Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-03
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| pistol hastily into his pocket, and went down, trembling g in every limb. A little figure in brown got up from the divan, and ran to meet him. Nolan leaned back against the door post, sick with revulsion of feeling. It was like a burst of morning air, after a night spent in g. fever-tainted room.
 'Doris!" he ejasulated.
 She stopped short, with half-extend-. ed hand.
 "Did you know that it was T?'' she said, with laughing pretense of injured feeling. Y supposed you would guess directly. And came to ask 8 special favor.''
 Some semblance of their normal ex- pression was creeping back into Nolan's bloodshot eyes.
 "You know you have only to name 1t. Doris," he said, reaching out for her hesitant hand. "When did you come? did not know you were in town" "Of course not, Burt. You know l always told you the sixth sense was lacking in your makeup" Glow tact-i fully blind to his perturbation the clear brown eyes were!) "Annty came
  to see the art exhibit" Doris contin- ! ued. @she went back at three, with l a terrific headache, however, insisting should stay, as it was my last oppor- tunfty, and get you to take me, this evening. So I have come, forlorn and unchaperoned, to prefer my request; I that is, if you have no other engage 1 iment."
 Nolan winced, and his face grew hot. He thought of that shining thing in his hip pocket, and wondered why, on this, of all nights, she had come. WelI he l must go with her, that was all, and trust to fate for the outcome. Grants note to Elsie burned above his heart like a living coal There would yet be opportunity.
 They were. early at the art roofs. A quiet group here and there, an artist or two, heavy-haired and thin-faced, discussed with friend the hanging or treatment of some favorite study. Doris and he were cousins several times removed, and tacit sweethearts, ever since the mud-pie era of their | joint lives. Always, he remembered, there had been that about her; she knew when to talk to him, and when to be silent. Tn his eyes, tonight, the quality took the form of an angelic att tribute. Until the coming of Elsie Les- ter into his life, he had thought her the sweetest thing the world held.
 They made their way slowly down the long room, Doris making notes, occasionally, in little black book At, one side, a deep door opened into a smaller compartment.
 ''Let us go in" Nolan said.
 They sat down on one of the semi! circular seats in the middle of the room, Back of it, and dividing it from it's duplicate, which faced the other way, was bank of tall palms. The room was deserted.
 Doris was making lengthy notes on a small picture opposite, with the black book on her knee, when the electric lights, exercising their inalienable pre- rogative, hickered and went out. sx- cept the tiniest glimmer.
 Still in the dusk, soft garments swished across the floor, and two wom- en seated themselves back of the shad- owing palms. They chattered softly for few minutes: Presently there was an exclamation of surprise and ad- miration from one of them; then El-, sic Lester's voice answered, sweet and vibrating, but with an unfamiliar ring in it that went through Nolan like the anguish of the rack. {
 Pretty! We'll, should say so! And it cost fine sum! I only got it to-day. Such an outrageous fib as had to tell to get the money, about a sick mother, and debts, and that. But it went, all right" [
 There was a ripple of mocling laugh