Newport daily independent., 1902-10-29
End of the Chapter.
. ENYON MEREDITH

AA round several times on hlS re wolving chair, and, with an impatient movement of the hand, said
 Ask Miss Gerard to come in here
 The frown left his face as a gir. sntered--a girl who was unknown tc him save by name.
 T don't know why it is" she said without preface, but mother can Know no peace till she has seen you She knew your father, you know, with a queer, ironical smile. How bored you must be with people who trade on that past acquaintance to make you do things you hate!"
 Not at alli' he hastened to assure her, letting his quick, appreciative rye roam from the soft curve of her upliftcd chin to her little pat ent-clad toes, that were tracing pat serns on the carpet. ''Only, you sec, I no longer practice"
 "A triviality of that sort means aothing to mother" she averred.
 And he laugheda very attractive, pleasant laugh and wondered why she reused in him interest; why he Kept silence that he might hear her voice; why he felt compelled to seek Her glance, that glance that wan dered rather haughtily over his head. She ought not to attract him, he told Himself, and yet she did. Her man. ner was very distant, her mouth grave, and if her eyes had lurking smile, it was. he felt sure, an habit ual one, born of gay good humor- of sweet temper.
 Mother has made up her mind to see you," she continued, "and the fact that you no longer visit or re- ceive patients only makes her more determined. Will you go to her? She sent me, instead of writing you q note"
 Meredith inwardly complimentetl Mrs. Gerard upon her choice of a messenger. Aloud, he merely said:
 Ut will give me great pleasure" and rose as she did, furtively mark ing the mixture of question and in- credulity in her straight, raised eye brows.
 She thanked him gravely, indiffer- ently, was evidently quite uncon- scious of the warm pressure of his handclasp, and, with slight bow, left him.
 And that is how they first met.
 Yesterday she was but name to him; he 1Sxas hardly aware of her existence. To-day-in ten minutes the world, in some inexplicable way, had changed for him. The dull blue glasses through which he was accus- toned to look upon it were snatched from his eyes, snatched by a soft, tender hand that replaced them, all with those which were rose-hued.
 With a light laugh, he pushed aside the papers on his desk, and fell to pacing the room restlessly. Once he stopped before mirror, studying in 1t his reflection. He was neither young nor good-looling; but his face was kind, open and full of character. It bore traces of some suffering, too, and the lines about his clean-shaven mouth gave evidence of great deter imitation, that matched a certain ex- precision sometimes to be seen in his eyes.
 And when he had spent more than an hour in thought, he put on his hat, and paid his promised visit to Mrs. Gerard, with promptitude which she considered very fattering.
 
 "Nfother is not really ill."
 There was no question in the girls ssne. She was standing before Meredith, her eyes fixed searchingly on his; and they were both occupy ing the half-yard of Mrs. Gerards balcony which was not covered with flower boxes.
 No, not really" he replied un- guardedly, watching the little soft rings of hair as they were lifted from her forehead by the light night wind
 ''Then why have you come here every day for five weeks?" N It was question he was not pre- pared to answer off hand, and so ss,ok refuge in temporary silence.
 It pleases her." he said at last. ~She-she- confidence in me; and it enables me to sec you, too sometimes"
 +Sometimes?' she queried, and xniled-one of her rare, sweet sariles full in his eyes. He thrust sSs hands into his pockets, over