The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-23

upon him at once, and his laughter was
stopped short. "Wih you not accept
me as an escort to your homeY" he
said, formally.
Il do not know" she returned SIM
ply, the sort of honest trouble in her
glance that is seen only in very young
eyes.
What reason in the world?" he re-
turned, with a crafty sharpness OF as
constituent.
She continued to gaze upon him
thoughtfully, while he tried to look m
to her eyes, but was baffled, because
the radiant beams from the lady 5
orbs Gas the elder Chenoweth might
have said rested somewhere danger
ously near his chin, which worried
him, for though his chin made no re-
treat and was far from i'll looking, 1t
was nevertheless, that feature which
he most distruSted. won't you tell
me why not?" he repeated uneasily.
Because" she answered at last,
speaking hesitatingly, because it isn't
so easy a matter for me as you seem
to think You have not been introduce
ed to me- and 1 know you never will
be, and that what you told me was
true"
(which part of what told your"
The question escaped from him in
stanter.
That the others might come when
| they liked, but that you could not"
"Oh, yes yes" His expression alter
ed to a sincere detection; his shoulders
dropped, and his voice indicated SUI
! preme annoyance. Il might have
known some one would tell you! Who
was it? Did they say why =
ION account of your quarrel with my
father"
my quarrel with your father" he
exclaimed; and his face lit with an
elated surprise; his shoulders straight
ened He took a step nearer her, and
asked eagerly, ''Who told you that?"
MY father himself He spoke of a
Mr.. Vanrevel whom he-disliked, and
whom 1 must not meet, and, remem-
bering what you had said, of course,
knew that you were he"
"Oh!" Crailey's lips began to form a
smile of such appealing and inimitable
sweetness that Voltaire would have
trusted him; smile altogether rose
leaves. Then 1 lose you" he said,
''for my only chance to know you was
in keeping it hidden from you. And
now you understand
NO." she answered gravely, 81 don't
understand; that is what troubles me.
If 1 did, and believed you had the right
of the difference, l could believe it no
sin that you should speak to me,
should take me home now. 1 think it is
wrong not TO act from your own unQer-
standing of things"
The young man set his expression as
one indomitably fixed upon the course
of honor, cost what it might; and, in
the very action, his lurking pleasure in
doing it hoped out in the flicker of a
twinkle in his eye, and as instantly
sought cover again-the flea in the
rose-jar.
Then you must ask some other" he
iY,f fnd
should tell you. The difference was po-
litical in the beginning, but became
personal afterwards and it Is now a
quarrel which can never be patched up,
though, for my part, l wish that it
| could be. 1 can say no more, because
a party to it should not speak,"
She met his level look squarely at
last; and no man ever had a more
truthful pair of eyes than Crailey
Gray, for it was his great accomplish
ment that he could adjust his emotion,
| his reason and something that might
be called his faith, to fit any situation
in any character.
You may take me home" she an
swered; may be wrong, and even dis
| loyal; but 1 do not feel it SO, now. You
| did a very brave thing tonight to save
him from loss and l think that what
you have said was just what you
| should have said"
So they went down the street, the
| hubbub and confusion of the fire grow
| ing more and more indistinct behind
| them. They walked slowly, and, for a
| time, neither spoke; yet the silence was
| of a kind which the adept rejoiced to
| have produced thus soon-their second
| meeting. For he believed there were
! more strange things in heaven and
| earth than Horatio wot; and one of the
strangest was that whenever he was
near an attractive wom7n during a 81
lence such as this, something not to
be defined, but as effective as it was
| indefinite, always went out from him to
| her. 1t was like a, word of tenderness,
| a word too gentle, too compelling, toe
sweet, to be part of any tongue, spok-
en- or written And more; this inef-
fable word had an echo, and came
back to him from the woman.
As his partner had in dress so Graf
ley had with women, some color of the
beau; but it was not in what expert
ence had given him to recognize as a
fact; that they were apt to fall in love
| with him. (That they were apt to re-
main in love with him-he understood
perfectly-was another matter) And
he knew when they We're doing it;
could have told them accurately, al
each step, what they were feeling
| thinking, dreaming, during the process
because he was usually exhibiting the
same symptoms to himself at the same
| time.
Thus, his own breast occupied with
that dizzy elation which followed its
reception of the insane young gods
arrows, and his heart warm with the
rise of the old emotion that he knew
so we'll, he was nevertheless able tC
walk with his finger on the pulse of the
exquisite moment, counting her heart
| beats and his own.
So, to his fancy, as they walked the
little space between them was hung
with brilliant strands, like gossameI
chains of gold, already linking them to-
gether; every second fixing another
slender, precious fetter, binding them
closer, drawing her closer. He waited
until they passed into the shadows OF
the deserted Carewe street before he
spoke. There he stopped abruptly; al
which she turned, astonished.
Continued in Next Sundays News !
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