The St. Johns herald., 1901-06-08
I OOD-BY, Mabel" N0" "Good-by, sir"
AAnd the voice was cold and hf

And the voice was cold ana haru' and the face stern and immOyable.
 Haughtily the young beauty turned aside when she said it, never noticing the outstretched hand and implorng eyes that pleaded so powerfully in thelr silence.
 Ronald Norton stood a moment, lhen 1 opened the door and went out' carry 1 ing with him a wounded hearI' dnu leaving behind one too proud to ac- knowledge it's pain.
 But Mabel Leigh found out her HIS | take. She did not extract the saIne sweetness from life that she hau since knowing Ronald Norton. US hours dragged wearily along, uncheereu Oy the hope of his presence to hghten them. And, worse than all, It was TOT no real cause that they were separateu. A wOrd-a 'trife light as ar -h1u fOated between them at tune when they both took it up and were too proud to own repentance.
 Ronald had never said the words that would have bound them together, put in hundred different ways love had spoken. They knew each held the others happiness, and were content.
 Ronald felt that the time had come when he must tell Mabel of his hopes and desires, and secure the prize his heart coveted. For Mabel was prize. Her beauty and accomplishments won | Il T was greatly envied.
 No one would have envied him now as, with a heavy heart, he paced back and forth in his room, through the live long night, thinking only of the happi- ness which had been within his grasp and then 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, had unwittingly offended her by the strong side he had taken in a discussion.
 Love of argument had always been trait of ROnalds character, and he defended solely for this reason. Mabel supposed he was uttering his own sen timents, and her eyes flashed and her heart beat angrily as she listened.
 Could this be the man who was more than friend to her? Could she honor a man who cherished such sentiments as she heard him speak?
 Shaded from the light, she leaned her head against the cushions of her chair and thought, while the gentlemen con- tinued their discussion.
 It ended by her sudden rising, and laughing command to dismiss the sub ject
 The gentlemen apologized and obey ed, and after a short time of general conversation, one by one took their leave
 Ronald fingered among the last, eager to secure a few moments to himself NervOusly he walked around the draw ing-rOOm, looking at the pictures he had seen hundred times before, pick ing up and laying down the elegant volumes, and feeling about as cool and collected as most men would under the circumstances
 How brilliant Mabel looked, leaning against the door, as she chatted with young Styles! How she could endure such a pOpinjay was more than Ronald could tell, and here she was laughing and talking 'aEith him as if Ronald was a thousand miles away.
 It certainly wasn't polite to stand with her back to him, and 1t must have been for half an hour Here Ronald pulled out his watch. No, 1t was only eight minutes! What in the world was Styles staying so late for? It was very absurd in Mabel to make herself so fascinating to everybody.
 Poor Ronald, in his excitement, stood glaring at them in utter disregard. of courtesy. We'll was it for him that Mabel did not see him.
 At last Styles bowed himself out. The eXpectant moment had come.
 Mabel turned, but her brilliancy had 1 vanished. Instead of the smile with | which she was wont to meet Ronald, | her face was cold. Instead of sinking | on a chair for their usual parting chat, | she stood still and looked at her watch. |
 ''I had no idea it was so late," she re- marked.
 Ronald stood transfiXed. The change | in her was so sudden, so marked, he | could not understand it.
 But what could he say? To speak of | love at such a moment was impossible. But he could not go silently.
 "Mabel-MisS Leigh" he began, des- perately.
 "Well, sirT' was the cool answer from the cool belle.
 May I-that Is, will you allow me to speak of myselfY'
 "No, sir," came clear and short.
 "Not now." said Norton, hurriedIy, tomorrow time"
 Neither now nor everw was the re- ply, as she made motion to leave him.
 Ronald felt chill like ice through his heart. Mechanically he followed her, took his hat in the hall and held out his hand.
 An, if she had but taken it, it never would have let her go till she had heard his hearts message. But Mabel turned with her formal "Good-by" and left him.
 AS he passed the night hours in grief, he thought of her quietly slumbering, careless of the wound she had made. indifferent to his fate.
 But Mabel Leigh was paying dearly for her words. On her knees. in the