The Taney County republican., 1904-11-03
CHAPTER XIV.
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL"

cc cuple of minutes. lie could not at
once realize his position. In dim In
diLunct way he saw what mighty
change his failure must make in his
l.fc, but be absolutely shrank from
calling up finished picture Of what
h. iancled his future life must be, un.
cC.OIcd By the love which he had by
Low learned 10 look upon as indispens
able TO making the picture a pleasing
one.
lie could not understand 1t. lie
could not believe It, Frank Garruth.
ers, although perfectly able to value
himself fairly, was no coxcomb, ready
10 fancy every little act OF kindness or
polite attention on the part Of wo.
man an evidence Of consuming pas.
sion for himself. Although for weeks
he had been making yelled love TO
Beatrice, there was if5 one action Of
hers 10 which he could point and say
that gave me hope and led me on"
lie had not felt her hand llnger In his
own. He had rot seen sudden blush
dye her cheek as he drew near. He
had not caught those earnest gray
eyes fixed upon him with meaning
which lovers readily guess. 1t was
perhaps the very absence Of anything
approaching coquetry and encourage
ment which Frank had made the glri
30 well worth the winning.
Nevertheless, there was something
he could not, dared not particularize
--something In her manner more es.
pccially during the last few days,
which had, well, to say the least, been
OF great comfort 10 him. He fancled,
It may have been but fancy, there was
a change IN the way in which she
Gpc!,e 10 him--pcrhaps in the way In
which she looked at him. Yes, there
must have Lccu something, for, oil.
though he had not put the thought In.
tO words, CarrutbCrs knew, that had
Beatrice bc the same to him as in
the carly days Of their acquaintance,
no love Of his, however dominant.
could have forced him TO put the ques.
tion he had Just put with such q sorry,
and, itGmay be, unforeseen result. The
mars half cynical exterior hid
proud and sensitive nature. Had hope
been entirely absent he would no.
have barred his heart TO the woman he
loved best IN the world.
Even In tie first bitterness Of defeat
he did not blame her. That all was
ended and over he never doubted. His
feelings were those Of bewilderment.
II could not understand It: could see
no reason far this summary and with.
out appeal rejection Of his love.
"a must ~ and think It all over" he
Il cant think here, In this
room where the perfume OF her dress
still fingers"
He stoopcl and picked up flower
which must nave fallen from her
dress. He ok a glove which was
ying on the piano.
What a ,ovcler love is," he sasl
yrimly; "one laughs at the IDIOT
Of others. and when one
Jwn time cones does Just the sam
glove, 4 flower! Conventional er
)lcms, lacking even originality. What
. fcOl I am"
Nevertheless he kept them both, and |
10 doubt derived as much comfol,
rom them ~ the possession Of such
hings Is 81 posed to give.
After this he took hg hat, and, for.
Getting all about the dinner.party. |
vent out into the garden to think IN
.Diie Of his assumed calm, he must
rave been strongly moved, for he com.
uenced his operation Of thinking By
Iigging his heel into the Immaculate
,raveI path so viciously that the large
oller was needed for half an hour the
lext morning III order 10 smooth mat
ers down. Then, ashamed of this
inrst Of passion, he walked down 10
he bottom Of the garden, and, regard.
ess Of October dews and chilly air,
brew himself on seat and strovc 20
ccount for what had happened, and to
It's result 80 far as his own
uture was concerned.
But think ms he would, and we may
resume his brain was clever and
bic one, Mr. carruthers could only
ct TO three conclusions, unsatlsfac,
Dry, when taken singly, and, Of
cnvsn trat1O tu thn |