The Union Republican., 1904-12-02
The
Conqueror
BY KEITH GORDON
COPYRIGHT, 1901, bu NJ. McKen


department store, determined to pro-
cure the driving gloves that he sorely
needed.
The tired clerks and shining pneu
matte tubes seemed to be in league to
detaili him, and he was strolling i'm
patiently up and down, inwardly re-
Wiling the system that made such delay
possible, when the sight of d tall, fair
girl, also waiting for change, trans
formed his feelings like the touch of
fairy wand. His impatience vanished;
his engagement was forgotten. He
had seen his ideal woman!s
A sweaker man might have failed to
detect his chance in the mere passing
glimpse of face in the crowd. Not
so AIanice. If fate, in effect, said to
him, Don't you wish you knew her"
lie indomitably answered, "Trust me
j shall know her!' And so the game
began.
Social customs he regarded as so
many fences inelosing and dividing the
field of action. Under ordinary circum-
stances he respected these defenses
and siirted them decaously until he
came to gateways, like any other well
bred individual. But the case in hand
was comparable only to a cross coun-
try ride, when the man who would be
in at the death must go over the
fences, jump the bitches and stay him
not for gateways and bridges.
All of which means that Floyd Man
ice, usually the most dignified and con-
servative of men, spent the rest Of the
afternoon following slim, erect young
woman at very respectful distance
and utterly without her knowledge.
At p. IN. he had the satisfaction
of seeing her enter a smart trap at
Morristown, N. j., whittier she had
unwittingly led him, and satisfied
from her manner that she was at home
he paced the platform waiting for the
train back to town and making plans
with an exultant confidence born of
long success.
"Going to Morristown for the sum-
mer, eh?" exclaimed his partner In
some surprise when he announced his
intention week later. II thought you
loathed New Jersey?"
"NIistaken idea of yours" responded
Manice, with mendacious brevity. by
the way, do you know any one there"
EFeasIH usually moved with business
Like rrre5sion when Manice started to
accoinfjlsAh an end. Within two weeks
YTUn me day on ..,en he 1rst Saw
his star. as he called her to himself,
he was established in Morristown,
waiting IN strong, serene, yet humble
expectation for her to appear once
more upon his horizon.
The days passed like a procession
of snails, but she did not appear, and,
though through the kindness of city
friends he had a number of introduce
tions, he made no effort to discover
her identity. He had strange, sweet
cousciousness-to which he held In
spite of disappointment and the de-
plorable sentimentality into which 1t
was leading him-that she was surely
drifting toward him and that each day
brought them nearer together.
Near the end of the third week his
faith was rewarded. 1t was on the
golf links, and ripple of peculiarly
clear, frank laughter somewhere near
him caused him to turn his head. She
and companion were sauntering to-
ward him, every line of her 1.-THE,
graceful figure standing out gloriously
against the pure background Of the
sky, her brown hair framing her face
in bewitching disorder.
On this glimpse Of her Manice lived
for another week, and then his friend,
Duncan Brown, descended upon him
for the weeks end stay. Duncan would
have been welcome under any circum-
stances, but when. he announced that
great friend of his, Betty Alston, lived
in Morristown and offered to take
AIanice ito see herf the latter pressed
the freedom of his bachelor quarters
upon him with added fervency, won
dering IL by chance he was entertaining
an angel unawares.
So indeed 1t proved.
81 think l saw you on the links the
other day." Miss Alston remarked,
turning to Manice after the greetings
were over, and that gentleman always
wondered what he said In reply. The
one impression that he carried away 4
from that meeting was a confusing
sense of having been projected unex-
pectedly into the very midst of heaven.
That impression, however, was not
lasting. Time revealed that If Miss
Alston was guiding star others be-
sides himself were looking, raising their
eyes to her and following where she
led.
Still he drew sigh of relief at the
thought that he had two rivals instead
Of one. Always in these matters there
was safety in numbers.
Keeping watchful eye upon twot
rivals is wearing work even for n
strong man. If Manice had been fas-
cinated by Betty Alston's face, at the
end of two months 1t was lovelier to
him than ever, for the better he knew
her the more assured he became fahel
sweetness and womanliness. Counted
by conventional standards, it was a
Ditifully short time that they had |
known. each other, but he felt as If he
4 l. a.