Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-10-24
Ashe followed her mechanical

to eat?" Ashe followed her mechanical
ly.
Don't you sometimes wear a cross on
that chain?", he asked.
Sometimes" she answered, with lifted
eyebrows.
weren't you in Morristown at the
Thurstons last September" he pursued.
Yes, | was ina Morristown, but only
occasionally at the Thurstons!' she re-
turned.
Then you did walk into the library
one Sunday afternoon and tell me you
were the Princess Constantia Gregorius,"
he said positively.
Mr. Asher she said reprovingly.
Have you twin sster2" asked Ashe
desperately
II am all the daughters of my fathers
house." she said lightly, but her eyes
were dancing as she gave him his choco-
late.
Don't you remember the painful TAX
ing off of Sapphira?" he inquired sternly.
Miss Gregory counted on her fingers.
"a princess. Constantia Gregorlus, an
astral body-let me seel a dream. and
/ now a liar!'' she said. "Oh fie. Mr. Ashei"
81 have fifty dollars that belongs to
YOU" said Ashe irrelevantly.
81 beg your pardon?" said the girl
blankly
by rights" asseverated Ashe with a
nod. Half of what got for that poem,
you know. 1 calculate that my thought
and labor are good for half, but you fur
sat down on the nearest chair and
laughed aloud. Ashe slipped his choco-
late meditatively and watched her.
For a poet she said at last, you are
most unexpectedly practicall"
when I've offered to share my income
with a comparative stranger-a chimer-
ical elusive dream-lady at that?" he ask
ed, raising his eyebrows.
I'm not sure about chimeras, but 1
think they were monsters OF some kind"
said the girl. "And your income is too
small to be alluring, Mr.. Ashe. II you
don't wish any more of that chocolate,
won't you have something cold? No.
Well, then come back to Mrs. Foster
I'm afraid you'll be borrowing money of
me next, to say nothing of the way in
which you are straining your poetic fancy
to find f1attering names for me-" She
took his cup and turned away. Before
he could follow, he was seized upon and
carried off in triumph by some fair adj
mirers. and quick glance back showed
him that a fortunate elderly gentleman
had taken possession of her, so he re-
signed himself to the inevitable. and did
not see her again until just as he was
leaving He had looked for her to say
goodbye, but in vain. and Mrs. Foster
did not know where she had hidden her
SELF so he was starting off, disappointed
but resolved not to let the thing drop,
/ when her voice stopped him with his
hand on the door.
"Au revoir, Mr.. Ashe," she said lean
ing toward him from the lowest step of
the stairway "Au revoir."
THANK you" he responded heartily.
"And very soon, most fair lady of the
realm of my dreams"
THAT is really a lovely thing, Mr..
Ashe," she said, land 1 am very proud
to think that you think that l had any
part in it,
But didn't your" he demanded.
do I believe in telepathy?" she asked
mockingly. Am an astral body. or
bad dream?" He shook his high hat
threateningly at her.
1.-THE truth is not in you, Mademoiselle
Sapphira." he announced.
/ "Hear the lion growth she retorted-
with a saucy nod and turned to go up
stairs. He took a step toward her.
! Miss Gregory ne said imploringly
! seriously now?" She looked at him
over her shoulder with dancing eyes.
do you know, until today. 1 always
supposed 1t was Dick Thurston that 1
woke up that afternoon" she said con-
fidentially, and ran lightly upstairs.