Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-06-05
PRETTY !
TIME .x n,,, !
!: O. DAY {. Francis !
Copyright, 1902, by the

=
sIf Judge Chester A Ballard of Hell
ena, Mon, was formerly of College Cor
ners, o., and would like to meet an old
friend, he will be cordially greeted in
the red parlor. If the conjecture as to
identity be incorrect, please send reply
by bearer, as the writer declines to
meet a stranger"
Thalia Lambert, with thrill half Of
fear, half of daring, thrust coin into
the uniformed messengers hand and,
! bidding him make haste, slipped be-
| hind palm.
''It's almost like answering a per-
sonal," she said, half laughing. what
| If it should not be he? But it must be!
l know that after he married Helen
they moved to Denver. After she
broke off our correspondence | heard
they had gone to Helena. Thank good
ness, if it isn't Chester Ballard, he
can't find out who l amp
Her knees shook under her as a tall,
well formed man of middle age entered
the room and looked around inquiring
ly. Then she came from behind the
palm, and these two, who had been
plighted lovers twenty years before,
met once more face to face.
Thalia never was able to recall just
what was said by either at first. The
unexpectedness of the meeting made
both perfunctory. Then Thalia re-
laXed.
"I was determined if it were you that
you should not go out of town until we
had talked over old times. How is
Helen? Did you bring her with you"
81 am here alone on business" he
said, with a grave dignity which SEEM
ed to reprove her fippant manner. Il
shall be here ten days only at the fur
thest. My mission is to handle the in
terests of a mining syndicate, and then
1 return to Helena. But tell me all
about yourself. Are you still Thalia
Lambert, free?"
Thalia was smarting a little. Here
was the old, masterful manner of the
one man in the world of whom she had
ever been afraid. She gave a coquet-
tish shrug.
ST am none other than Thalia Lam
bert, and a woman is always free until
she puts her neck into the marriage
yoke"
He smiled.
That evening they dined together.
The constraint Of their first meeting
had worn off, though the judge had
been told by mutual friend that Tha-
liza was engaged to Stewart Curtiss,
and Curtiss himself, lunching with
Thalia, had told her that her old friend
was now a wealthy and influential
lawyer, likely to be nominated for the
senate.
The orchestra played "Love's Young
Dream" as they dallied with their cof-
fee after dinner. Judge Ballard smiled
across the table at his companion.
'Do you remember all the foolish lit
tie things we used to do in the old
academy days-the notes we used to
write in class?"
"Of course do. But do you remem-
Der the time we got caught? I wrote
you note-'What time is it? Do you
love me?-and you wrote on the mar
gin: Half past 10. OF course do And
Professor Foster got hold of it and
wrote on the bottom, "a pretty time of
day. and sent it to me-"
''Well, the old man was right. Wasn't
it a nice time"
"Oh, yes" yaguely-"that is, nice for
the first time"
'Have there been other times, Tha-
lia?'
"Why not?" defantly.
Surely; many other times = times
and half times and times between
times. That's woman's record"
The music throbbed in Thalia's veins.
Her throat swelled, but she met his
gaze steadily.
After that they were more or less
formal.
The last night of Judge Ballard's Wis
it came, and it was 10 o'clock when he
rang the bell of Thalia's fiat. Curtiss
in the act of departing almost ran into
him. Thalia stood near her desk, pale
and agitated.
"Fm sorry Mr.. Curtiss went on my
account" said the judge. ''Its not
worth while to spoil your evening by
my brief leavetaking."
Thalia recovered herself with difficult
ty, and her breath was still irregular.
He took both of her hands in his mas
terful way and fixed on her the dark,
powerful look that had always COM
PEELED both men and women. At the
magnetic clasp a strange calm fell upon
Thalia. She knew that she would rath-
er tell this man the truth and walk
alone the rest of her days than to part
from him with half lie, acted if not
uttered. She met his searching look
SQuarely.
"Mr. Curtiss has not gone on your ac-
count" she said. "He went on mine"
Judge Ballard regarded her gravely,
it seemed to her almost sternly.
Let it be only lovers quarrel, Tha-
liza. Life is too short to waste in trivi-
alities."
''It is not lovers quarrel" she said
hotly. at is final"
Don't say that, Thalia. Very few
things are final in this world"
The warning solemnity of his tone
carried chill. Insensibly she leaned
toward him as if for protection.
"But it is final," she whispered. 81
have sent him away, and he will not
dare to come back"
Judge Billiards. tall, dignifed figure
seemed to grow rigid.
"And why have you sent your prom
ised husband away?" he asked as lie
cross examining a witness.
My promised husband!'' gasped Tha-
liza. why, I've just refused him."