Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-02

clumsily silent tread. indicative of extreme
| discretion. left the room. And the two
were left alone.
Nigel Toasted on the girls face her hands,
her hair, drinking in her womanly lowell
ness through passionate eyes.
oh, Nigel" whimpered she, Il thought
thought-you didn't carer'
Observation-Disclosures
The words, as he repeated them Were a
sigh OF such utter incredulity such scorn-
1ul, yet tender amusement, that they set
Piety to sobbng.
ut was me thought you didn't care. nv
lass! said he, gently. or at least no. l
dldn think that; but thought as how they
wouldn't let you care! And the flowers!
What's the story of the 1owers?"
Briefly, in whispers Piety told him how
she had fastened the poor little blossoms to
the door, feeling sure that however wither-
| ed they might be on his return from sea- he
would notice them, recognize them. and
take them for sign. He listened with de-
| light, stroking her hair smiling into her
eyes
And Nan Philpott tore them down. She
was jealous. was Nan She wants me to
marry herr
'And-and are you going to?
For answered he laughed softly so
tenderly, so sweetly. that the man rough
voice sounded to Ptety's ears like the voice
Of an angel
Hardly a word more did they utter as
, they stayed there hand in. hand, eve to eye
once more. 1t was enough for them both
that they were again together that there
was no shadow of doubt or sorrow between
them.
1t was with a start that they were pres
emily reused out of golden silence by foot
steps outside, and a peremptory knocking
at the door
It's aunt Faithr' cried Piety. -ecogniz-
ing the peculiarly hard sharp rap-a-ti-tap
of her calculated relative.
The next moment Miss Rede, without
waiting to be let in. opened the door and
on seeing Piety, bounced into the room.
Goodaevenfng, Nigel Treveddoe," snap
ped she. I'm sure I'm very sorry to hear
you've hurt yourself. Piety. I've come to
fetch you home. Your mother Is waiting
supper, and Mr.. Mercer"
Piety, who was still on her knees beside
the injured man, moved backward, quickly.
Aunt. don't care for Mr.. Mercer. Let
him waltz
Miss Rede gasped.,
"Let-him-wait! Let your future hus-
band waltz"
Piety broke in sharply:
Hes not my future husband. I'm going
to marry Nigel!'
Her voice died away and her head sank
suddenly on the last words Miss Rede
drew a long breath.
But Nigei's voice, bright and triumphant.
like bell, rang out through the room:
''She's going for to be my wife! Piety's
going for to be my wife! What have / done
that it should come to me, a joy like to
this?"
He seized the hand that lay nearest to
MIN, ana carried IL up 10 MS lips, winch
seemed to be moving II in prayer. And
the tears came gushing from under his
closed eyelids down his sunburnt cheeks.
Aunt Faith was conquered. She looked
in dismay from one to the other, from the
fair. smooth head to the head that was
dark and curly, and with an ostentatious
sigh of resignation. slipped out of the house
to carry her desolating tidings to the dis
consulate lover at home
Neither Piety nor Nigel knew that she
was gone. Hand in hand they were look
ing into the golden future, where trouble
and struggle might be, but where doubt and
mistrust loneliness and emptiness of heart
could never be, as long as God spared them
both to work and love on side by side.
Crhe end.)