The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1904-08-17
TANGLED
THREADS
BY r. 3. WRIGHT
Copyright, 1904. by t. @. Mcclure

And that was three years ago,
wasn't itT' Miss Travers said. ut
doesn't seem like It,"
mo-" he replied; 'It seems thirty
Thanks! Have I really. aged so
much since thenY'
81 mean until 1 saw you 1t seemed
thirty" he explained.
Three years-it goes very quickly.
You haven't changed much"
az? l haven't changed at all"
She regarded him critically. mo,
you haven't-in looks"
II haven't in any way" he replied
earnestly and with an undertone Of
intention in his voice. "And you
you are all imagined"
II imagined? Then was not q
reality three years ago. ! was a mere
Pigment of your brain. What do you
meanY
81 mean-why-that in all these
years / have been imagining youth
all sorts of ways. you know"
"Oh. Sometimes as fair haired,
suppose. and sometimes as dark hair
ed, sometimes with a hump and some
times cross eyed"
| "Nonsensew
"Well, it's what you said, all sorts
Of ways and yet--do you remember
the silly speech you made me when
you went away?" SD. .s.. ~. s7
"Of course-only it wasn't silly. 1t
was the frozen truth"
1T didn't seem very frozen then,
but perhaps 1t does now, however, at
this distance You haven't answered
my question yet, though. What was
1t you said?'
"Why-that-what's the use Of my
telling you over again If your memory
is so gOodP'
t1on, not mine. Confess you don't re-
member" 4
"But / do, of course 1t was that l
wouldn't forget" he said triumphantly.
Miss Travers dropped her eyes, raised
them again for brief fluttering mo-
ment and again dropped them with n
/ pensive little smile
/ "And you remember what 1t was
said to you thenY he asked impressive
| ly. leaning nearer and looking down at
/ the bent head. '..-+
| You said-of course, you were Just
| saying it-but you said you would re-
| member every word had said to you.
every look of my eyes. every tone of
my voice. You were quite sentimental
that night"
at was meant. every word of 1t. No
man could forget. / know 1t now"
"Now? Didn't you know 1t then?
What do you mean? You talk as
though you were not the same man you
were. Aren't your
"Well, every man changes, you know.
every seven years. Scientific fact.
believe"- --.-= -s-.-e .-.-s---eaas.
But it hasn't been seven-only
three !" ~ ---- '= ='.~-..=ssa-
"Oh, of course. not really change.
was joking. What l meant was that
knowing you. having your image be-
fore me these years. has made chang
ed man of Unchanged the whole
| course of my life" he said earnestly.
"Ah. and you have that photograph
of me yetY' ........ "a.
"Of course AS II l wouldn't! 1t
has never been out of my keeping since
I stole it from ..
81 thought gave 1t to you myselfY'
she said, with some surprise in her
voice. Have you forgotten how you
begged it from me that nightT
"Of course l haven't forgotten" he
replied heartily. 81 know you gave It
to me-" But she was not listening.
Her eyes were looking or into the dis
lance beyond the dark glass of the con-
servatory.
hon MT frIlk hn lfrrkak rrTnu
the water that night, and far of some
boating party was singing! 1t was per
fectr' ......-.. .-.
Eyes. perfect. at least to me-"
do you remember when we glided
into that stretch of lily pads and
lifted them dripping from the water.
each drop like diamond. and you
said
And | said wished they We're real
so that | could give them to you." he
said boldly. - 49,. y..
"Did your / thought it was that the
drops would spoil my gown-the gown
you admired so much" ta#
Il did admire 1t. l have always seen
you in that gown-and your face lumi-
nous in half shadow. the CLINT of your
hair and your arms cleaning In the
moonlight as you trailed your fingers
in the water and made silvery ripples
over the polished black mirror of the
er-river"
He drew a long breath when he fin
ished. as one who felt relieved
And 1t was as we neared home,
wasn't it. that you told me that you
wanted my pictureT"
yes
The corners Of her mouth twitched
little. What n splendid memory you
have" she said, "a marvellous memory
l call 1t. wish l had one like 1t.
though it's not what I would call ac-
curate-if that's a sample-because, you
see. you didn't ask me for my photo
graph that night. 1t was fall when
you left. and it rained hard that after
noon, and we could not go out, but In
stead sat In the drawing room by the
fire. Except for these little details,
your recollection of what happened is
wonderfully clear" ....
"But you said YOURSELF
"Yes: did. l just wanted to test
you. Now / commence to doubt that
you really still have my picture"
81 can show it to you"
"Are you certain it's not some other
girl that you've mistaken for met One
Is liable to mistake one person for an
other unless there's a special reason"
mo danger. There's not another girl
in the world like you. I knew you the
moment saw you"
Knew me?'
Eyes, across the ballroom"
you had forgotten me, thenY
"I mean," he exclaimed slowly, like |
one who picks his way, "that L knew
you-for the one girl cared about"
"Oh-h! But was II at q ball we first |
met? remember your telling me that |
three years ago, but I didn't think IL
xEas at n halI thnt that kI,a.zziEszic..