Evening journal., 1906-12-29
Alicia's
Home
Coming
sc
By
Cecilia a.
IoixeavK
oopyrlshl. ed b RabE poagIa.

this. Alicia Bob Kendall held his
voice to cool, argumentative tone
that made the girl before him still
more indignant
Who are you that you should decide
whether need 70 do anything at alp
she blazed Indignantly.
Il am your fance. and he was be-
ginning when she interrupted him
''If that Is your excuse for such IN
Just interference with my wishes,
can at least relieve you Of your duty"
And she placed her engagement ring
on the table between them. The young
man glanced at it without seeming to
see &C. Then he looked sharply at the
angry girl who was drawn to her full
height
"Allcia, he said gently, you are too
angry to realize what you are doing
Put the ring on your finger again.
! You don't mean this"
Pardon me. I do mean e." said the
girl icily.
The young mans face whitened. and
1 hurt look sprang into his steady
brown eyes. Then he Strengthened up
aud squared his shoulders and set his
strong chin firmIy. when be spoke
there was a note Of hardness in his
voice which the girl had never heard
from him before and from which she
shrank mentally.
Alicia. do you realize what you are
doing? We were 10 be married in May.
Your trousseau ia begun, know. And
you've given me every reason to be-
Iieve you cared for me as much az do
Tor you. And now. because ask you
20 do this one thing-for your sake as
wen as mine-you are going to give all
this upl'
The girl turned suddenly and went
20 the window, where she stood look
ing out into the dripping garden She
felt her lips quivering, and she must
not let Bob see.
Bob looked at the crown Of dark red
hair against the deep green OF the
window draperies, and his voice sof-
tened.
This is all I've ever asked Of you,
Alicia I've been too confident Of your
love for me after you confessed Il;
I've believed in you too utterly ever 70
be Jealous OF your 6irtations. as many
another man would have been--and
4 rightly too. I've submitted cheerfully
, TO being strailed' in public because it
was you who did the trailing"
Alicia turned and faced him again,
d her foot tapping the floor impatiently.
I rs the list OF your virtues a long
4 one, sirT she asked
4 Il shall not name them ALL" he an
swered calmly. THE only thing I've
ever insisted upon your doing Is this
Il one we're talking about Give up this
n silly concert tour. I've never said a
+ word when you've sung for sweet char
u lty's sake OF for any society affair
3 even when the publicity OF the events
has often made me writhe. This time
you haven't any real reason. You are
not IN need Of money. and you're moi
= doing Il for charity. II isn't even the
+, necessary ambition OF the professional
!, 70 win a higher place for herself. YoJ
/, will get fattery from the critics whC
do not think II worth the effort t
a spend real criticism on society ANA
e tours. II they should criticlse yoJ
% honestly--the way they do profession
ais. TO whom Il means bread and but
ter-you'd see the point Tn trying 4
NJ make. l appreciate the charm Of yo'
and your voice as no one else wh'
f, looks and listens 70 you possibly can
y and, Alicia Fairall, don't want TO SCI
i you damned with faint praise or hu
o inflated by any conscientious critic
Can't you see that
when you are quite through" inter
rupted Alicia. you can doubtless fnS
your way out. must ask you TO tx
cuse me" And she swept from thu
!, room, pausing once in the curtaine'
doorway as II TO speak.
+. Uncousciouslv she assumed a theat
/, rical attitude. Her facewas turned bacl
over her shoulder. and her lips wer
parted little With her glowing hea,
i. and her soft green dress between III
I, heavier green OF the curtains she look
I, cd Ike a tall beautiful dahlia, and Bol
i, involuntarily started forward. But sh
closed her lips TO a thin red line ant
went on dropping tue curtains behinl
her. Presently he heard the tapping o
her slippers upon the stairs and the
The bang OF a door.
He did not leave the house at once
but stood at the window where Alici
,s bad stood and looked out into the gra
M twilight. 1t was early spring. As b
IT, looked YEARLY at the sparrows on tn
S. soaked lawn Bob felt his throat tighte
and brushed his hand across his eyes.
~ "she couldn't mean H." he muttere
re as he turned and picked mp the emer
aid ring and slipped it into his YES
pocket. 1T is too close to May for he
"a TO mean that" Then he sought for ~
per aud pen and sat down at the tabl
he He wrote:
Dear. N I have been too harsh forgi'
ip me. ] have said too strongly perhap
what 7 believe TO be true and all wa
Il 10 spare both Of us the pain any fsilu
" yours would be sure 20 cause Thu
II over well. dear. before YOU decid
M what came 70 tel Nou today Il IN
our house IS all done The last worim,
has left. am inciosing a key-thsre a
only rwo-and ] BEG YOU Will so the
you decide finally
He inciosed the key and on his wa
M out handed the envelope 10 the butt
y TO ''be taken up TO Miss Alicia"
z: AS FOR Alicia. she had gone straig
M 20 her desk and had written the folio,