The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-02-27

due her for the detention of ner prop
erty during so long a period, and
wasted considerable time and station
cry in attempting to give one. With
out any conscious wish to stir her
Imagination or awaken her interest,
his few unsigned words of thanks and
explanation yet revealed more OF his
darkest hour than he was aware. In
them were sufficient food for curiosi-
ty and smypathy-sworn enemies to
forgetfulness. Of his reason for re-
tanning the little Filipino coin he gave
no hint.
A week later . chance paragraph
il a newspaper informed him that
Dorothy and her mother had gone to
New York and might shortly sail for
Europe.
In the three years that followed,
Norwood's success pointed the words
of the poet:
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to
fortune"
In the various turnings of his lane,
he male many acquaintances and a
few friends, who occasionally drew
him. unwillingly enough, cut of the
routine of business into the social
pleasures of his age and kind. So it
CHANGED that one evening, watching
his opportunity to say goodnight to
his hostess and escape from a crowd
ed dance, he looked across the Shout
ders of the throng and intercepted
the level glance of a pair of brown
eyes. Norwood promptly changed his
farewell to a petition, and five min
utes later he was saying to the owner
of the eyes, "Let me take you out of
this crush. There is q corner near
that window where air is a possibili-
ty."
II know your name well, Mr.. Nor
wood" said Dorothy Moore. Cousin
Jack has so often mentioned you in
his letters"
Jack and I were old college
friends" he replied, 'but 1 had lived
here two years before 1 ran across
him again."
What puzzles me-" the girl went
Gu, SIS that your face is familiar, too.
It struck me when I first saw you a
few moments ago-and yet l know we
have never met BEFORE"
"Once," he said, "three years ago.
"Why, lis it possible? / didn't
know
THAT at our first meeting 1 was
tempted to beg from you-and later
on did worse-applied your property
to my own needs-or, to be plain,
stole from you?" questioned Nor
wood.
She made a movement of astonish-
ment, and her fan slid from her lap.
AS the young man bent to restore it,
something in his attitude or gesture
brought recollection in a flood. Doro-
thy paled, then flushed crimson.
1T can't be true" she began, then
stopped, watching with fascinated
eyes while he took from his breast
pocket a case. and held out his hand.
On the palm lay a little silver Filipino
coin.
"And you are really, really that
poor boy?" she cried impulsively.
NO wonder your face haunted me.
oh, why did you never let us know
when we owed you so much?"
Norwood's eyes roved from her
eager face to the bit of silver. 81
should like to return it to you." he
said, irrelevantly. TT has been q
veritable mascot, yet at times a
source of sharp misery"
why do you say that? 1t sounds
dreadfully like a riddle, and I was
never good at guessing them" said
the girl, holding out her hand for the
coin.
AS her soft fingers touched Nor
woods palm, his own closed over
them, and he replied, Because it
might have been the gift of a."
"Friend??" she supplemented, de-
mnrelyy, as he hesitated.
He frightened his clasp. ct could
be the gift of a----lover," he insisted.
.Oh, hush!" murmured Dorothy.
rising. .Some one is looking" Then
she AIDED, .But come and see us to.
morroW-and don't forget to bring
the-coin.'-Ledger Monthly.