Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1903-04-03


wood went below.
He was among the first to land when
the boat entered the slip, but he lin
gered on the outskirts of the throng
until the face he looked for appeared.
Although occupied with her mother,
the girls eyes more than once roved
eagerly over the crowd, and with a
quickened beating of his heart, Nor
wood felt instinctively that she
searched for him. The idea cheered
hfm-he felt less friendless; yet he
kept out of sight until they entered a
carriage and We're driven away.
The events of the past few hours had
added no brilliancy to Norwood's pros
poets; nevertheless, as he turned to-
ward Market street, he no longer felt
life to be an Improbable episode dis
turbing the blessed calm of non-exist-
ence. He exulted in the mere fact that
his will controlled his movements
that he was not a thing for the sport
of the waves; and, squaring his shout
ders to the wind, he thrust his hands
deeply into his shabby pockets. With
an astonished stare he drew them out
again. Dangling to one finger by a
glittering chain was little purse of
gray suede-the kind women affect.
For a moment he looked at it in be-
wilderment-the memory stung him.
He had twice picked it up, once to re-
store it to it's rightful owner-the sec
ond time to pocket it himself. In the
excitement he had forgotten it. Opened,
it revealed the unaceustomed glitter of
gold and silver, and at the sight Nor
wood realized how famished he was.
He transferred some of the silver to
breast pocket, replaced the purse
and boarded an uptown car.
Some hours later, warmed, fed and
comforted, he sat down in a decent
room and made an inventory. The
purse contained $40 in gold, some sill
YER and attached to bit of ribbon, a
little silver Filipino coin. A card in
scribed with Miss Moore's name in full
and number ON California street of
fered every facility for the return Of
treasure trove.
That night the young man was too
worn out for reflection, but over his
breakfast the next morning he resolved
to break commandment-and the
gold-clothe himself decently, make a
fresh start in life, and in time liquidate
his Indebtedness to Miss Dorothy
Moore.
Perhaps his lane had neared a turn,
for few days afterward he secured a
oil al Oh in in, n xx-ha 10
but so very small was the clerkship
that several months had elapsed before
the purse assumed its former comforta.
BILE proportions.
In the meantime, with security
against the necessities of the hour,
youth reasserted itself, and quickened
with the never satisfied longing after
the happiness it claims as it's birth
right. An illusory picture-born of
dream and shaped by fancy-in which
Dorothy Moore was the central figure,
occupied much of his thoughts. He as
sured himself that some reason was
due her for the detention of her prop
erty for so long period, and wasted
considerable time and stationery in
attempting to give one. Without any
conscious wish to stir her Imagination
or awaken her interest, his few I'M
signed words of thanks and explana-
ton yet revealed more of his darkest
hour than he was aware. In them
were sufficient food for curiosity and
sympathy-sworn enemies to forgetful-
ness. OF his reason for retaining the
little Filipino coin he gave no hint.
A week later a chance paragraph
in a newspaper informed him that
Dorothy and her mother had gone to
New York, and might shortly sail for
Europe. t@
In the three years that followed, Nor.
woods success pointed the words of
the poet:
There is tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to
fortune"
In the various turnings of his lane
he made many acquaintance and q
few friends, who occasionally drew him,
unWllllngly enough. out of the routine
OF business into the social pleasures
OF his age and kind. SO it CHANGED that
= SAAAAAS, watching LIS
TO say good night to his hostess and
escape from Il crowded dance. he
looked across the shoulders of the
throng and intercepted the level glance
OF q pair of brown eyes. Norwood
promptly changed his farewell to a
petition, and five minutes later he was
saying to the owner of the eyes,: "Let
me take you out Of this crush. There
is a corner near that window where
air is a possibility
Il know your name well. Mr.. Nor
wood" said Dorothy Moore. "Cousin
Jack has SO often mentioned you in his
letters"
"Jack, and 1 were old college friends"
he replied, ''but l had lived here two
years before ran across him again"
what puzzles me, the girl went on.
lis, that your face is familiar, too. 1t
struck me when / first saw you a few
moments ago-and yet know we have
never met before
"Once,' he said, sthree years ago"
"Why, lis it possible? I didn't
y