The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-12

BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE.
Copyrighted by Mcclure, Phillips & Co.

OF the apparent SOOQ feeling 0utg SllllC
Harry felt uncomfortably that some
thing was wrong Searching about for
| the cause. he at last discovered II In
Molly's attitude.
So on the way to the cabin he was
vexed and showed it. And Molly felt
so strongly the innate justice OF her
! position ana appreciated so keenly the
skill with which she had been made to
| appear sulky and unrea sOnable, that
when she had finally shut her own door
behind her, she threw herself on her
bed and cried as though her heart
would break Then her blood told. She
dried her eyes and in her nmoSt heart
l she declared war against this woman,
war to the knife and to the uttermost.
The momentary defeat dashed her at
first. then II nerved her After all
nothing Definite had occurred. This
| creature had planted several singing
| thrusts which had hit home because
Molly, in the innocence of ner heart,
| was not expecting them. She was on
her guard now. It would not happen
again. Cheyenne Harry had known the
| woman before evidently, and surely it
| was natural that in the first surprise
of seeing her so unexpectedly, he
| should display a certain enthusiasm OF
| recogni ton. But his relations with her
Molly Lafond--were too intimate, too
long continued. 70 be lightly broken
AS the twilight fell she saw. through
the oblong of her sliding window, that
men were hurrying by to dine early
in order that they might prepare for
the festivities of the evening. Across
| the square she could make out the aim
| shane of the new dance hall, long
low structure trimmed with evergreens
| and bunting. Frosty was even then
lighting the lamps in the Little Mug
| get She sat there motionless, staring
out into the night, lingering the soft
white stuff of the gown lying across
her lap, until a certain peace came TO
her and a conviction that all would be
we'll.
The night was warm and balmy with
the odors of early spring. Molly had
| slid back the halves of her narrow Win
| dow, and over the boxes of flowers that
| fringed this little artificial horizon the
| mellow notes of the first whitethroat
! that nightingale of the north, fioated
! in on he tepid air. Beyond the nearer
silhouette of the flowers another dim
mer silhouette of the hills waVered
uncertainty beneath a few uncertain
stars The girl watched these stars i'd
| ly, dreaming in tune with the plaintive
notes of the bird. Then silently anoth-
er bullxier silhouette interposed itself,
almost filling the window
What is il ?" she cried, starting.
L,
| Graham The silhouette rested two
black outlined elbows against the sill.
my, how you frightened mel she
| cried pettishly. What in the world do
you want? Why aren't you at dinner?'
Molly" said Graham solemnly, 4
don't suppose you'll listen to me. We
haven't gotten along very well lately,
| have we? But l want you to know
| that l am asking this for your sake
and that believe it,"
She was impressed by the sincere
quality of his tone. why, Jack" she
said softly, II know you mean well,
and suppose l am very frivolous and
careless. What is it,
IT wish you would not go to the
| dance to-ni~ht."
, There fell a pause. She was evidently
in softened mood and she wished to
conduct the interview considerably.
But, Jack" she hesitatingly asked at
last. do you think there is going to
be trouble?"
1T will only give you pain. You are
| going to be forced against things you
have never had to combat before"
II don't understand you"
II am going to talk very plainly,
Molly; I hope you won't get angry. 1
can't help it if you do. It's because 1
love you so. girl; l love you SOL"
His voice was deep and rich with
emotion so poignant and compelling
! that it forced her attention in spite of
| herself This was a declaration, she
dimly felt. and yet it's import as such
was somehow lost in the more preg-
nant subject-matter to which it but
added emphasis.
Go on" she said breathlessly.
you are well liked by everybody
here" he continued. carefully avoiding
| more pointed personalities, land you
! have grown so used to being liked by
everybody that 1t would hurt you cruel
ly if you were not. Isn't that true?"
YES" assented Molly gravely, after
a moments consideration.
You want to hold first place in their
thoughts and in their good will. You
want to be first with them and you
want them to show to you and to each
other by their actions that they are
your best friends and are going tc
stand by you. Do read you right?"
Yes. of course want all the boys
J to like me. I've known them so long
and 1 should feel dreadfully if they
| didn't. But what do you mean by II
don't understand"
The silhouette moved uneasily. Nov
don't get angry" he pleaded. Take to-
night. To speak plainly, you want tC
be the woman who receives the most
attention at that ball. Answer frank.
ly."
WELL" confessed the girl after an.
other moments hesitation, frankly
then, do"
You will not"
"Why?"
Because the woman who came thi.
afternoon. Bismarck Anne, will take
your place"
Molly Lafond would have become
angry if her experience of the after.
noon had not already made her uneasy
on just this point.
do you consider her more attrac
tive than me?" she asked a little re
sentfully
"A thousand times MOI" assured tn,
| silhouette.
Has she known the boys as Ion,
as 1? Is she as good friends witt
them? Can she talk better? Is sh,
brighter"
No"
Then l don't believe I quite see."
IT'S just this. The men all like yol
and admire you, and would do any
thing for YOU, but at the same tim
| they look up to you a little. You ar
? better than they are. so, more or less
r they are a little-wel-a little restrict
l ed with you. This woman is their sort