The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-01-12
The Journals
Daily Short Story.

eyes and enjoyed the startled glance
she turned upon him.
It seemed the sweetest thing that he
should have come upon her like this
as If some subtle influence had turned
her thoughts into the same channel
with his own. Decidedly. things were
coming his way. He felt exhilarated,
triumphant, boyiSh. Miss Grant laugh.
ed rather fooiishly as she greeted him.
II was playing game that has been
favorite of mine since / was a small
girl" she explained as they turned
away from the window together, "a
game of make believe in which l ar
range everything in life to suit myself.
Nettie and I-Nettie was my best
friend, you know-used to Epend hours
describing our husbands, houses and
children to each other. 1t was great
fun, can tell you. and we entered into
details until it actually seemed real"
She paused and glanced up at him to
see if he understood and then contin-
ued, when you came up l was just
furnishing love of house in thought,
selecting the color scheme for my
walls, you know"
Mowbray listened, almost too rapt to
speak. There was something thrilling
in the knowledge that her thoughts
had been the very complement Of his.
A strange, strong happiness and Ger.
tainty possessed him.
"Would you mind telling me whether
the husband that you planned bore any
resemblance to me? he questioned
daringly.
She regarded him critically, then
shook her head Don't think me rude"
she murmured; "but, to tell you the
truth, he was always six feet tall and
blond. Once l remember when we had
reached the end of a game-that is.
seen our daughters grow up and marry
we began all over again, and for
change l chose a dark, cold man who
filed me with a delicious fear. But
was always forgetting and barking
back to my favorite type, so at last
gave up"
TOO bad, too bad" murmured her
companion, but his tone implied that
bis pity was for her disappointment
rather than his own. They walked
along in silence for awhile, absorbed in
their thoughts and the lively scene
about them, yet strangely conscious Of
each other At last Mowbray spoke.
IT don't see how the thing Is coming
out" he began, with feiGned bewilder-
ment, "for when the sights and sounds
Of early spring suddenly made me
homesick for the thing I've never had
"a home
His voice grew low, and he paused
second, as if the thought were too Sa-
cred to be mentioned lightly. Elinor's
heart went out to him, though she
stubbornly kept her glance fixed indif-
ferently ON the crowd about them.
at was your face that rose before
me instantly; your eyes that looked
into mine; your dear presence that
felt in the house that planned, like a
benediction, a caress. You were the
spirit of the place, its queen, the gra-'
cious woman to whom 1 fancied my
self coming home each night with
deeper, fuller love-"
A needless pedestrian jostled them,
all unconscious OF the fact that in do
ing so he had rudely brushed against
the sweetest thing in the world-a love
story They continued their way, al
most in silence, until the bewildering
greenery of the park turned by spring
magic into fairyland confronted them.
In a flash Elinor seemed TO see her
life stretching away into the future,
transformed into a beauty as match
less as that before her, by love.
She laid her hand upon Mowbray's
arm and gazed at him for moment
with her soul in her eyes.
After ALL" she said very softly, Il
believe that you dreamed true!"