, 1904-11-16

ma II linz l huOW ! tlaI
gentleman blurted out as they were
swinging along through the park to-
gether one day. She used barely to
speak to me, and now butter wouldn't
melt in her mouth. She's so blamed
pleasant she worries me. It doesn't
seem natural"
Fol reply Miss Milford stopped short
and fixed her eyes upon him express
lively. His color rose, and he looked
rather confused.
"You don't mean
"Yes, that's it," she replied, noddinc
maliciously. Then they both laughed
merrily after the manner of irrespon.
sible young things who laugh from
mere joy until she abruptly remem-
bered that in a woman of thirty-eight
such behavior, vas s%hockingly friyo-
lous, and resolving to be more digni-
fled she grew suddenly pensive.
1t was a soft April day. The ten
der green's and misty grays Of the
park were like a wistful promise of
beauties to come. In the air the damp.
earthly smells of early spring f1oated,
the sweet breath of the soil as IL
awakened from it's winter trance.
With a sigh of enjoyment she seated
herself on n of the green benches,
and Barton took his place beside her.
For some moments they sat gazing at
the scene before them in dreamy 81
lence, taking in long whiffs of the
soft air with sensuous delight. The
blurred. faint loneliness of it all be-
spoke fairyland.
He did not speak, but she knew that
he was watching her intently. With
q sort of helpless, bewildered dismay
she realized that she was flushing like
a schoolgirl. "a woman of thirty
eight" she tainted herself savage
ly, "thirty-eight, thirty-eight, thirty
eight" But it was no use. She flush
ed and flushed until she longed wild
~ for an earthquake, for any deliver
ance that would rescue her from the
absurdity of her position. But none
came, and with lips that quivered with
annoyance she tried to form some di-
verting, impersonal remark.
A big, firm hand closed over hers,
and Stuart Barton looked down at her
like a triumphant young god.
81 know what you are going to say"
he began, but it's no use. 1 love you,
and I'm old enough to know my W
mind. This is an exceptional case,
and there's nc use Of your %tormenting
yourself and me by bothering about
o%utrages. 1 am certainly going to mar
ry you, so you might just as well make
up your mind to it."
He paused for breath, and, though
she eyed him in disdainful silence, a
dangerous excitement, a triumphant
happiness, danced in her blood, and
she dared not trust herself to speak.
"You love me-you know you do,
Alice,' he resumed exultantly, and at
the protest that she tried her best to
make convincing he only laughed In
diligently. With a shock it came to
her that he was right. She did love
him. When she spoke a moment later
her voice was very low and tense.
"We won't talk of it any more now,
Stuart" she said, laying her hand on
his arm, but a year from now, If you
feel the same-no, don't interrupt!
You think you will, but you don't
know. Don't you suppose 1t is hard
for me?' And she looked straight in
his eyes with an expression he thought
to remember always. But youth has
ever a poor memory, and a year con-
tains 365 days.
I'm going away Immediately" she
continued, with a little break in her
voice, as she realized what life would
seem without him. For a year L shall
drop out of existence, so far as you
are concerned. But at the end of that
time
A year had passed and another had
begun before Stuart Barton found
himself again in that particular part
of the park. AS before, he was ac-
companied by "a lady, young, proud
and superb looking, and as they seat
ed themselves on the Identical green
bench that he had occupied on a for
mer momentous occasion he awaited
~anxiously for the reply that she had
promised him. Later, the first furry
of excitement over, she looked at him
with an inquiring face.
"You were awfully attentive to that
Miss Milford last year. she remarked
tentatively. 81 always wondered what
you could see in a woman so much
your senior"
CONSERVATION seized Barton. Now
he knew why the spot had vaguely
haunted him; why it reminded him of
- .viuf1 hI1f nnuv fnpunt-
ten. His face went pale.