The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-03


blond curls looked woefuI1y artificial
in the bright December sunlight; you
have made her love you! A woman
of her temperament can never forgive
that"
Il can't believe it," announced Blood
good coldly. His hands were trembling,
| nevertheless, and his face had gone
! aShen white.
You will believe it-you" shall he
Iieve it, declared the widow stoutly.
| I'm a woman, l suppose of free ideas
oh, don't put up your hand, BERTHE
| I know some of the fellows say it in
| the clubs, though you're far too much
| of a gentleman for that. l can do
| as please-and l do as please. Why
| Because l so heartily scorn the society
| that would as heartily scorn me-if
had no money. / like to trick and be-
| fool and befuddle society, because
| recognize society, so-called, for the
| CHASTITY Sam that it is. What's So
| ciety? Money, dear boy; nothing in
| the world but money, and the ability
! to spend it with discrimination and
| tact
Il have my own heartache, which
| is nobody's affair but mime The one
| man l ever loved in-the woodland a
woman can only love that way once,
| -waS-well, he wasn't worth it. -
The speakers eyes, which were nearly
nous. But l tell. you, BERTHE, that the
! love of that glorious girl, iron-hearted
though she be, is the dearest and ten
derest treasure that has ever come to
me in my life. Wouldn't the world
| laugh if it knew it, Bertie?'
The widow was really looking re-
markably pretty now. Her eyes were
almost merry again.
Bloodgood, perhaps for. the first. time
in his life, was selfish.
with me-" he said, dispassionately,
but with perfect self-possession, Il
care nothing for your sorrows beside
| hers. We all live in the same world
of pitiful counterfeit, a sham. j WASH
| counterfeit or sham with you, Clausie,
and you must be fair with me. Tell
me why FlOraline@ loves me- You have
said she does. Then tell me why she
hates me. Her hate she has shown me
herself.
Mrs. Clausie Reynolds sat erect in
her chair. Her figure, always viewed
with cOvetous eyes by most men, had
! never appeared to better advantage.
She loves ..you,'' she said slowly,
pointing a taper finger -accusingly in
the direction of her quarry, because
you are you and she can't help it. She
hates you-be brave, Bertie!-because
your brother betrayed her sister"
Mr.. Ethelbert BlOOdgood came to his
| feet slowly, like a man troubled with a
! mortal complaint He drew himself to-
gether with a palpable effort. AS he
stopped to touch his lips-te- the hand
of his hOsteSS~ina farewell his attitude
and manner were the perfection of
high bred courtesy.
In the steeple of a church near by
holiday bells were Ginning.
81 have come" said Mr. Ethelbert
Bloodgood, Very gently, ito wish you a
very merry Christmas"
Miss FlOraline Vanaster yaWned ever
SO slightly
THAT is such a conventional phrase -
she eXpOstulated.
Most women would have thought it
| strange she should speak so. The man
! looked so big and strong and real, and
! withal so splendidly fashioned, and so
scrupulously groomed. Even Miss Van
aster, cynic and man-hater though she
might be, caught herself approving the
faultless fit of his coat and the sus-
picion of muscle that persisted in
showing itself at the shoulders. The
| twilight of a perfect Christmas after
noon-clear, cold and frosty-was dim
ming the window panes. Bloodgood's
face looked as near holy as a mans
face can. It seemed to be lit with a
| purpose.
Miss Vanaster folded her hands with
a gesture OF resignation.
You amuse me this morning" she
condescended to admit, you look so
concefted and satisfied" Then she
| added, PLAY for me, please
BloodgOod, with his other frailties
| had a weakness for music. For an
amateur he played very we'll, though
! some of his improvisatiOns would not
| have won the approval of experts. He
! obeyed the lady's behest with docility,
I launched Mt nfrJ
and unscholarly as it was uneven and
! fascinating. He had a superb instru-
| ment and the surroundings were to his
| iking-a luxurious apartment every
nook and corner of which bespoke the
| apex of delicacy and refinement-and
| the woman of his heart to listen. I'm
| der that inspiration it was not strange
! that he should surpass his own mod
| crate talent.
He began with a succession of mel
! low chords in E fiat major, rippled into
| some fanciful waltz melodies Of VALID
! teufel and Lanner, drifted from thence
into suspicion of deviltry from Often
bach; thence into a few vagrant bars
| of the Coronation march from Meyer
beers Prophet" and from that into
| the noble strains of Adams "Cantiuue
de Noel" So profound and deep was
his inspiration at this time that he
actually began to sing, and he had a
| pdSSdDI6 baritone, 100:
He it was who taught us
To love one another;
| His word is law,
| His gospel is peace.
Chains shall he break.
| The slave is our brother
| And at his word
| All oppression shall cease.
Fail on your knees!
| Now hear the angel voices!
| On. night divine!
! On, night when Christ was born
Even as he played and sang the let
ter came. He was so occupied that he
| did not even notice the entrance of the
maid who brought the packet
Miss Vanaster opened the envelope
! with langour and nonchalance. She had
not read three lines before her figure
| became tense and rigid. This was the
J letter:
Sister, darling-if you will still lei
me call you SO. You are proud, know
and you have rightfully cast me out OF
your heart because / disgraced you
Still l send you this greeting on Christ
mas morning because you may not
have quite forgotten the little sister
| who loved you SO when we played to-
gether as children and who is now g
good woman-thanks be, dear sister
| to real man.
He found me, no matter how, nc
matter where. l will never tell and
am sure he will not. And he did al
this for me before he knew who [ was
or before he knew the wrong his dead
brother had done me. He rescued me