Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1905-05-04

quiring."
II know; I've been through it." she
assured him, smiling. "But tell me
what puzzles you"
LAS l said, the subjunctve. It's
really the-the''-
Exactly" she assented quickly. sit
really is"
At One Hundred and Sixteenth street
he shut the book with a triumphant
snap.
I'm getting hold Of It," he announc.
ed. II say. do you come up on this
train often?
every morning."
Then But the train was already
starting again. He had just time to
dash to the platform and bow to Mar
garet at her window before it was gone.
His smile. as he stood bareheaded in
her last glimpse Of him, completed the
broken sentence
Committing lost its terrors after that
Many things may be said In twenty
minutes, and, though Margaret con-
scientiously held her pupil to questions
OF syntax, she learned good deal
about him in spite of herself-that his
name, for instance. was Harold Bond;
that he was in the employ Of firm Of
piano manufacturers; that they were
extending their business into Cuba and
South America. and that he had the
chance to represent them there II he
could acquire working knowledge Of
the language within two months.
She did not inquire when the two
months would be up. She was not sure
that she cared to know. Early in their
friendship he had asked permission to
visit her In her home. but she had re-
piled that it would be embarrassing to
Introduce so irregular an acquaintance
to the relatives with whom she lived,
and he had not insisted. Perhaps she
was little disappointed that he had
not
One morning in June he squared his
shoulders defiantly toward One Hun
dred and Sixteenth street and met her
surprised glance with a look of deci-
sion.
Il AN gong OF with You" he de-
ciarcA. "a:l | a:a y,;n: TO walk over
to school with YOU and tonight shall
wait for you 1T the visitors entrance
and so i:oH:e with you
Haze | nothing to say about it?''
she inquired
Certainly. You will say. Il shall be
very glad. indeed. my dear friend, to
see you this afternoon and have an op-
portunity Of presenting you to my fam.
ily.'"
"And if don't choose to say that?"
Then will introduce myself"
She was silent. For the first time
her heart misgave her What had been
a pleasant adventure, something tc
brighten day dreams and think OF
vaguely between sleeping and waking
was turning into urgent reality.
At the foot of the elevated stairs be
guided her toward comparatively
quiet street
II shall be late" she murmured, bu
obeyed
ut doesn't matter" he replied. MAR
garet, l have confession to make
The first time we spoke to each othe
I asked you if you came up often b,
this route. l knew it without asking
1 knew it before you ever noticed me-
long before the days of the subjunctivt
mood. I followed you up here. fol
low <I 10 Al ~. ~
outside and found out who you were
and what you taught, and then
bought a Spanish grammar. Margaret
sweetheart, forgive me'-for she haC
grown very pale. II love you; loved
you then. 1 hated to do it, but we haG
no common friends, as people have IL
books. No accident ever happened il
which l could rescue you. 1 couldn'
speak to you first. l just had to de
pend upon your professional spirit an(
the. subjunctive mood Say you for
give me-"
And Cuba and your position and thu
rest of it?" she gasped.
''True as gospel" he answered. "Cube
| is simply holding it's breath till it cal
| get our pianos. My position is tina
of junior partner in the firm. and 1 an
| really going thereon my weddin.
trip, unless you would rather go some
where else" Then pleadingly, ''Yol
wouldn't, would you?"
| And Margaret surprised herself b.
whispering, No" Afterward she re
flected it was what she had meant t,
say all along.