The Lambertville record., 1905-05-17
The Quarrel
BY KEITH GORDON
Copyright, 1905, by Frances Wilson

lncre were TWO sides 10 the question,
of course. There always are two sides.
He, being man, saw only the mascu-
line side, while she, being every inch
woman, could see only the feminine as
pect of the matter that rose between
them like wall.
According To his reasoning, the great
pearl that hcamed softly ON the third
finger of her left hand his gift-was
the solemn, final expression of his
faith. his choice. 1t was the official seal
affixed to his avowed belief that she
was the supreme woman.
In his deeper, finer moments he would
relive the moment when he had put 1t
there, when the splendor of his own
destiny had sohered and steadicd him
till his whole being had gone out in the
wordless prayer. God grant that | may
make her happy
From that moment she was the fixed
star of his life. Indeed, she scarcely
seemed 10 him separate entity, but
rather the finest part of himself. And
this was where the trouble began. He
was dashing and debonnir, and the
stars of lesser magnitude, mere pin
heads beside her. but in the aggregate
by no means without interest and beau
ty. That they We're feminine stars goes
without saying, and If there were mo-
ments when they shone and twinkled
for his especial benefit how could he
do less than 10 acknowledge the com
pliment?
To him IL seemed no more than II
laughing byplay, the light. graceful
variation of the grand love theme Of
his life. But the fixed star saw II diff
ferently saw 1t with eyes that deepen
ed and dar&ened With tragedy which,
after II few weeks of smolderinG burst
into the fame of anger
Never, perhaps, had she appeared to
him SO superb. so obviously queen of
the world, as Mt that moment when she
had faced him, white with scorn, and
accused him In plain. brutal, everyday
English of being II flirt
AT first sheer amazement held him
| silent. But from the torrent of words
that rushed from her lips he was soon
fenses his attentions TO Miss Lincoln.
| his evident enjoyment of the society of
| Mrs. Colin Stuart, not to mention Bet
| ty Pell and Lucia ArmitaGe,
As Van pclt listened to the cutting
words of his tiancee his firstiamazement
| gradually congcaled into something
else. lie had paid some attentions to
| I sh, xriui MI
| friend of his sister and Mrs Stuart
had asked him for II dinner or so, and,
as for Betty and Lucia he never MISS
cd IL chance TO Join them. Had they
not been comrades since the days when
their nurses wheeled their perambu
lators TO the park side by side?
And though he had frequently en-
countercd F1avia under these clrcum-
stances, no hint of his possible dlsplcas-
ure had ever occurred to him. She
was she not the only one so near, SO
much II part of himself, tlElt there was
| no more need for explanation than
there was to his own soul? So at these
encounters his eyes had lcaped to meet
| hers without self consciousness and
without apology.
At first her confidence met his
nobly Then little gnawlng doubts
crept in. She would have liked him to
protest, for alas, she was but II wom-
an. And sometimes the high. white
place Of his soul, where he kept her
entilroned, made her shivpr and long
to be petted and scoldori And in
place of that he made her n goddess
| supposedly with the powta' of reading
hearts.
You haVe=qulte tinlshCslf'
His cool, drawllng voice filled her
first pause with an ley suaAhy, and the
steel of his eyes met the fire of hers
unflinchingly. Involumtarlly she caught
her breath He not only showed no
inclination to explain. TO cXculpate
himself, but he had the look of II man
who has received II mortal wound,
whose deepest feelings have been
merelessy seoffcd at, jceird Mt, tram
pied in the mire
AT the words her heart turned to
ice. Truth to tell, hcr outbursts had
nothing more serious than the quick
resentment of warm hearted, high
spirited woman ut II fr4icd neglect
from the man she adorch. A Inir OF
open arms and eyes that loved back.
begging for tolcrancc'and forgiveness
TINT was what she wanted and cX-
pected. But this man with tile lElrd
glance and the lncislye. cold voice
what had she done?
Despite her terror. the world old bat
tie between pride and love wuB raging
| in her heart. and II was pride that won.
FINISHED" she qucried bitterly,
with an infection that conveyed that
If she ceased 1t was by no means be-
cause she had reached the end OF the
list. "We, will call it SO at least" And
| with the words she drew OFF the ring
and held It out to hlpl. lie received it
with low bow.
Obviously the cpbiodc was ended.
But Mt the door he.turncd3 back.
when you have thought the matter
over more calmly pOu may possibly
have something to SLY bo me | gi9e
you one week to reconsider"
His mastery Of himself, his unyield-
Ing resistance ~ her thrilled her
through and through Never had she
loved him SO absolutely. lnlt there was
no trace of her feeling in.her mocklng
reply.
"A weeks grace SO god Of you"
she laughed rather swiMly. "And yet
do you know II. Is seveahdaysm0re than
| shall need slfaIliucger''-
But he haiI gone a. moment later she
heard the street door~close with an om-
inous bang. She stood stupldly In the
middle OF the room trying to reahze
that there was no future nothing but
dreary waste that belied the name
ahead OF her Then she looked at heI
left hand. now SO bare, so naked, DC
longer hand consccrate, but simply u
womans hand shorn of all Its sweet
Significance, itst tbadgesoftdear depend
ence gone.
A clock struck the hour in silver
tones. fetching her back to 1.-THE dui