Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1905-02-24

IltI, Dul l. VI dlN ~ "a Al iiSt "Aooi'u
by telling how, if I'd married you.
we'd have been sitting on spindle
legged chairs reading In Memoram'
or some such twaddle, and Eliza'd
feel mighty pleased with herself"
A great content had come upon
Miss Eastwick
Eliza is your wife. Is she not
with your"
you bet Eliza wouldn't give
up the chance Of seeing Washington
and the states in hurry"
"Why did You not bring her with
you?" said Isobel. Il should have
been delighted to see her"
Tell you the truth, Belle, l didn't
quite know how you'd take my mar
riage. OF course l knew there was
sort of promise between US, but
nothing in writing, mind you. Be-
ing an old maid and that, l thought
/ you might cut up rough"
ION the contrary" said Miss East
wick cheerfully, 1T would have been
quite absurd for you to have done
otherwise. Must you go already p
The door shut behind him.
She crossed the room, took down
the sepia sketch and once more laid
it beside the Harry of long ago.
She tried to laugh--a pitiful little
laugh. which ended in sob.
Then with feverish haste the sill
yer frame was unfastened, the pa
per at the back torn off, and with the
aid of pair of scissors lsobel re-
moved the tiny headless nails and
piece of board. The sketch follow
ed. was crumplcd in ruthless hands
and flung far from her. She busted
the glass carefully with her hand
kerchief ana with the lightest, ten
derest touch fitted another scrap Of
rough drawing paper into the va
cant place-H mans head in scpia,
with deep set eyes and an ugly,
square jaw.
Miss Eastwick was too busy ham,
mering in the nails again to hear
this time a step on the stairs. 1t
was only when the door opened and
a mans voice spoke that she started
guiltily, clasping the silver frame
close to her that its contents might
not be seen.
Il have come to get my violin be-
fore l 90 away" Paul Maitland said
quietly.
He had come to get the fiddle
YES. and also with the hope that
Isobel might have changed her mind
last nicht-might have found that
she cared more for the present
friend than for that pink and white
boy. lie found her instead with the
boys picture cIasped to her breast.
Your violin: Oh, yes" Miss
Eastwick said neryously, pointing to
faraway corner Of the studio. "No,
no-there, not here"
\ shadow crossed the dark, ugly
face.
THANK you," he said. "You need
not fear that | shall touch the pic
turc or come near YOU"
Isobel watched him with fascinat-
ed eyes In five minutes-in four
three-in one minutc-it would be
too late. Oh, why could she not
/ speak-show him-tell him:
The man fastened the violin case
mechanically, replaced some maya
zines he had disarrangcd, picked up
a crumplcd piece Of paper which lay
at his feet, smoothcd it out and laid
! it on the table.
"Good heavens, Isobel, what does
this mean Z"
He held it out TO her, crumpled
and torn. the pictured face from the
silver frame.
'Isobcl' tenderness Of his
voice was Observation-Disclosures have
You put in that frame"
He gently loosened the slender
fingers and took her treasure from
her, seeing at last what she had
sought to hide.
"What does this mean, IsobelT'
he repeated.
at means-it means-oh, Paul,
it means that | missed YOU, and then
Harry came and didn't want me!
And, oh, if you could have seen
him. She broke off, laughing hys-
! toricgUv