The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-15
THE ADVERTISERS
 DAILY SHORT STORY

wick. She didn't in the least regret ,the disappointment she saw.
 Margaret took her accustomed walks with John Ormsby. but In the evenings | came down like some tall pink and white | lily, the rose, born of mountain air, | blooming in her cheeks and the pureness
 of her skin gleaming through in filmy | gauge.
 Dudley Warwick, the day after he came,
 asked permission to take Margaret and her mother into the ballroom. After this.
 on other evenings, they found him wait | ing for them at the bottom of the stairs. | Margaret even refused other engagements
 knowing he would be there.
 Margaret at first did not think him handsome. She soon forgot to think about
 his looks. She only saw that his eyes | were hazel and gentle his hands brown and well shaped, and somehow their | touch reminded her of the little boys who. years ago, used to hold her own hand
 and run with her down. steep, steep | places.
 She had been told again and again how | he attached himself to women, inspired them with almost tragic love and then l turned on his heel, literally. and left them. He had never been known to se- | iously return the love of any woman. Her mother told her she was being mo- | nopolized by Dudley Warwick. and warm | ed her that she was playing with fire" Had she ever loved? Margaret smiled softly to herself
 Her mornings still belonged to John OrnSDN. DuOIey WdfWlck pleaueQ TOT more of her time, but she merely lifted
 the dark lashes to show the light under them and refused to break the engage
 ment with John Ormsby.
 The two men were too well bred to show much feeling. but at times Dudley Warwicks jealousy of the younger man was i'll concealed. If there was rivalry.
 it was masked under punctilous courtesy. John Ormsby had his partisans who de- clared the girl was in love with him.
 How ehyly she accepted the homage of his splendid eyes, and Margaret wds not ordinarily shy"
 The majority however. believed that:
 with his splendid physique and charm for all women. Dudley Warwick had irresist- ably conquered the girls fancy. and per- haps her love. She took no pains to conceal her pleasure at being with him. The night of the ball, which was to end
 the season at White Heather |arrived The band had already played several waltzes, and Margaret was still standing on the stairs with the long train of her
 white gown thrown over one bare white arm, while she held the other out to Dudley Warwick. He was vainly endeav-
 bring to fasten a row of little button.-
 on a cream suede glove slightly wrinkled
 up to the dinpled elbow. | Her bare, delicately pink shoulders | rose in soft curves out of a fall of very | rich old lace.
 How awkward you are" she said.
 laughingly. T don't believe you are half | trying"
 He suddenly put his lips down on the
 Daring" The quick passionate word | startled her
 Some one was coming up the stairs. | Margaret drew her hand away "Perhaps he had seen the kiss. Her
 cheeks burned at the thought. She put | up her hands to cover them: "A package for you, Miss Rennick. The I boy said he couldn't find you. And l un- 1 dertook to do so myself" Margaret held out her hand for the
 soh, thank you. Mir. ormsbyr' she said | Don't go" as he moved away. "l' m
 going to open it here l The two men smiled politely at each | other. Margaret broke the express seal ! and took out narrow box. She opened 1 1t with curious little puckerings of her l dark brows and began unwrapping sev- l eral layers of paper. .
 looking down at a deep red rose half
 covered with shining green leaves. She | held it towards the men. The perfume
 spread like sweet incense. It made the l heart of one man sick as if it were a
 See how fresh it is" she said, just
 as if it had not had any journey at all" She was pulling out the gray moss when
 a slip of paper fiuttered to the floor.
 John Ormsby handed it to her. She went
 nearer to the light. Her heart was throb-
 bng so she feared they could hear its | beats.
 As she came back to them, the men
 saw her eyes grow soft and dark and the
 red lips part as, httis, iso na,, u,,, ns hal, over and I've not had dance! Come.'
 She threw the box in d corner. pinned | the rose into the lace still rising and fall ing in excitement, quietly put her hand
 into Dudley Warwicks arm and went down into the room with its music and lights dancing. John Ormsby had disap- | peared.
 i've never seen Margaret ,Rennlck so
 beautiful" some one remarked as 1t was echoed by every one who watched her. | It was past midnight before Dudley
 Warwick persuaded her to go out into the ] cool night. She had danced necessarily: | He wrapped her in the soft. white | cloak and took her where the moonlight
 fell on the dark hair and showed him | the shadow-like eyes.
 For brief moment his passion and it's 1 wild torrent of words almost overwhelmed 1 her memory of the man whose longing | lay so close to her heart-for she had
 thrust the little slip of paper into her