Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-03-12

had learned 10 recognize as sign OF
determination.
She WAS the woman. Absurd as II
WAS. Lea fell eXuliahtiy positive of that.
And for the resi- well. lie had u calm
confidence in himself lie would sure
~ find her ami win her
As all nhscrVInt persons must have
noticed. fate .lcariN loves Ia Lee trusted.
In This inSiaur" >h" rewarded ban
hury'S confidence 10y bringing him face
to face with III" victoria once more as
he emerged from the square. by her
quick avoidance nf his glance he saw
that the girl recognized him. and nj
the knowledge u sudden glow suffused
him He felt aS il their lives were al
ready upon the loom of destiny. With
ont u moments hesitation he stopped
n passing cab AMI with II few hurried
words Ia III" driver. jumped in.
''po yom happen Ia know the Gran
villcs Of East Twentieth street 2" he in
quirel of Hartram. with whom he dined
that night. for he had learned SO much
in the intervening: hours. Rartram nod
dcd. stopping To blow n few rings OF
smoke into the air before replying. as
II II We're Il matter Of no special impOr-
lance.
''\icc people" he observed nj last,
but rather quiet and old tmey.
Why
II should lik" 10 meet Them an
sw"rcd Danhury. with straight look
that conveyed perfectly that no fur
ther explanation was forthcoming.
And so. before many days elapsed.
he was presented 10 the lady of his
dreams I'm n room where the odor Of
lilacS WIS rs heavy rs il had been in
the garden of his hoyhood As their
eyes met he fancied that Miss Gran
vile flushed ever >" slightly and that
her glance WAS puzzled and inquiring
There wcr" several other guests pres
ent. but nj the end of quarter OF an
hour banbury and she were separated
from them by enough space TO make
condolences possible. II was then that
Faith Granville turned her clear eyes
upon him and said naively:
"Of course IL is you who have been
r'HhinS INV Esttl HOW utu you
know who was and why have you
done ii:''
There was n vague diSapprOval in
her voice. bat not enough TO make him
despair of forgiveness Besides. her
question proved that she was more
child than woman and that I'm the
midst OF a society bound by precedent
she dared 10 he herself
So he threw prudence 10 the winds
and after il diplomacy and convention
and stool before her the man that he
was. telling her how il had happened.
how he had come back to New York
and how. even before he had seen them.
the scent Of the lilacs had taken him
back Ia his boyish days. how she had
appeared suddenly. clothed in the very
colors "f his dream. All this he told
her rapidly and earnestly and as only
a clean Soulcd. natural man could have
done. Then he waited brcathlessly for
her Ia sneak. Ry her answer he would
know whether he had read her Alright.
''O-oh" she said. with little gasp
1T * too beautiful There was n
suspicious humidity in her eyes. but
she lifted them bravcly 10 his and CON
tinued: Il am not worthy anything so
poeiical AMI beautiful as this. and
when You come Ia know me you will
find il out. I should hate that-having
you discover what n commonplace girl
| am She stopped and tried TO steady
her somewhat ircmulous lips.
But that is my risk was the an
swer. and | am not afraid May we
call this the beginning of the begin
ning:" And he smiled down at her
with look in his eyes that quickened
the heating Of her heart deliciously
The end of the beginning came about
year later The lilacS had made their
appearance in the city once more. heap
ed upon the pushcarts ut the curb.
where their naughty sisters. the roses
and violets. would sometimes stare dis
dainfully ont NJ them from behind the
plate glass windows of the flower
shops. Had you been passing through
East Twentieth street early i'm the aft
ernoon of certain day you might have
seen big. athletic man and a slender.
deep eyed girl descending the steps of
one of the somber brOwnstone resi-
dences. The man was in the rcglla ton
tweais. with his gloves graspcd firmly
in one hand. and the girl was gowncd
in lilac of n shade as elusive and beau
tiful as Il memory
AT the sight of the :orgeously dec
Grated carriage that awaited them they
half hcsitatcd. Then as shower of
something fine. white and hard as hail
stones began Ia pattcr about their
heads they dashed down precipitously
and gladly awaited themselves Of its
protection.