The Indianapolis journal., 1902-09-07


and which he liked best of ALL
She looked tired; her eyes were sunken.
dark lines were around them, her lashes
lay worn cheeks Her beautiful hair
had darkened with time, but it was bright
still, and curled in a familiar manner round
the arch of her head and on the nape of
her neck. Her attitude was full of peace
and calm
Curly Locks" he said. aloud. using the
old name, the childish name that he him
self many long year ago. had bestowed
upon her, but the tender tone and the ap
pellation did not pierce the sleeping wom-
ans dreams. He leant towards her. A curl
of hair had blown across her clasped hands.
He touched 1t gently. How cruelty he had
pulled at those sacred curls once, when he
had boyish mind to plague her.
He intended that the touch should wake
her. She opened her pale eyes and smiled
at Sir Roderic, sitting up and becoming
wideawake in a moment. She did not
realize that he had deliberately reused her.
| She was never on her dignity. She had
no airs and graces. There was nothing to
awe a man about her. Sir Roderic had
everything to give. She had only TO open
her work-worn hand and to take him and
| his not inconsiderable kingdom-and yet
for a moment his heart failed him.
'Is that you. Roddie? Then 1t is tea-time
Have 1 kept you waiting long?'
"You have kept me waiting longer than
| you guess
at can't be 50"
'It is half-past A.
"You frightened me. was sleepy. I get
through more work than my neighbors be-
cause can sleep at any moment"
You are always talking Of work. Death
is the end of life; ah! why should life all
| labor be? Work is your god"
"You work very hard. too, Rodde."
'T am not a good sleeper. but certainly
manage to get through fair amount of my
sort of work 1t is not your sort, Barbara" !"
She looked critically at his worn, dark
eyes.
"You look tired"
at am dog-tired, dead sick Of 1t all"
His tone was impressive. She lifted her
eyebrows. They were dark. broad and
straight He answered the action impa-
| tiently:
Now, Barbara, don't be superior. You
chose your walk in life, and you, too, are
tired. Your mother says you are over
worked and have come here to rest"
"But am not sick of it. came home
to rest so that I might go back and do
more"
Curly Locks, are you so attached to all
this pigging in the slums?'
| She inclined her head.
"Curly Locks. you still feed your swine?"
Her light eyes, clear and steadfast, looked
| gravely into his, little stiffness settling
on her mouth.
Don't call them swine," she said Quick
ly.
''I must, because Of the verse. Swine is
the rhyme, Barbara"
| Barbara's attention wandered, wandered
from this fine gentleman Of fastidious taste
at her side back to the squalor and wretch
edness, back to the suffering and vice. back
to the poverty and endurance and striving,
back to those he designated as swine.
| Those on whom her heart was set. And
her heart was soft and great; it beat and
| glowed, swelled and ached for them, for
the swine amongst whom she elected to
| live. Feeding the swine" from the depth
| of her great soul she coveted beyond all
honor and distinction, beyond all personal
glory, ease, joy, happiness, she coveted the
wherewithal to feed her hungry swine
Body, soul and spirit they lacked food how
bitterly and grievously they lacked it!
Sir Roderic saw that she was absent, and
half interpreted her thought. How far of
from him she was, as usual, sublimely un.
conscious of him. 1t was human nature to
be piqued and fired by this indifference, and
Sir Roderic was very human indeed.
Curly Locks" he said, very tenderly
| Syi ,S
prey upon you. Listen to me, am going
to try my luck again.
She looked distressed.
Your luck?" she said "You said yor
would give gambling up. Surely you said
so''
Don't fence, Barbara"
"Fence?"
"Don't you understand? I want you tc
marry me-
"That was long ago.
"It was very long ago. IT is old and Il
Is new. The first time asked you said
you were too young that you had toe
much to do, that didn't mean it. I left
it for bit, but came back and then the
swine Barbara, had come between u.s. Yor
would feed your swine. You turned vi
your nose at my offer.
"'Sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam
And feed upon Strawberries, sugar ant
cream,
were not occupations to your taste. Yot
turned up your nose at them. You were
very enthusiastic in the flush Of your phil
anthrophy, but now. Barbara, you are tired
1t was like YOU, Curly Locks. to have
youthful dream of Strengthening tn,
crooked paths of life and healing the bro
ken hearted, but you have found out tn,
folly of it. Give ii up now and rest, res
with me. I am tired, too. Heaven know.
how tired of living without you, of living
without the woman I love-"
Barbara looked at him, and there wa!
something in her light eyes. a steely, fal
off look which might have chilled a les
bold suitor.
"Roddie," she said, ''you were alway,
in love. A dozen names have been coupled
with yours. Choose one of the many names
and change IT.
'I have chosen. 1 have chosen Barbar:
| st. John"
"You must choose again."
Never. You were first, you are last"
'I should not make you happy"
'T'n risk that
but I won't"
She spoke with a certain irritation, no
having reason to believe in his earnestnes
or in his constancy.
| Ten wears ago nav mora wbap parho p,