The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-09-02
PRETTY
TIME >. w..
O. DAY C. Francis
Copyright, lse, by the


friend. he viii be cordially greeted in
the red parlor. II the conjecture as to
identity be incorrect. please send reply
by bearer, as the writer declines To
meet stranger"
Thalia Lambert. with thrill half OF
fear. half Of daring, thrust coin into
the uniformed messengers hand and.
bidding him make haste, slipped be-
hind a palm-
Its almost like answering q per-
sonal," she said. half laughing. "What
IL it should not he hey Hut Il must be!
| know that after he married Helen
they moved to Denver. After she
broke OF our correspondence I heard
they had gone to Helena. Thank good
ness, II II isn't Chester Ballard, he
can't find out who amv'
Her knees shook under her as tall.
well formed man OF middle age entered
the room aud looked around inquiring-
". Then she came from behind the
palm. and these two. who had been
plighted lovers twenty years before.
met once more face to face.
Thalia never was able to recall Just
what was said by either at first. The
uneypectedness Of the meeting made
both perfunctory. Then Thaila re-
laxed.
II was determined II II were you that
you should not go out Of town until we
had talked over old times. How is
Helen?, Did you bring her with your
Il am here alone on business" he
said, with u grave dignity which seem
ed to reprays her fiippant manner. Il
shall be here ten days only at tue fur
thest. Ny mission Is to handle the In
terests Of mining syndicate. and then
I return TO Helena. But tell me all
about yourself. Are you still Thalia
Lambert, freef'
Thalia was smarting q. little. Here
was the old. masterful manner of the
one man in the world Of whom she had
ever been afraid. She gave a coquet-
tish shrug.
81 am none other than Thalia Lam
bert, and q woman is always free until
she puts her neck Into the marriage
yoke"
He smiled.
That evening they dined together
The oonstraint of their first meeting
had worn Off. though the Judge had
been told by a mutual friend that Tha
liza was engaged to Stewart Curtiss
and Curtiss himself. iunching with
Thalia. had told her that her old friend
was now q wealthy and inhuentia
lawyer, likely to be nominated for ths
senate.
The orchestra played Loves Youns
Dream" as they dallied with their cof
fee after dinner. Judge Ballard smiled
across the table at his companion.
"Do you remember all the foolish lit
tie things We used to do In the ole
academy days-the notes we used I,
write In classf"
''Of course do. Hut do you remem
ber the time We got caughtf I wrot,
you note-'what time Is itf Do yol
love mer-and you wrote on the mar
gin: Half past 10. or course I do And
Professor Foster got hold OF II and
wrote on the bottom. "A pretty time Of
| day and sent 1t to me-"
"well. the old man was right. WASH
| II a nice timer
"oh, yes" vaguely-fthat is. nice To-
the first time"
.Havs thers bsen other time. Tha
Iar
-Wbv notY' deaantIv.
asure,v. manv other t,mes-t,me,
| and half times and times between
| times Thst's a voma ma record1
The musIc throbbed in Thalis,s veins
| Her throat sweIlad but .ha mat hi
gaze steadily.
After that they were mora or len
formal
The last night os Judoe Bs,ls rd,s vie
a came ana n was N O'CLOCK when h,
| rang the hell NJ TbsI,a,s aat Curt,s
I'm the act of denartina almost ran int,
him Ths,is stood near her desk nal
and aaitated.
"I,m sorry Mr.. Curt,ss want IN m,
| account" said the fudge .Irs NO
| worth while 10 spoil vour evening n,
| nv brief Iesvetak King"
Thai,a recovered hersa,f With dif,,cuI
,v and her breath was still irreouIs,
| He took both of her hands I'm his ma
terfuI way and f1xed on her the dark
powerful look that had alwaxs com
pelled both men and women. A. TN
magnetic clasp a strange calm fell mo,
Thalia. She knew that she would ratb
or tell tbis man the truth and wal
alone the rest OF her days than to par