The evening Republican., 1902-08-30
DECLINED
WITH THANKS.
"Miss Cecil Travers-Mr. Philip

Club. Saunders aflerward spoke c
him as the hand Ct fate. But then III
was under the sway Of the blind god
and SO irresponsible for either hi:
remarks or his eycsight.
| L! was certainly d case Of love al
first sight--on the part Of Saunders,
When he looked down into the dar i
eyes raised so frankly to his own, h {
gave up his heart Internationally.
In all his 35 years nothing had sent
the blood rushing SO RIOT ousIy
through his veins as the firm, warm
clasp other hand.
But he was quiet, selt-contr Billed
fellow, with a composure born q
years of,struggle up the uucertai n
literary ladder. So he did not hold Tt c
little hand second longer than pa.
likeness demanded. There was no
trace Of eagerness In his manner q
he sat down On tn. divan beside her
and began to talk as few men and
fewer women and heard him talk
brilliantly, with flashes OF wit and
sarcasm relieving the underlying
! earnestness OF thought.
Cecil Travers was quite uncon-
scious of the metamorphosis she
was producing. She only thought
that this big blonde man was not
nearly as unapproachable as he
looked. He was really charming
And what was more remarkable he
did not talk about himself.
The girl found this an unusual
experience. As reader of one Of the
magazines and writer of short
stories she had met many men of
many minds. "Yet," as she said to
herself, 1.-THE minds always seem to
turn inward. How can they write
about the world around them when
they are SO absorbed in selfa'
Her wonder grew when she dis
covered that he, too, was an author
She remembered now seeing his
name signed to several clever
sketches. He had never tried any
the Symposium. AS he talked the
desire to read some of his stories
why don't you send something
to me at the Symposium" she ask
ed at length frankly.
He flushed up to the roots of his
hair as he said hesitatingly, II have
been busy about something else,
but | will--some time"
1t was his first trace of awkward
ness Cecil could not know the
something else" was the novel, t he
work of many morths, which was
then seeking publisher. Not even
to her dared he speak Of lis hopes
If the world gave it a welcome, ali
then. He WAS weaving a beautiful
day dream, its central figure this
dark eyed girl who was almost Il
stranger to him.
He awoke to realization with
start. Miss Travers, puzzled at his
silence, was holding out her hand
in goodbye.
"You will come to see me some
time Mr.. Saunders?' she asked. II
have enjoyed my chat SO much I
would like to repeat it. l am at
home on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Her tone was SO cordial that he
stammered over his thanks. He
called himself a fool when he stood
staring after her as she disappeared
through the door. but he went home
in a strangely excited mood. The
day dream glamour was still around
him. And she, the lady-of his day
dream-he loved her.
lie whispered it to himself as he
STROBE across the park, half fearful
that the Pickering lamps and sway
ing branches might guess his secret;
but 10 The silence of his room he
said 1t boldly, and the confident
ring Of the words seemed to echo
the mad beating Of his heart.
1t was inevitable that the mex.
Thursday night should find him in
the parlor OF Mus Travers fiat. 1t
was equally inevitable that he
should bend all his energies 10 hide
his love from the smiling eyes OF
this girl. who treated him with an
air Of bon camaraderie fatal to
sentiment.
il is doubtful whether even en-.
wonld have wrung the
secret from his lips. The frs. joy
Of loving was past and IN it's place
lad come food Of self.distrust, of
self-depreclatlon. 10 his tortured
mind an unbridgeable gulf of tram.
'ug and traditions seemed to sweep
between them. She had been the
petted child Of rich parents. on
whom had been lavlshed the gifts OF
a college education and years OF
foreign travel. THIS attempt at in
and self-support had
been treated as her latest within
and humored accordingly. He had
scrambled from common school
education into the pitfalls that be-
let the path OF newspaper report
r.. Every upward step had been
bought atthe price Of hard work.
It was but a short time since the
Of meeting his board bill
lad been an al,.important one.
That was the first Of many calls,
,ut the succeeding visits, while they
strengthened his love, gave No change
or its declaration.
At last In his desperation a plan
lawned upon him by which lie
night learn his fate and vet spare
Ter the pain Of a refusal. y She had
lsked him to submit IL story to the
~ mposium. He would send her one
m bodyIng his love and hopelessness
md offering two sequeis for the
hoice of the reader. In the one the
over should bodily set aside the
.arriers VI position and woe aud win