The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-03-02

able, thinking he had gone forever, she
met him suddenly.
1t was in the refreshment room. at a
dance. 1t was not often Jacques went
to such things of late, but there she
was that evening, left pretty and sad
eyed in a corner, while a chance part
ner braved the terrors of the crush
by the tables in search of an ice for
her. Then suddenly appeared Captain
Danegarth, just as if her perpetual
thought had conjured him into q ma
terial being from the air. 1t was, how
ever, no apparitiOn, but the soldier in
real flesh and blood, a little pale and
g~rim-looking until his eyes lit on hers,
and then the lady in a voice which a
unduly glad in spite of all she could do,
held out her hand and cried:
"Oh, Captain .Danegarth, 1 am so
glad to see you againI We thought
you had gone away. Where have you
BEEN"
In hiding: lonely and miserable"
why m~iSerable?" she asked, looking
away to where in the distance a small
bald head was struggling out of the
throng, while a hand held up above it
an approaching plate that tossed like
a ship in q cross sea.
You ask me why?" he said.
"Yes!" she replied, with a curious
foreboding futter in her heart.
The captain also saw the returning
partner, and, moved by the impulse of
the moment, stopped as near as he
dared to the ear of the fair girl before
him and whispered, why, why? Be
cause l know your story, and cannot
rescue you; because I am miserable
and perplexed: because 1 love you"
Never to this day has the lady made
up her mind whether she suffered a
more exquisite pain or pleasure at that
moment. She was not often fright
ened out of her self-control, but she
was woman enough to lose her head
on this occasion in a whirl of sweet
and bitter confusion, and before she
could recover again the interview that
altered all her life took place.
Here you are, vanilla ice and ham
sandwiches" cried the other gentle
man, arriving much out of breath.
"All the biscuits gone-had to bring
ham sandwiches. Will they do?"
"Oh, thank you so muchr' said the
martyr, smiling gratefully by a strong
effort; Il fear they will not go we'll
with the ice; will you eat them for
me?" And then, turning to her COM
panion, she held out her hand and
went on in a low voice: "Good-by,
Captain Danegarth"
But surely 1 may have one dance
with your"
Il fear not"
"Then may 1 come and see you
soon"'
NO"
You are angry with me?"
"Oh, l { don't know. l know 1 ought to
be-horribly, dreadfully angry. Oh,
please do go-see how the people are
looking at us" And again she held out
her dainty hand.
He took it and hesitated; he would
have liked to have kissed it, but dared
not, bending slightly over it instead,
and then, with a heavy heart, turned
away into the crowd as she bid him.
A few weeks later the Ladies' AuxiIi-
80 ~ IL HOSp4Idl o1IduSeu d CndE1ly
Fair and Bazaar, and the popular
young captain had consented to ar
range a booth with the war trophies
he had brought home with him. The
hapless lover was coaxed into taking
a part in this by friends who were
trying everything in their power to
tempt him back into an ordinary,
everyday frame. of mind, and he had
grudgingly consented, little guessing
how momentous the decision was to
be. jacques was among the invited,
and, though she had at first refused.
yet she, too, in due time gave way to
the Establishments of friendly advisers.
After the captains reckless ayowaI
it would have been more seemly if she
had avoided any place where he could
by any chance be met. But the cir
-cumstances were exceptional, and g.
bevy Of friends would surround her,
so she, too, went to her fate.
The soldier was there, selling knick-
nacks to fair customers as though he
had been brought up to it all his life,