The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-05


passionately. mo man living could
have so little sense as you say he has.
The tariff is perfectly plain to any
child. When you were in PlattVille
you weren't like this-I didn't know
you were unkind!"
II don't understand, please"
Miss Hinsdale has been talking
raving-to me about you! You may
not know it-though l suppose you
debut you made a conquest last
night 1t seems a little hard on the
poor young man who is at work for
you in Plattville, doing his best for
you, plodding on through the hot days,
and doing all he knows how, while you
sit listening to music in the evenings
with Clara Hinsdale. and make a mock
of his work and his trying to please
you"
But I didn't mention him to Miss
Hinsdale. In fact, 1 didn't mention
anything to Miss Hinsdale. What have
1 done? The young man is making his
living by his work-and my living, too,
for that matter 1t only seems to me
that his tariff editorials are rather
humorous"
She laughed uddenly-ringingly "Of
course they arei How should l know
Immensely humorous! And the good
creature knows nothing beyond SNUG
Cling and the custom house and chalk
marks? Why, even I-ha, ha, hal
even I-should have known better than
that. What a little fool your enter
prising idiot must be!-with his work.
baskets and currant jelly and his try
ing to make the Herald a daily!-It
will be ludicrous failure, of course.
No doubt he thought he was being
quite wise, and was pleased over his
tariff editorials-his funny, funny edi-
torials-his best-to please you! Ha,
ha, ha! How immensely FUNNY"
DO you know him?" he asked, alb
ruptly.
II have not the honor of the gen.
tleman's acquaintance. All" she re-
Joined, bitterly, 81 see what you mean;
it is the old accusation, is it? I am a
woman, and 1 sound the personal
note 1 could not resent a cruelty for
the sake of a man 1 do not know But
let it go. My resentment is personal,
after all, since it is against a man 1
do not know-you!"
He leaned toward her because he
could not help it, "Td rather have
resentment from you than nothing"
Then I will give you nothing" she
answered, quickly.
You f1out mel" he cried. THAT is
better than resentment"
Il hate you most, I think" she said
with RIGHTEOUSNESS he did not per-
ceive, when you say you do not care
to go back to Plattville."
Did 1 say it?"
ut is in every word. and it is true;
you don't care to go back there"
Yes, it is true; l don't"
You want to leave the place where
you do good; to leave those people who
love you, who were ready to die to
avenge your hurt" she exclaimed We
hemently. "Oh, 1 say that is shame
full
Yes. know" he returned, gravely.
II am ashamed"
say you are ashamed of it. Do you
suppose do not understand the dreari-
ness it has been for you? Don't you
know that / see 1t is a horror to you,
that it brings back your struggle with
those beasts in the dark, and revivifies
all your suffering, merely to think of
it?" Her turns and sudden contradict
tions left him tangled in a maze; ne
could not follow, but must sit helpless
to keep pace with her, while the sheer
happiness of being with her tingled
through his veins. She rose and took
a step aside. then spoke again: We'll,
since you want to leave Carlow, you
shall; since you do not wish to return,
you need not.-Are you laughing at
me?" She leaned toward him, and
looked at him steadily, with her face
close to his. He was not laughing;
his eyes shone with deep fire; in that
nearness he hardly comprehended what
she said. Thank you for not laugh
ing" she whispered, and leaned back
from him. II suppose you think my
promises are quite wild, and they are.
1 do not know what I was talking
about, or what meant, any better
than 1 do. You may understand some
day. 1t is ALL mean that it hurts che
to hear you say you do not care for
Carlow" She turned away. Come"
"Where?"
at is my turn to conclude the in
terview. You remember the last time
it was you who" She broke off, shud-
dering, and covered her face with her
hands. "Ah, that" she exclaimed. IT
did not think-I did not mean to speak
of that miserable, miserable night. And
I to be harsh with you for not caring
to go back to Carlow!"
Your harshness," he laughed. "a
watt of elder"
1--WE must go" she said. He did
not move, but sat staring at her like a
thirsty man drinking.
With an impulsive and pretty ges-
ture she reached out her hand to him.
Her little, white glove trembled in the
night before his eyes, and his heart
leaped to meet its sudden sweet geuer-
osity; his thin fingers closed over it as
he rose, and then that hand he had
likened to a white butterfly lay warm
and light and quiet in his own. And
as they had so often stood together in
their short day, and their two nights of
the moon, so now again they stood with
a serenading silence between them. A
plaintive waltz-refrain from the house
ran through the blue wool of starlit air
as a sad-colored thread through the
tapestry of night they heard the mel
low Groom of the cello and the silver
plants of violins. the Ginning harp.
and the triangle bells all woven into a
minor strain of dance music that beat
gently upon their ears with such surg
gestion of the past, that, as by some
witchcraft of hearing. they listened to
music made for lovers dancing, and
lovers listening, a hundred years ago
Il care for only one thing in this
world" he said, TREMENDOUSLY Have I
lost it? l didn't mean to ask you. that
last night. although you answered.
Have l no chance? Is it still the same?
Do l come too late?"
The butterfly fluttered in his hand