Evening star., 1902-03-29

mad and would bring disgrace on the fam
lily name that had never known stain. But
the unconscious Mariana was happy, abso-
lutely happy, save when she thought of
him-the man she had fully intended to
forget. She wondered why he wasted time
studying musty books, when he might live
with her in this world of music and be
happy. He could sing, yes, she had often
heard him, and his voice was much better
| than that of the funny little tenor who
stood behind ler at rehearsals and vhis
pered ridiculous compliments in her heed
less ears.
Once Truax came to see her. came with
out warning, and she partly because it
was the way of her people and partly be-
cause of very JOY at sight of him. laid both
! hands his shoulders and, looking
| straight into his eyes, uttered the most
absurd words Of welcome, half Italian, half
| English. And she could not understand
why he lifted her hands abruptly from his
| shoulders or why he turned first red. then
white. Nor could she have understood
| why that night in his bare room in the
small college town he walked the floor
| until day broke. For she had read that
| which she wanted to know in the glad light
| of his eyes when they first met, before he
| remembered
He had never been brave enough to tell
| her the truth-that he loved her but his
| profession and hers stood between them.
Even when she crept back. like wounded
| bird. TO the cover of the Chester home at
North Groton, he hesitated-and was lost.
| fdueu now tne dreams OF q Drllllant ca
reer, frightful railroad accident had
| left her MANNED for life with a halting
step that the voice of diva could not re-
| deem. There was room and welcome for
her yet in the Italian quarter, but its very
| air seemed TO mock her. And Miss Ches-
| ter dying, had left to her niece as If in
| expiatiOn for trust she had somehow
| failed to fulfill, the Chester homestead and
a sufficient income to maintain it.
So, from the noisy city. Mariana brought
her old grandmother, a piano, a violin and
stacks of opera scores and sheet music.
The dark-green shutters were fastened
back. heavy draperies came down, and
sunshine came in. Flowers bloomed in
every window, and thick on either side Of
the walks. Birds chirruped In the south
bay window. and the mistress of all was
content-content but nothing more.
For full well she realized that another
dream was fading. There were so many
things a minister's wife must do, so many
burdens she must help to bear. And what
help could she. with her halting step, and
her days and nights of pain spent in a
darkened room offer to this strong reliant
young clergyman with his pale face and
deep-set eyes And having nothing to give,
what could she ask
The day after Mrs. Sawyers call he
started on his Easter sermon. The younger
element Of his church had insisted upon
special services. an innovation at North
| Groton. The new organist was arranging
the musical program. Elizabeth Grant,
daughter Of the assembyman from North
Groton, was chairman Of the committee on
| decoration. The air seemed charged with
some new force, and Archibald Truax
plunged into his sermon with feeling that
| somehow 1t would make a crisis In his life.
| 1t was a learned dissertation on the recog-
milton of friends in the world to come
Truax meant to make it comforting but the
| typewriter characters struck back at him
| from the pages like dull. unremitting blows
| from the sledgehammer at the forge
1t was dusk of the Thursday preceding
| Easter Sunday when he reread the manu-
script and laid 1t aside with sigh. Beauti-
| fully phrased, with every rule of rhetoric
observed, and yet
| He thrust 1t into his desk caught up his
| topcoat and hat and strode down the village
| street to-her. She received him In a circle
| of lamplight that seemed to surround her
| figure, gowned in soft, clingng gray mate
| rial, like huge halo. 1t was the first time
/ he had called I'm months, yet she manifested
| no surprise Perhaps he was in difficulty.
Perhaps there was really something she
| might offer him, If only kindly advice. But
\ no, he broached no matters connected with
| himself. but chatted with her as If it were
| an everyday proceeding for him to drop In
! at the Chester. home. She was even more
| mystified when he accepted her invitation
| to remain for supper, but led the way into
| her small dining room as IL the feast had
| been In preparation in his honor for several
| days.
! of sweet scented bloom In its center and for
| dishes many quaint conceits which the girl
! had picked up in New York's foreign quar-
| ters And the rosy tint cast by the hanging
| lamp seemed to envelop something more
| than his mere body. He felt strangely hap
py. new note sounded in his voice He
| laughed almost boyishly. More than once
| Mariana gazed at him In wonder.
| But that was before her grandmother
| slipped into the room and took her accus-
| toned place at the table. Then Truax,
| looking up suddenly, saw her cross herself
before she ate. Later Mariana rose several