Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-25

Tell me-" said Adelaide Wolverton some two hours later, that you do not look upon me as an interloper l was desperately afraid of you before ! saw you"
 Ralston laughed. And what did you fear in me?" he asked.
 II feared your jealousy" was the prompt reply, flor knew how much you and Sir Hervey had been to each other. Jealous people are so unrea- sonable, are they not?''
 ''So l should imagine"
 "Ah, the conditional mood. That is delightful. Then you do not bear me any i'll will?"
 Ralston looked at the upturned face and rejoined: t'Ill will? How could I bear you anything but the very re- verse" With grandiloquence he tried to cover his embarrassment, but Ade- lalde Wolverton was not deceived She knew. and knew also that Ralstou was aware of her knowledge, that their meeting had proved no ordinary one. For love had awakened. love that would never sleep again.
 ''1 see," she said, slowly unfurling her fan, your emotion is due merely to gratitude. MT. Ralston, how long have you been away from England?"
 The change of tone and subject was not lost upon Ralston. They had been treading on delicate ground, and. thankful for the deviation, he replied: Two years this month, but 1t seems like four-I have seen and done so much in the tme.'
 Turning to the girl beside him he noted the shade of bitterness that had crept over her face, and somehow as he looked he knew that she was not happy in her engagement. A wave of pity for Sir Hervey welled up in his heart, for the baronet idolized his young betrothed.
 Sir Hervey Ralston. honorable and clear-souled himself, incapable of sub- terfuge or pretense. was never ready to imagine evil of any shape in others. And if during the weeks that followed it seemed to him that Adelaide grew more and more impassive, while a spirit of unrest had seized upon his nephew, he strove to see no manner of connection. ~,.# ~,
 Ana what about Hugn! ~
 At one and the same time had the gates of heaven and hell been opened to him, and he reveled in his bliss. only to writhe in the agony involved. No words on the subject had he and Adelaide exchanged, thus far they had been loyal to Sir Hervey. But Hugh smiled bitterly as he acknowledged to himself the limitations of that loyalty. None knew better than he the sub uety of loves confessions.
 On the evening of the last day in March he waited nervously for his un- cle's approach to the smoKing-room. which had been the scene of many 8 confidential talk before his voyage to New Zealand. Sir Hervey's step seemed to have lost its lightness. or SO it seemed to Hugh. as he listened to its drawing near. He was later, too. in joining him than was his wont. Had any suspicion crossed his mind ? Were his thoughts of next weeks hap piness unalloyed, or were they shad- i owed by vague yet unmistakable cloud? Hugh Ralston wondered, but said nothing as his uncle entered the room. !, The latter, with his usual precision and neatness, lit cigar. seated him. self, and was soon engrossed in the pages of the evening paper. <@l
 Thankful to escape the customary evening chat, Hugh paced monotonous- ly up and down the room, with tenn pies throbbing and the blood surging through his veins. How could he broach the subject that tonight must be faced once and for all? My dear boy" said Sir Hervey at length. glancing over the top of his pa- per. "could you not sit down? You seem restless tonight"
 Hugh dropped into the nearest chair. Silence reigned for full i've minutes, silence that Ralston broke by saying, with the composure born of despair: 'I cannot stand England after all. Un- cle Hervey. I am off again next Sat- urday. You can do without me on the sixth, can you not?" He laughed lit- tie curiously as he added: "I am hard ly necessary part of the play" Sir Hervey folded his newspaper. laid it on the table and deliberately adjusted his glasses before looking in his nephew's direction. Do under stand you alright? You prefer not to be with me on, the day of my mar riage?"
 Hugh Ralston bowed his head. Sir Hervey rose from his chair and instinctively the younger man did the 1 same, a movement that brought them l face to face as the words: You dare not be with mel" broke from the bar 1 onet's lips.
 The eyes of the two men met. and the soul of each was read. Then as Hugh leaned on the mantelpiece. burying his face on his arms. with a groan. it was 1 the elder man who proved the strong or, who first brought light into the darkness that had descended.
 Hugh was conscious at last of the pressure of hand upon his shoulder l and as through 8 vast space and time