The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-28
THE TWO V.ANI2EVELS
BY BOOTH HARRINGTON.
Copyright by Mcclure, Philips e. Co.

close to Toms ear and in so 10" ~ 'o''e
that only Tom could hear. - ~.
''she never cared for me. she leit
that she ought to-but that !hs OH!
because masquerade IN your ,n'.o
She wanted to tell me before | went
away that there was no chance for me.
She was telling me that. when ne eulieu
from the window. 1t was at the lance,
the night before. that she knew.
think there has been some one else from
the flrst-God send it's you! D'u YOU o,,
speak to her that night or she ~ you
All, no." said Tom Van'eSei. al
the Others"
Mrs. Tanberry and Betty and Mr.. Ba-
reaud waited In the library, tho two wo-
men huddled together on sofa,
with their arms round each other, and
all the house was very still. BY and
by, they heard a prolonged, far-away
cheering and the steamers whistle, and
knew that the boat was OH. Half an
hour later. Will Cummings came oack
alone, entered the room on tlptoe, ana
silently sank into chair near MI. sa-
reaud. with his face away from Miss
Betty. He was to remain IN Rouen an
other week. and join his regiment with
Tom. None OF the three appeared to no.
tice his coming more than dinlly, and
he sat with his face bowed in his hands,
and did not move.
Thus perhaps an hour passed, "f.h only
a sound Of footsteps on the gravel OF the
driveway. now and then. and low muir
muir of voices in the rear OF the house
where people came to ask after Cralley.
and when the door Of the room where he
Law was opened, the four watchers started
as at loud explosion. 1t was Mrs. Ba-
reaud and the old doctor and they closed
the door again softly and came in to the
others. They had left Crailey alone with
Fanchon and Tom Tanrevel, the two
who loved him best.
The warm day beyond the windows be-
came like Sunday no voices SOUNDED
from without in the noon hush. thouEH
sometimes little group OF people would
gather across the street to eye the mouse
curiously and nod and whisper. The
strong. blue shadows OF the weranda pill
lars stole slowly across the white floor
of the porch in a lessening slant, ana
finally lay all In line. as the tall clock
in corner of the library automatically
coughed the hour OF noon. In this jar
ring discordance there was something
frightful to Miss Betty. She rose abrupt
ly, and, imperiously waving back Mrs.
Tanberry, who would have detained her.
for there was In her face and manner
the incipient wildness Of control over
strained to the breaking polnt-shs went
house, to the old bench in the garden.
There she sank down. her face hidden In
her arms; there on the spot where she
had first seen Crailey Gray.
From there. too, had risen the sere-
made of the man she had spurned and
insulted; and there she had come to wor-
ship tho stars when Crailey bade her
look to them. And now the strange
young teacher was paying the bitter price
for his fooleries-and who could doubt
that the price was bitter one? To have
the spirit so suddenly, cruelty riven from
the sprightly body that was, but few
hours ago. hale and alert, obedient to
every petty wish, could dance. run and
leap; to be forced with such hideous pre-
cipitation to leave the warm breath OF
June and undergo the lonely change,
merging with the shadow; to be flung
from the exquisite and commonplace day
Of sunshine into the appalling adventure
that should not have been his for years
and hurled into it by what hand!--ah,
bitter, bitter price for a harlequinade!
And, alas, alas! for the brave harle-
quin!
(To be continued to-morrow)