The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-04-15
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DECLINED WITH
THANKS
BY E. j. BURkE
COPYRIGHT, f9ds, bB McClme'S
Newspaper Syndicate
BY E. }. BURKE

Miss Cecil Travers Mr.. Philip
Saunders"
Some benevolent individual intro
duced them ut the Pen and Pencil club.
Saunders afterward spoke of him as
THE hand of fate" But then he was
under the sway of the blind god and
so irresponsible for either his remarks
or his eyesSht.
1t was certainly "A case of love at first
sight-on the part of Saunders. When
he looked down into the dark eyes
raised so frankly to his own, he gave
up his heart Internationally. In all
his thirty five years nothing had sent
the blood rushing so riotously through
his veins as the firm, warm clasp of
her hand
But he was n quiet, self controlled
fellow, with eomposure born of years
of struggle up the uncertain literary
ladder. So he did not hold the little
hand second longer than politeness
demanded. There was no trace of ca
gerncss in his manner as he sat down
ON the dlvan beside her and began to
talk rs few men and fewer women had
heard him talk brilliantly, with flash
es of wit and sarcasm relieving the I'M
DERIVING earnestness of thought
Cecil Trayers was quite unconscious
of the metamorphosis she was produc-
ing. She only thought that this big,
blond man WAS not nearly as unap-
proachable as he looked. He was real
ly charming. And. what was the more
remarkable, he did not talk about him
self.
The girl found this an unusual expe-
rlenee. As reader for one of the maya
zines and writer of short stories, she
had met many men of many minds.
Yet as she said pHthctically to her
self, ..the minds always seem to turn
inward. How can they write about the
world around them when they are so
absorbed In SELF
Her wonder grew when she discoy-
cred that he, too, was an author. She
remembered now seeing his name
signed to several clever sketches. lie
had never tried any with the Sympo-
stun. As he talked the desire to read
some of his stories became overmas-
tering.
why don't you send something to
me ut the Symposium" she asked at
length frankly.
lie flushed up to the roots of his hair
as he said hesitatlngly, Il have been
busy about something else, but | will 80
some time"
1t was his first trace of awkward
ness Cecil could not know that the
something else" was the novel which
was the work of many months and
which WAS even then seeking n pub
Usher. Not even 10 her dared he trust
himself TO speak of this child of his
hopes. If the world gave 1t welcome,
ah, then! His thoughts were busy
weaving a beautiful day dream, and
its central figure was this dark eyed
girl who was almost II stranger 10 him.
lie awoke 10 realities with start.
Miss Traycrs, puzzled ut his silence,
had risen and was holding out her
hand In goodby.
You Will come TO see me some time,
Will you not. Mr.. SaundersT she asked
with the frank smile that was her cs-
peclal charm. 81 have enjoyed my
talk with you so very much that !
would Ike to repeat IT, am always
at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays"
Her tone was so cordial that he
bushed and stammered over his
thanks. He called himself fool II
minute afterward when he found him
self standing stupidity staring ut the
doorway through which she had dis
appeared. But that did not prevent
his going home in Il strangely excited
and exhllarated mood. The glamour Of
his day dream seemed still around
him. And she, the lady of his dream
he loved her.
lie whispered ii TO himself as he
strobe across the park. half fearful
that the lickering lamps and the sway
ing branches might guess his secret,
but In the silence of his room he said
1t boldly and the confident ring of the
words seemed 10 echo the mad beating
of his heart.
1t was inevitable that the next Thurs
day night should find him III the parlpr
Of Miss Travcrs' fiat. 1t was equally
inevitable that he should bend all Ills
energies to hide his love from the sml-
ing eyes of this girl, who treated him
with an air of bon camaraderie fatal
to sentiment.
1t Is doubtful whether even encour-
agcment would have wrung the secret
from his lips. The first JOY of loving
was past and In its place had come
flood Of self dlstruSt, of self dcprecla-
ton To his tortured mind IN uI-
bridgcable gulf Of training and tradl-
lions seemed to sweep between them.
She had been the pettcd child of rich
parents, on whom had been layished
the gifts Of college education and
years of foreign travel This attempt
at independence and self support had
been treated as her latest within and
humored accordingly lie had scram-
bled from n common school education
into the pitfalls that beset the path Of
u newspaper reporter. Every upward
step had been bought mt the price Of
hard work. 1t was but a short time
since the problem Of meeting his board
bill had been an all important one.
That was the first Of many calls, but
the succeeding visits, while they
strengthened his love, gave no courage
for It's declaration.
At last In his desperation plan
dawned upon him by which he might
learn his fate and yet spare her the
pain of refusal. She had asked him
to submit story to the Symposium.
He would send her one embodying his
love and Its hopelessness and offering
two sequels for the choice of the read
er. In the one the lover should boldly
set aside the barriers of position and
WOO and win his ladylove In the
other he should patiently bow to the
inevitable and devote his life to the
uncertain happiness of literary success.
He bent himself feyerishly to the
task. For several weeks he had not
dared To trust himself TO call upon her,
She would understand the reason why
when she read the story he addressed
with n tFgu1i,liDu hand