The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-03-23

tive astonished and not a little cha
crined. looked about him for some min.
utes before he saw her again. Then
he perceived that she had thrown of
the long cloak that had seemed so
out of place in this brilliant throng,
and stood, beaming and beautiful, near
q piano, where some one was just be-
ginning to play.
Hilary saw her, too, at this minute,
and asked herself what her wonderful
look meant; for, while Jenny Rogers
eyes burned steadily in one direction,
it was acquiring a purpose, the deter
mination of which Hilary could see
but not explain. And she felt that it
needed explanation, ard left her place
to join her young friend, and succeeded
in doing this just as Miss Rogers said,
in low tones, to the person at the
piano:
Il will sing Robert, toi que jaime y
Miss Aspinwall, thoroughly aston
ished, took Jenny by tie hand, asking
what did she intend to do. Jenny re-
piled that she was going to sing, in
tones that Convinced Hilary that there
was something deeper that caprice be-
hind her action.
1T will be q noble kindness on your
part if you WILL" said she, "but you
look so excited, and you tremble so,
you make me feel that there is some
thing at stake which 1 do not under
stand"
"There is, Hilary; my whole life's
happiness. Hamilton Degraw is here;
he loves me, and told me if l returned
his love to wear cloth dress to-day.
I have on the dress; am ready to
stand by what it means; but he will not
look this way. I wore velvet one
when I came. and perhaps he saw Inc
then, or saw the cloak with which / at
first tried to hide the change I had
made; and now nothing can make him
glance away from the man he is con-
versing with; and presently he will 60.
and his going means an endless separa-
tion for us, for, Hilary, he has engaged
passage in the Etruria, and she sails
tonight, you know"
Miss Aspinwall uttered low cry.
No one heard it, not even Jenny, for
the impetuous girl was full of her own
thoughts, and was saying, passion
ately:
My voice will be surprise to him.
He must turn, and then if he goes
away"
She finished with gesture. Hilary
gave her one look, it was that Of en-
couragement, and the next minute
Jenny was standing by the piano, and
the first liquid tones of the fine in
strument had burst forth.
When, in an instant later, this trained
singers melodious and exquisitely Guilt
waited voice broke out with a force
and fervor it had never displayed even
in the old happy and ambitious days
with her singirg-masters, not a head
but responded to the call, and she
saw, with q rushing sense of joy which
nearly stopped her voice, that he not
only saw her, but flushed with an IN
expected rapture which made all her
future assured. Thinking Of him, and
only of him, she went ON, filling the
great rooms with melody such as they
had never heard before, and never will
again, doing for love what she had
failed to do for ambition, and waken-
ing in more hearts than one there an
enthusiasm never to be forgotten In
the presence of any other singer.
When stiffness came, an irresistible
cry broke out; but she did not hear it..
She was looking for Mr.. Degraw to
advance. And he did. She saw him
burst from every OBTAINING hand and
come forward with his heart burning
on his lips, when what is it that makes
him stop suddenly and as Gf held back
by a force he cannot resist? She can
not see; she only realizes that he does
not come; that he gives her a look
which seems to promise something,
but he does not come, and at last she
perceives him melt away with the
crowd and vanish in the direction of
the door, which finally opens and shuts
upon him, leaving her with her glory
and her grief,