Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-03-01

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 you?"
"You betl Eliza wouldn't give
up the chance of seeing Washington
and the states in a hurry"
"Why did You not bring her with
your" said Isobel. 81 should have
been delighted to see her."
"Tell you the truth, Belle, | didn't
quite know how you'd take my mar
riage. Of course knew there was
a sort of promise between us, but
nothing in writing, mind you. Be-
ing an old maid and that, thought
you might cut up rough"
"On the contrary" said Miss East
wick cheerfully, "it would have been
quite absurd for you to have done
otherwise. Must you go already?"
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 q Sob !.
Then with feyerish haste the sill
yer frame was unfastened, the pa
per at the back torn off, and with the
aid of pair of scissors Isobel reg
moved the tiny headless nails and
piece of board, The sketch follow
ed, was orumpled in ruthless hands
and flung far from her, She busted
the glass carefully with her hand
kerchief and with the lightest, ten
derest touch fitted another scrap of
rough drawing paper into the va
cant place-a mans head in sepia,
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
guilty, clasping the silver frame
close to her that its contents might
not be seen.
81 have come to get my violin be-
fore go 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 night-might have found that
she cared more for the present
friend than for that pink and white
boy. He found her instead with the
boys picture clasped to her breast.
"Your violini Oh, yes" Miss
Eastwick said neFyously. pointing to
q faraway corner Of the studio, "No,
no-there, not here"
A shadow crossed the dark, ugly
face.
"Thank you," he said. "You need
not fear that l shall touch the pic
ture or come near you"
Isobel watched him with fascinat-
ed eyes. In five minutes--iD four
three--in one. minute-it would be
too late. Oh, why could she not
speak-show him-tell hims
The man fastened the violin case
mechanically, replaced some maya
zines he had disarranged, picked up
a crumpled piece of paper which lay
at his feet, smoothed it out and laid
it on the table.
"Good heavens! Isobel, what does |
this mean ?"
He held it out to her, crpnpled |
and torn, the pictured ffaeee from the
silver frame,
@1sobeP-the tenderness of his
voice was irresistible-"what have |
you put in that frameIa
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, Isobel?"
he repeated.
at means-it means-oh, Paul,
it means that ! missed you, and then
Harry came and didn't want mel
And, oh, if you could have seen
himy. She broke Gf, laughing hys-
tIesFgiiseallg, I
Lawton came here, Isobel? Not
that brute / saw getting into a car,
rage outside with a woman dressed
in every color Of the rainbow
"Was she thereg Yes, that was
the man. Directly he went" she
added slowly, 81 took down the
frame and put you there instead
and into my heart, too-for always"
Chicago Tribune.