Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-01-21


countenanee.
MIR. Harwood Will see you. This way,
please"
She followed him into spacious. cle-
gantly appointed drawing room, and sat
down there, feeling curiously out of
place and bewildered.
And 4 minute later a gray. elderly zen.
tleman entered and advanced toward her.
Altered as he was she knew him, and was
| aware that he recognized her as readily.
He offered her his hand with an obvious
embarrassment. but she bowed distantlv
without appearing to notice it.
II am pleased to see you. Miss Cur
ney," he began lamely, and then sat down
and looked at her, and seemed waiting
for her to speak.
But she could not trust herself yet /;
her heart was tluttering suffocatingly,
and she felt that if she attempted to an
swer him she was so unnerved she must
burst into tears, and the very thought
of thus humbling herself in his presence
helped to strengthen her.
1T is very long WHILE" he made an
effort, and resumed namely, "since we saw
each other, Miss Quincy"
"A very long while!" His haltino
words had an unintentional sting in them,
and all at once she had flung her weak
Tess from her. Il would not have
troubled you now on my own account
please don't say that" She was
vaguely conscious of a wistful eagerness
in his tone. IF there is anything can
do for you
There is nothing you can do for me-
she said, with quiet decision. you
should know me better than to think |
would ask any. even the smallest, favor
of YOU for myself"
lie quailed under her indignant glance.
and threw out his hands with gesture
of despair.
Forgive me. | know what you say is
true" he returned sadly. you must not
think, Ruth the name rose invOlmtarilv
to his lips, that | have forgiven myself,
or forgotten, or that | have been alto
gether happy. | know l wronged YOU
terribly erribly -and the memory of it
has come between Inc and happiness more
and more as | have grown older and had
time to think. | have been punished"--
And ]" she interposed harshly. But
[ did not come to talk of what is past
mcnding. You did me great wrong, and
l.
you again, or that there was any way in
which / might be brought to forgive
you"
And is there? Tell me what it is
he cried. Il would give a great deal to
make some reparation for what / have
done. | am not the reckless, selfish fool
l was in those days.
He was strongly moved, but not more
SO than was Miss Quincy herself; it was
as much as she could do to steady her
voice and keep her emotion hidden from
him
Your son is engaged to my niece-ny
dead sisters child. | did not know any
thing of it until two days ago. she said,
gathering confidence as she proceeded, and
speaking with detached air as if what
she discussed did not concern herself per-
sonally. you have forbidden your son
to see her again, and are sending him
away with some idea of parting them
for ever. She is everything to me now.
care more for her happiness than my
own. Ii | had not loved her so, my pride
would never have allowed me to come to
you. | came only to save her from such
life as mine has been. | couldn't think,
il you knew, that you would break her
heart as you have broken mine"
She stopped abruptly, and he gazed at
her with a sort of terror in his eyes.
Il did not know who she was" he said
huskily.
II came to tell you"
lie sat looking at her. stricken dumb,
for even in his most repentant moments
he had not thought the consequences of
his sin could spread blight so far reach
ing and so iIreparable; he sat looking at
her, and read in her thin, white hair and
in her worn. fuIrowed features the piteOus
story of what her life had been since lie
had seen her last He had no words for
his shame and his remorse, and in some
subtle fashion the poignaney of his emo
ton communicated itself to her She
would not trust herself to look at him or
address him again, and though he twice
made as if he would speak, each time his
voice broke like Il sob in his throat and
he fell silent.
The tension was becoming so painful
that it was an ineffable relief to both of
them when a knock sounded on the door,
and the footman entered apologetically.
Beg pardon, sir" he said Carrier Mt
the gate, sir, for Mr.. Richards boxes.
They're all corded in his room, but re
isn't home yet, and hasn't labeled which
he wants for use during the voyage, and
thought p'hps you'd know, sir''~--
1T won't matter, James," cried Mr..
Harwood himself again instantly in face
of this dignified domestic you can tell
the carrier there are no boxes to be taken
row. Mr. Richard has altered his ar
rangements-he will not be going"-A.