Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-31

the spring and summer. the breaking up of
the old democratic party into two or three
new ones, the forcing Of sternly repressed
and long avoided issues to the front, the
strife and bitterness, the threat and the
counter threat What little Peyton knew
of the situation had filtered to him through
incomplete sources. Being removed from
personal contact, he had not realized the
situation at all. The matter had only been
touched upon last night at his welcoming.
and he was yet to learn the feeling Of his
father, his friends, his people, his love,
upon the subject
On this morning Peyton had given no
thought to the election or It's consequences.
At that moment, If he reflected upon 1t at
all, he cared neither what the north might
do nor what the south might do. He
thought nothing as to what might be de-
manded of him, or what his course Of ac-
ton should be in any possible contingency
unless it concerned Mary Amman and his
love for her.
Well, the world about him might do what
1t would 1t mattered nothing to him in
that bright morning Of hope. In an hour or
two at most he would see her He could
look upon her in her proper person and see
her as he had imagined her in his dreams
through the long night watches Of the
cruise.
In his letters to his sister he had taken
care that news Of his Homecoming on two
months leave Of absence should reach
Mary. He had so contrived that the very
day and hour Of his arrival had been made
known to her. Indeed, had 1T not been that
the train had been so delayed last night he
would have gone to see her in the evening,
but 1t was too late, and he had been forced
to content himself with anticipating this
meeting In the morning.
No avowal Of affection had yet passed be-
tween the young people. That certain
+, timidity, that unwfllingness to take the
Initiative, which was constitutional with
him and which he had not yet overcome,
but more especially certain chivalry which
made him loath to take advantage Of their
frank comradeship in that strange Yankee
land where premium might have been put
upon him, he feared merely because he
happened to be a fellow southerner, an
Albanian. kept him from declaring in
outspoken words his heart. Nevertheless.
he was thoroughly sure that Mary Amman
knew he loved her. '
His assurance all ended there. however.
With airy mockery, with youthful audaci-
ty, with deliberate yet delightful elusive
presumptuous wish could not de:ude him
into the belief that she loved him. How
could she? he had often thought in dejec-
ton. There was a strange mingiing. there
fore, or forebodfng and hope, anxiety and
assurance in his meditations on this morn
ing.
There was no wavering in his desire and
determination however. He was resolved
to win her. He would count no sacrifice
too great for that end. AS the resolution
took shape in his fertile brain a keen OBJ
serVer-a woman who loved him, for in
stance-night have noticed tightening of
his lips, which now, under the influence Of
some compelling internal force, seemed to
lose something OF their constituencies His
gracefully rounded chin protruded slightly.
Tnere was an unnoticed bluntness in it.
after all, perhaps. The softness In his eyes
gave place to a harder expression. The
brows Strengthened and drew together in
lines. His face grew suddenly strong, His
whole appearance was that OF resolution.