The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-24
CHAPTER Sv11.-tcoNT1NuEp.l

But Fanchon could only sob and WINS
| per, Flush. hush!" In the dim room
where they sat, the windows darkened so
| that, after he had gone, he should not
remember how red her eyes were. and
the purple depths under them. and thus
forget how pretty she had been at her
best. After a time, finding that the more
he tried to cheer her, the more brokenly
she wept he grew silent, only stroklng
her head. while the summer sounds came
In through the window; the mll-whir or
locusts, the small monotone OF distant
farm bells the laughter of children III
the street, and the gay arias OF mock
ing-bird swinging In the open window
OF the next house. so they sat together
through the long, still afternoon of the
last day.
No one In Rouen found that afternoon
particularly enlivening Even Mrs Tan
berry gave way to the common depres-
sion. and once more her doctrine of
cheerfulness relegated to the ghostly
ranks Of the purely theoretical, she bowed
under tho burden of her woe so far as
to sing 'Methought l Met Damsel
Fair" Cher of the bursting sghs) at the
piano. Whenever sadness lay upon her
soul she had acquired the habit of re-
sorting to this unhappy ballad; to- day she
sang II lOul- LILIES. Ahi. Vel S"e Shs liph
at home. and had announced that though
he intended to honor the evening meal
by his attendance he should be away
for the evening itself: as comment upon
which statement Mrs. Tanberry had offer
ed ambiguously the one word, "Amen!"
He was stung to no reply, and she had
noted the circumstance as unusual, and
also that he had appeared to labor with
the suppression of keen excitement.
which made him anxious to escape from
her sharp little eyes; an agitation for
which she easily accounted when she
recalled that he had seen Vanrevel on
the previous evening. Mr.. Carewe had
kept his promise to preserve the peace
as he always kept 1t when the two met
on neutral ground, but she had observed
that his face showed a kind of hard leashed
violence whenever he had been forced
to breathe the air of the same room with
his enemy, and that the thing grew on
him.
Miss Betty exhibited not precisely a
burning interest in the adventure Of the
Damsel Fair, wandering out Of the room
during the second rendition, wandering
back again. and once more away. She had
moved about the house In this fashion
since early morning, wearing what Mamie
described as a peaked look" White
faced and restless, with distressed eyes.
to which no sleep had come in the night.
she could not read; she could not moro
than touch her harp; she could not sleep:
she could not remain quiet for three min
utes tobether. Often she sank into a
chair with an air of languor and wear
mess, only to start Immediately out Of
1t and seek some other part of the house.
or to go and pace the garden. Here, in the
air heavy with roses and tremulous with
June, as she walked rapidly up and down.
late In the afternoon, at the time when
the faraway farm bells were calling men
from the fields to supper, the climax Of
her restlessness came That anguish and
desperation, so old In her sex, the rebel
lion against the law that inaction must
be her part, had fallen upon her Tor tho
first time She came to an abrupt stop and
struck her hands together despairlngly,
and spoke aloud.
What shall do! What shall DOR
"Ma'am?" asked surprised voice.
Just behind her.
She wheeled quickly about, to behold
a shock headed urchin OF ten In the
path near the little clearing. He was
ragged, tanned, dusty, neither shoes nor
he had evidently entered the garden
through the gap in the hedge.
u thought you spoke to me?" he said,
inquiringly
II didn't see YOU" she returned.
What is IT."
'You. Miss Csrewe?" he asked; but
before she could answer he said. reas-
suringly, why. OF course you are! !
remember you perfect, now I git tho
light on you SO to speak. Don't you
remember me?"
mo. ] don't think T do"
Lord he responded, wondertngly.
II was one of the boys with you OH
them boxes the night OF your pas fre!"
Mingled with the surprise in hts tone
was respectful JUNCTION, which inti-
mated how greatly he honored her
father for having been the owner of SO
satisfactory confagration.
"Were you? Perhaps I'll remember
You II You give me time"
But at this point the youth recalled
the fact that he had an errand to dis
charge, and, assuming an expression OF
busness-like haste too pressing to per-
nit farther parey, sought in his pocket
and produced sealed envelope, with
which he advanced upon her.
'cHere There's an answer. He told
me not to tell nobody who sent It and
not to give It to nobody on earth but
you, and how to slip in through the
hedge and try ard find you in the gar
den when nobody was lookin', and he
give a pencil for you to answer on the
back OF IT. and a dollar"
MISC Betty took the note, glancing
once over her shoulder at the house.
but Mrs. Tanberry was still occupied
with the maiden and no ono was in