The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-18
THE TWO VANREVEL S
, ,ona. upon which the good lady
M e,,r announced that she had drawn
~, va 1ains and wooed the rulers Oh
BY BOOTH HARRINGTON.
Copyright by Mcclure. Philips &, ca


aour-pos1er upon which the good lady
announced that she had drawn
Nod. "ooeu '''o
90 AI rrh}uaa 1t was one OF those. nights hts
70 sleep.' Miss Betty was not drowsy.
enc hhu half unfastened one small sam
udi, put she tied the ribbons again, and
s es,,. herself by the open window. me
ie. sna easement framed dim OBJ
ME ME VI INN light from the candles be,
n n ilel-a lonely lustre, which crossed
me veranda to melt shapclesssly INTO
uarkness on the soggy lawn. She felt
lheianrhoiy IN the softly falling rain and
wei, black foliage that chmed with the
SADNESS of her own spirit The night
s soroI I i,a very well. for her fathers
sion with it. Why could he not have
81 oxen one word to her, even a cross
ones she Knew that he did not love
her, yet; merely as n fellow-being, she
was entitled to measure of courtesy:
ana the fact that she was his daughter
could not excuse his failure to render
IL. was she to continue to live with him
on thelr present terms? She had no in
tentlon TO make another effort to alter
them; put to remain as they were would
be lntolerable, and Mrs Tanberry could
not stay forever, to act as a buffer be-
=
into the dismal night, she found her own
future as black, and 1t seemed no Won
Ger that the sisters loved tho convent
life; that the pale nuns forsocls the world,
wherein there was go much useless UNI
kindness; where women were petty and
Jealous. like that cowardly F'anchon. and
men who looked great were trlcksters,
like Fanchon's betrothct1. MISS Betty
clenched her delicate fingers. She would
not remember the white. startled face
again.
Another face helped her to shut out the
recollection-that Of the man who had
como TO mass to meet her yesterday morn
ing. and with whom she had taken q long
walk afterwards. He had shown her
quaint old English gardener who lived
on the bank of the river. had bought her
a bouquet. and she had helped him to Sc
lect another to send to sick friend. How
full the flowers were, and how hap
Ply he had made tho morning for her.
with his gayety, his lghtness and his odd
wisdom! Was 1t only yesterday? Her
fathers coming had made yesterday
fortnight old.
But the continuously pattering rain and
the soft drip-drop from the roof, though
as mournful as she chose to find them,
began after while to weave their SOM
nolent spells, and she slowly driftcd from
reverles of unhappy sorts into half
dreams, in which she was still aware she
stirring from the curtain beside her with
tho small night breeze. breathed strange
distortions upon familiar things. and
drowsy impossbilities moved upon the
surface of her thoughts, Her chin, rest
inE upon her hand, sank gently. until
her head almost lay upon her relaxed
arms
THAT is mine, Craley Gray''
She sprang to her feet, immeasurably
startled, one hand clutching the back Of
her chair, the other remulously pressed
to her cheek, convinced that her father
had stopped over her and shouted the
sentence in her ear. For it was his voice.
and the house rang with the words; all
the rooms, halls and even the walls
seemed still murmurous with the sudden
sound, like the tinking of bell after
1t has been struck And yet everything
was quiet.
She pressed her fingers to her forehead,
trying to untnngle the maze of dreams
which had evolved this shock for her, the
sudden clamor In her fathers voice or
a name she hated and hoped never to
hear again-a name she was trying to
forget. But, as she was unable to trace any
thing which had led to it, there remained
only the conclusion that her nerves were
not what they should be. The Vapors'
having become obsolete for young ladies
as an explanation Of all unpleasant sen.
sations, they were instructed to have
consciousness of her own, and desiring
no greater acquaintance with them. she
told herself 1t was unwholesome to
fall asleep in chair by an open window
when the night was rs sad as She
Turning to a chair in front OF the small.
oval mirror of her bureau. she unclasped
the brooch which held her lace collar.
and, seating herself began to unfasten
her hair. Suddenly she paused her up
lifted arms falling mechanically to her
sides.
Someone was coming through the
long hall with n soft. almost inaudible
step, a. step which was not her fathers.
She knew at once, with instructive GER
tainty, that it was not he. Nor was 1t
Nelson, who would have shuffled; nor
could it be the vain Mamie, nor one
of the other servants for they did not
In the house. 1T was step more
like a womans, though certainly 1t was
not Mrs. Tanberry's.
Betty rose, took q candle, and stood
silent for a moment, the heavy tresses
her neck and loft shoulder like the folds
OF a dark drapery.
At the slight rustic of her rising, the
steps ceased instantly. Her heart set
up n wild beating and tho candle shook
in her hand. But she was brave and
young, and, following an irresistible I'M
pulse she ran across the room, flung
open tho door, and threw the light OF
the candle into the hall, holding 1t at
arms length before her
She came almost face to taco with
Crailey Gray.
The blood went from his cheeks as a
Sn