Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-19

OI took three weeks vacation to
 E visit his sister. Time, filled G-J with excitement and responsi-, bility. had erased from his mind the bitterness of their parting. Now he found himself so impatient that he could hardly wait to get there.N He learned on his arrival that she was not at home. Mrs. Renwick proved not nearly so cordial as the year be- fore, but Thorpe, absorbed in his ea- gerness. did not notice it. Mrs. Rem wick thought Helen had gone over to the Hugheses.
 Thorpe found the Hughes residence without difficulty and turned up the straight walk to the veranda. On the steps of the latter q rug had been spread A dozen youths and Ill; lens lounged on it's soft surface Thorpe, as he approached the light from a tall lamp just inside the hall, hesitated. vainly trying to make out the figures before him.
 So 1t was that Helen Thorpe saw him first and came futtering to meet him.
 "Oh, Harry! What surpriser' she cried, and flung her arms about his neck to kiss him.
 How do you do, Helen?" he replied sedately.
 This was the meeting he had an- ticipated so long. The presence of others brought out in him irresistibly the repression of public display which was so strong an element of his ca reer.
 A little chilled, Helen turned to in- troduce him to her friends. He took place on the steps and sat without saying word all the evening. There was nothing for him to say. These young people talked thoughtlessly, as young people do, of the affairs belong ing to their own little circle. He had thought pine and forest and the trail so long that he found these square el- bowed subjects refusing to be jostied aside by any trivialities.
 He took Helen back to Mrs. Ren- wick's about 10 o'clock. They walked slowly beneath the broad leaved ma pies, whose shadows danced under the tall electric lights, and talked.
 How have you done, Harry?' she inquired anxiously. "Your letters have been so vague"
 Pretty we'll" he replied. If things go right I hope some day to have better place for you than this."
 Her heart contracted suddenly. It was all she could do to keep from bursting into tears. The indefniteness of his answer exasperated her and fill ed her with sulIen despair. She said nothing for twenty steps. Then:
 Harry" she said quietly, "can you take me away from Mrs. Renwick's?"
 "I don't know, Helen. I can't tell yet. Not just now, at any rate"
 Harry" she cried. you don't know what you're doing. I tell you I can't stand Mrs. Renwick any longer. I know you've worked hard and that you'd give me more if you could. But so have worked hard. Now we ought to change this in some way. can get position as teacher or some other work somewhere. Won't you let me do thatT"
 Thorpe was thinking that it would be easy enough to obtain Wallace Carpen- ter's consent to his taking $1,O0O from the profits of the year. But he knew also that the struggle in the courts might need every cent the new con- pany could spare. It would look much better were he to wait until after the verdict. If favorable, there would be no difficulty about sparing the money. If adverse. there would be no money to spare. And so until the thing was ab- solutely certain he hesitated to explain the situation to Helen for fear of dis appointing her.
 T think you'd better wait, Helen." said he. There Fl be time enough for all that later when it becomes neces- sary"
 "And in the meantime stay with Mrs. Renwick ?" flashed Helen
 "Yes. e-..- t will not have to be for very long,