Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-11-14


"a veritable fairy tale"
"But still"
"Only requiring the Prince to com
plete the fable" answered.
II feel certain" she exclaimed with
suspicious embarrassment, that there
was more romance in those days
Everybody says that chivalry is dead
How long" she added, leading the
way alol " the gallery, 'is it since you
went abroae?''
-Four years." said.
ooh, dear!" cried Elsa. with 4 sigh
chow a,,;eli. -saie ..Inc p"oses!
49, "Has it seemed very short?"
at has simply flown" she answered
"But," she said a moment later, q.
she stopped to inspect a small Dutcl
interior, Il never quite understood
why you left England"
Didn't youT"
Elsa turned her back to the picture
and stared up into my face, solemnly
shaking her head.
mo suspicion entered your mind?'
asked.
II am not of suspicious nature"
"But still"
"How could it-when you didn't tel
me?" she demanded.
"Isn't a good deal of a w0man'i
knowledge supposed to be intuitive|
/ suggested.
81 suppose was scarcely woman, u
she murmured.
GLOW old are you now?'
"Twenty one"
"Yet, I fancied that you had some
idea-"
Elsa shook her head again. perhaps
with little less determination.
"Why did you go?"
ITO seek the root Of oil evil"
ooh, then ought to hope you didn't
find it," she exclaimed. n
"Well," l said, II didn't"
$50 your voyage was wastedf'
81 seem to be complete failure
I confessed.
"Oh, but how can you possibly tellT'
she asked, with serious expression
I daresay 1 laughed little grimly
"You can't possibly tell whether you
have won or lost until the game is I'm
ished," said Elsa.
"Anyhow." retorted. "the first hand
is played out"
"How horribly mercenary you must
ber she exclaimed few moments
later.
"Mercenary-"
"You must be very fond of money to
spend four years looking for It," cried
Elsa; and she began to take of hel
gloves-they were white this summer
afternoon.
at wasn't exactly the money"
'.Then," she demanded, what was
it," -"
II happened to be fond Of some one
else"
ooh" she cried. with laugh, "now
1 am beginning to understand. DOM
you think that is n sweet face" she
added, rather impetuously. the next
instant, as she held out her right hand
with the white gloves hanging from 1t
toward q Greuze few yards away.
81 imagined you understood foul
years ago." answered.
"Did you have "a very hard time?
asked Elsa.
ooh, well, it was pretty rough now
and then"
II suppose you found 1t rather
rather lonely right away from every
body?' she suggested.
"Of course" ! explained, there wal
Howard" ',
"Howard--"
81 had known him at the Varsity,
I continued, land we were both in thu
steerage."
"You travelled in the steerage" CRIED
Elsa, with an expression Of something
like horror.
"Why not?"
"When / remember you In all you
glory"
"Many better chap was there"
said; Howard among them. w,
chummed together; agreed to pool on
funds and go shares until we had mad
our fortunes"
But you-you didn't"
mo" l answered, I'VE certainl.
didn't"
"Did he come home with you?
asked Elsa.
Hes dead, poor chap" I said, ant
elsa remained silent few minute
MS we walked slowly along the gallery
examining a picture now and thel
by the way.
Ibid he die on the way homer sh
asked, quietly.
"Away up country in Australia"
"Then." she said, "why did yo'
return?"
Nostalgia" answered. "You fire.
and growl and get sick with every
thing. You long for the old place
and the old people,"
"Only the-the old people?" aske
Elsa.
"The people you have known al
your life!'
"They need not all be so very old,
said Elsa.
But" I continued. IL am not Gel
tain should have returned IL ha
known"
"If You had known what?"
"Of the changes which the last tw
months have brought about
Elsa came to an abrupt standstil
facing me with unmistakable indil
nation.
DO you intend to suggest that hav
changed!" she demanded.
81 wonder whether you remembe
the night I saw You lastl"e