have
had time to forget. He was, indeed
rather a slow man, who took life more as
d matter for calculation than as a serie.
Of startling and unsolvable problems
But in one matter his faculty of calcula.
tion had played him false-he had faIler
in love, and the woman whom he loved
had married another man.
Two months consideration and intro.
spection did not make the matter clearer
fo him. He was an idle man, and this
Constant dwelling ON the affair began to
tel upon his nerves. His instinct fo,
placid enjoyment deserted him. and he
moved among his old associates in n self
abstraction that made them nudge eoch
othcr This annoyed him, and one dav
Sitting solitary in his room, he decided tc
70 abroad and escape from it. He ran
over in his mind all the places that were
likely to suit his mood, and, with a folly
That he recognized, but did not trouble
to suppress, decided upon st. Winoc.
quiet, gray little place on the coast
OF Brittany. 1t was there a couple of
years before he had come to the conclu.
sion that he was in love with Kitty Dens.
more. She, by some happy accident. had
found her way from Trouville to st. Wi.
noc, and had persuaded her father to
nahe a heightened stay there Fenton
delayed his going also, ard together thev
spent some particularly pleasant and
gruWingly confidential weeks But it
never got beyond that, and perhaps Kitty
was a little piqued.
As he stepped out upon the square, of
which the Hotel du Centre formed one
sile, the light was just beginning to fade.
IT, church reared itself darkly against
d glowing sky. AS he skirted its north.
ern wall breath of salt wind blew across
his face, and instantly the spirit of his
bst visit returned to him. The folly OF
tbis struck him so definitely that he
hughed, and with the sound Of his own
Toee there came an unpleasant sense of
aoliudc. lie quickened his pace and,
mounting an abrupt and narrow pathway,
emerged upon great stretch of level
ground, which, half mile beyond,
sbeered down and joined the ragged line
Of coast, Here he paused letting his
ga range from east to west along the
changing distance of the horizon. The
sound of breaking surf reached him like
d noise Of wind in pine trees As he
novel forward again he seemed utterly
alone
Z Qlitc suddenly, however. he was aware
ef u figure that grew out of the dusk like
q darker, moving shadow, and almost at
the same time the wind brought him the
IT, Of footsteps. He stopped and listen
ID iutcntly. As | have said, Fenton was
44x. I.
ntinct told him instantly that it was
Kitty's step. She also was alone. The
circumstances were so singular that he
acceptCd them without mental protest.
DC had neither anticipated nor desired a
meeting; but, since the fates so clearly
Willed it, he would not turn back. Each
Was conscious Of the presence of the 9TH
ef, SO that, when they met. any express
mon Of surprise on either side would have
helped to make the position false. Fen
on was thankful for the darkness. not
for his own sake, but for hers. He had
not time to strike out any definite plan
hefore he was adrift upon the inevitable
ude of circumstance.
i did not expect to find you here, Mrs.
UbrWeu,' he said
Nor you. Have you been here long,"
suppose for about two hours. And
We came last night" she said. He
Aad turned in her direction, and they
Were walking slowly, side by side, down
rs path up which he had come. He
e9ud not see her face clearly, but there
rs something in her voice that made
"a Jump to the conclusion that she was
AQt quite happy. A dangerous desire to
RRotect her from some indefinite sorrow
Apang up in Fenton's heart. Such re-
~ tment as he had felt against her was
zesolNcd In the first conjecture of her I'M
harD.ncss.
v here are you staying?" he asked.
AT the Hotel de rUnivers, by the
Ia"
And why in that great. new, hideous
Frank preferred it," she said.
oh. said Fenton. "Then you are
- IN exactly the wrong direction.
I'll lh we better turn back?'
III IN IN no hurry to get back" she said.
RANK is resting. He knows I'm fond
lonely walks"
ierhaps you would rather that left
NO" she said; 'I'm glad met YOU;
On" "eie' why u'u '0u
ald not know that you were here"
~ course not. How could you? l
euaaed frank to bring me to St. Wi
vi quite on an impulse"
IN 'upeed 1t is strange that we both
~ that impulse"
my strange" asked Mrs. Corwen,
~ mat note of sudden recklessness in
voice which makes a woman danger
ss# why strange" she repeated.
Il. We're both happy here once. Why
- we not choose to come again?"
came," said Fenton, moved for a
3,'eht IN, beyond himself, Ito escape from
I'll us memories. 1t seems, rather, that
my i,,, succeeded in reviving them"
v nat do you mean?" she asked, her
*Mce grown soft again.
nave no right to tell you now," he
II IS certainly time that you re-
eu. The evenings are chilly on this
Il, ae turned beside him, and they climbed
III steep path again. A light veil Of
- winch was swayed curiously at in
III aus Dy gusts of wind, hung over the
~ they quickened step and, after
s,ent walk of some ten minutes,
ehed the head of the sandy track lead
~ down to the Hotel de PUnivers.
@2ere Fenton paused.
Let me leave you here" he said.
!" III you come down and see Frank?"
p Corwen said this with nm indiffer-
that offended Fenton. He had
pWn Corwen, and, at least. the man wa,