The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-13
Pierced by cnpids Golden 14roW
BY GEORGE j. BoHEN.

Copyright, 1902, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
After the first miserable excitement
of it was over and she could think of
the matter calmly, she reflected dismal
ly that she would not have minded so
much if the quarrel had been about
something which made the end justi-
fable
If he had sighted her or If she had
been Jealous, if she had accepted the
attentions Of someone else, or even if
he had been guilty of robbery and
arson, 1t would have been more COM
1orting to think of than the contempt
BILE thing which was accountable.
y broken engagement and a good ex-
cuse which was not accepted; manly in
dignation at the reception Of this same
excuse, and Gn overwhelming amount
OF pride on his part; angry words and
much singing sarcasm and the same
overwhelming amount of pride on her
side; and the beautiful little romance
had been covered under the dust of
dead things
At the end Of the stormy interview he
had reminded her that the quarrel was
not of his making, and that if any at
tempts al reconciliation We're to be made
they must come from her, not from
him. And she had retorted bitterly
and, as she thought afterwards, Vul-
garly-that in that event he would have
to wait forever.
Half an hour later, in her own room,
she realized how much better it is to
he angry than heart-brollen, as the first
is a sensation which dies rapidly and
the second is torment possessed Of
life everlasting.
At the end of two dragging months
it was still the same There had been
an unbroken silence between them. She
had been gay, OutwaTdly, at last, and
had worked her way industrieusly
through round of dances and dinners
and teas, and had encouraged the at
tentions OF Frank BiVeridge ostentatious-
1y, in the Acknowledged hope that Es-
sington might see and be led to inter-
fere. But the sole one who appeared
to profit by the scheme was Biveridge
himself II had seemed, when she aWOk9
this Easter morning, that the one de-
sirable thing in life was to stay where
she was ard try to sleep the rest of
existence away, and then the maid
raped gently at the door and laE j
violet box, tied with violet ribbons, on
the bed beside her
She opened it YEARLY Biveridge and
his attentions We're becoming unbeara-
BILE.
The great double violets smiled up
in her face, but no bit of pasteboard
with the unwelcome name came with
them.
She thought idly that this was a strange
thing for Biveridge, who invariably de-
manded recognition where his gifts were
concerned, and then a sudden, exquisite
thought sprang in her heart and made
her dizzy with very happiness.
She searched the box hurriedly. There
was no card certainly, and, Biveridge be-
4ng disp1ge@ of, there was only one man
in the question. Only one man could
have done this adorable thing. She held
the viOlets to her face with little hys-
terical laugh, Il might have known!'
Those. it happened. were the first flowers
he had sent her since their engagement
had become a certainty, and he had re-
allied that the conventional bit of paste
board was supertluOus. And now, she
thought blissfully, he knew that she
would understand when these little, mute
ambassadors came to her in the same
way. How like him-hoW delicious of
aim! She would prove now that she, too,
could be generous. She would not waste
time pretending ignorance.
She threw on her dressing gown and
hurried to her desk. She realized that
the little note she wrote was incoher-
ent, but he should not be kept waiting
even the ten minutes it might take to
compose a better one. Dear boy" she
wrote, its all right. Of course you
knew it would be 1 could strike myself
Witch 1 LINK now AOCllSn and cruel and
unjust [ have been. Come early tonight
There is a great deal for US to talk
about, isn't tilere?" And she added in a
postscript. Il shall wear them all day
long" and signed it with a certain foolish
little name they both knew She gave
the note to her maid with instructions
that it was to be sent at once
The day wore away as days that lead
TO an expected happy event do. She had
the library lighted early and don..- a
favorite gown that had faded in retire
ment for many weeks Now, for a happy
hour at least; there was nothing to do
but stare impatiently into the face of